On May 20, 2021, CITRIS Health hosted a webinar that focused on the lessons learned through the development and deployment of vaccination efforts across three programs: Lighthouse, which reaches older adults in affordable housing communities; ACTIVATE, which reaches rural agricultural workers in California’s Central Valley, and Healthy Davis Together, which has taken a community-centric approach to pandemic prevention and control. As all populations are now eligible for vaccines, these efforts have mobilized to provide vaccines and address the vaccine distribution disparities preventing priority populations from full access to care. This webinar offers an opportunity to learn how to quickly adapt the lessons learned in order to increase vaccine access across California and the United States.
Dr. David Lindeman, Director of CITRIS Health, moderated a conversation with panelists Veronica Chavez, Community Outreach Manager at Livingston Community Health; Helidee Millan-Govea, Community Outreach Manager at Livingston Community Health; Sheri Peifer, Senior VP and Chief Strategy Officer of Eskaton; Darlene Cullivan, Senior Manager of Outreach and Impact at Eskaton and Dr. Sheri Belafsky, Medical Director of Healthy Davis Together. They discussed the lessons learned through the development and deployment of their vaccine initiatives, the importance of partnerships with trusted community organizations, and the equity considerations required for building an equitable infrastructure for providing vaccines to underserved populations.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
David Lindeman, Ph.D., Director of CITRIS Health
Lindeman has worked in the fields of health care and long-term care for nearly 40 years as a health services researcher and gerontologist, conducting research related to health care technology, assistive technologies, chronic disease management, healthy aging, disabilities, dementia, community-based and residential services, health care workforce, and family caregiving. His current focus is working with researchers, entrepreneurs and investors on the incubation, start-up, evaluation, and scaling of technology-enabled health care solutions, including initiatives that address critical health care challenges through mobile/cloud, sensors/IoT, telehealth, robotics, assistive technologies, and data analytics (AI/machine learning).These technology-enabled solutions cover a continuum of health care issues, ranging from wellness to complex chronic conditions and precision health, with an emphasis on global applications. He serves as an advisor to foundations, government agencies, businesses, and venture firms, and previously served as the founding Director of the Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging; Associate Professor of Health Policy at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University Medical Center; and Co-Director of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center. Lindeman received his Ph.D. and MSW from the University of California, Berkeley.
Sheri Peifer, Chief Strategy Officer, Eskaton
Sheri Peifer, MSG, is Eskaton’s Chief Strategy Officer. She collaboratively works with healthcare, technology, academic and business partners to lead Eskaton’s forward-thinking approaches aimed at positively transforming the aging experience. Peifer and her team focus on establishing integrated service and care networks for the over 14,000 older adults Eskaton serves today. Expanding how Eskaton rethinks and packages services for people living at home is a vital initiative. Ms. Peifer serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for the book series Leading Principles and Practices in Elder Care and participates on the LeadingAge California Planning and EMERGE Leadership Selection Committees. She is a graduate of the national LeadingAge Leadership Fellow program, based in Washington D.C. Ms. Peifer holds a BA from Messiah College in Pennsylvania and a MS in Gerontology and Education from California State University, Sacramento. She and her husband, Scott, raise three active young boys.
Darlene Cullivan, Senior Manager of Outreach and Impact, Eskaton
Formerly a teacher, Darlene Cullivan eagerly joined Eskaton and its mission. Within the last seven years, Darlene has enjoyed leadership roles within Eskaton’s employee wellness program, volunteer resources, philanthropy and community engagement. Today, as Senior Manager of Outreach and Impact, Darlene’s role aims to inspire the region with Eskaton’s nonprofit imperative that invests into the cultivation of a vibrant and inclusive community for all regardless age or ability.
Helidee Millan-Govea, Community Outreach Manager, Livingston Community Health
Helidee Millan-Govea is a Community Outreach Manager for Livingston Community Health and has been with LCH for almost five years. Helidee graduated from UC Merced with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. She has a passion for supporting her community and helps them by connecting individuals and families to services and linking them to the resources they need.
Veronica Chavez, Community Outreach Manager, Livingston Community Health
Veronica Chavez has been with Livingston Community Health for almost six years, three years as an Outreach Coordinator then was promoted to Patient Services Supervisor in the same department. Most recently, she was promoted to Primary Care Services Manager and was responsible for overseeing all three of the Livingston sites (Campus Medical, Wolves, and Main Street). Currently, she is back in the Outreach & Enrollment department as a Community Outreach Manager for Stanislaus County.
Veronica is very passionate about the work they do to help all of their underserved populations. She loves her job, the challenges they face daily, and everything that comes with it as they continue to work together, all hands on deck, fighting for the same cause. This is what keeps her motivated!
Dr. Sheri Belafsky, MD, MS, FACOEM, Director of Medical Surveillance Program at the Center for Occupational & Environmental Health Department of Public Health Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Director of Healthy Davis Together
Dr. Belafsky is a board-certified occupational and environmental medicine physician and has been with the UC Davis Medical Surveillance Program since 2009. Dr. Belafsky completed residency training in Occupational and Environmental Medicine and a Master of Science degree in Public Health Science and Policy at UC Irvine, and received her M.D. from Tulane University School of Medicine. As the UC Davis Medical Surveillance Program’s medical director, she works with employers to identify potential workplace health hazards and designs medical programs to help keep workers safe. She also reviews each patient’s chart and determines each clearance status. Dr. Belafsky currently serves as a director on the board for the Western Occupational and Environmental Medical Association (WOEMA), and is active in planning educational content for both WOEMA and UC Davis medical providers. She is passionate about fitness and enjoys hiking, yoga, and running.