Request for Proposals: REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) Lessons Learned

Below is a summary of the REACH Lessons Learned RFP. For full details on the scope of work, submission requirements, and contact information,  please download the PDF.

AIM will accept proposals submitted in response to this RFP until 11:59 pm ET on Friday, May 5, 2023.

Since fall of 2020, REACH recipients have worked tirelessly on the pandemic response. First, focusing on improving flu vaccination rates in their communities, then expanding to also include COVID-19 vaccines. Throughout the process, there has been great variability between REACH recipients on implementation of their activities.

AIM is collecting and analyzing lessons learned and promising practices in the field of immunization from the COVID-19 pandemic. Promising practices identified will focus on the different approaches taken by recipients throughout the pandemic response. This project will synthesize the experiences of the REACH recipients to prepare the public immunization workforce for the next pandemic.

The key objectives of this project are to gain an understanding of:

1. Approaches used by REACH organizations to improve vaccine access, vaccine confidence, and general health.
2. Successes and challenges they have encountered to meet their respective end goals.
3. Effective approaches, associated factors and enablers, roadblocks and factors contributing to lack of effective implementation.

REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) is a national program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for over 20 years to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities. The program administers grants and support to community organizations that work on this issue.

AIM has partnered with CDC to engage and support participating REACH organizations in their efforts to address racial and ethnic disparities related to COVID-19 and flu vaccination coverage.

Through this partnership—known as iREACH—recipients plan and carry out local, culturally appropriate programs to address racial and ethnic disparities in immunization coverage among Black/African American, Latino, Asian, American Indian, and Pacific Island/Alaska Native communities.

AIM provides technical support to the iREACH recipients in the form of training on vaccine education, webinars, development of training materials, and weekly vaccine and disease updates. AIM also provides a platform for iREACH recipients to store and share materials, as well as to facilitate communication with and between organizations. AIM provides opportunities for support, collaboration among iREACH recipients, coaching, and learning focused on navigating implementation challenges and sharing successes and promising practices.