November 2020
HIPMC Partner News & Updates
Welcome Aboard Alejandra!
We are excited to welcome Alejandra Zavala to the team as the new Community Health Improvement Specialist and lead for the HIPMC. Alejandra was part of the Office of Community Empowerment with the Preventive Health Collaborative program and was able to collaborate with community partners on two Action Learning Teams that focused on early childhood nutrition and reducing the number of children going into the foster care system. Prior to work with Maricopa County, she was a Family Support Specialist for Catholic Charities West Side Head Start for several years where she experienced the importance of early childhood education. Alejandra brings her lived experience to connect with the community and understands the importance of equity. She is excited to bring her experience, passion and dedication to the Health Improvement Partnership of Maricopa County.
5 Tips to Keep in Mind for Holiday Gatherings

We all want to see our loved ones this holiday season. However, the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is among members of your household only. If you plan on gathering for the holidays, keep these 5 tips in mind:

1) Review your guest list- Keep it small with fewer than 10 people and think about who you are inviting. Are any of them at risk of getting severely ill if they get COVID-19?

2) Do a health check- Find out if anyone on the guest list has had COVID-like symptoms such as cough, fever, or shortness of breath, in the last two weeks. Anyone with these listed symptoms in the past two week should stay home.

3) Spread out- Set up seating so that people from different households can stay six feet apart. Sit outside rather than inside.

4) Keep it short- Gather for less than two hours. Shorter periods of time give COVID-19 less chance to spread and make it easier to keep hands and surfaces properly sanitized.

5) Consider the children- It's tough for kids to stay apart. If possible, have them wear masks (if they're over the age of 2) and avoid sharing toys or food.
Medically Certified Volunteers Needed
Help Administer COVID-19 Vaccine
Maricopa County is recruiting volunteers to help administer the new COVID-19 vaccine when it arrives. Due to logistics limitations, the first vaccines will be administered at 5 regional points of dispensing (PODs) across the county to frontline health care workers with the greatest risk of exposure. With the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and the anticipated impact on our healthcare systems including staffing shortages, volunteers will be critical to the success of the initial vaccine rollout. If you would like to assist, visit the link below. We thank you for your continued partnership and support during this extended response.
Request a Free Flu Vaccine Event!
Keep your Community Healthy
Maricopa County is encouraging residents to get their flu shots as soon as possible. Contact us (HIPMC email) if your agency/church/business/community organization wants to host a Flu Vaccine Event. Our team will help answer any questions you have on Flu Vaccine efforts.
We ask that you help in protecting our communities and reducing strain on our healthcare system by partnering with us to distribute Flu Vaccine this season. Please contact us with any ideas or requests you might have to further the reach in providing awareness. In an effort to spread the word and learn more about this effort to promote flu vaccines, we have created a toolkit with unbranded materials ready to share. View the toolkit here.
Serosurvey Results
Learn more about the Key Findings
Results from a serosurvey conducted across Maricopa County show that an estimated 10.7% of residents have detectable antibodies for COVID-19. This means that approximately 470,000 people in Maricopa County likely have been infected with the virus since the pandemic began. Some key findings from the serosurvey include:

  • For every case reported to Public Health, there were 3-4 cases that were not reported up to Mid-September when the serosurvey was conducted.
  • The number of true infections is likely far higher than the number of people who are being tested for COVID-19.
  • There was a higher seroprevalence within householders than across individuals, which supports evidence that infections cluster within households.
Thank you for Supporting the Community Testing Poll Last Month!
We've partnered with healthcare providers and nonprofit organizations to bring COVID-19 testing to our communities. Here is what we've learned from listening to our residents. We continue to work with trusted partners to provide testing in communities around the valley. You can also learn what testing site events are happening in Maricopa County and read some frequently asked questions.
You are Invited to Sun Health's Community Leaders Forum
Partnering to Address the West Valley's Greatest Health Needs
As a business, civic, community, health or nonprofit leader in the West Valley, we all should be inspired to be an advocate for the health and wellness of our community. Sun Health invites you to a virtual and interactive discussion on the following health need areas:

  • Chronic disease
  • Access to care
  • Dementia/Alzheimer's
  • Mental health

During this action-packed 90-minute virtual session on December 10, 2020 from 9:00am - 10:30am, there will be two parts: presentation featuring Maricopa County Department of Public Health and four breakout groups with facilitated dialogue around how our organizations can work together to have a positive impact in each area. Interested? Learn more below and RSVP by Friday December 4, 2020.
Children Still Need Checkups!
The American Academy of Pediatrics Arizona Chapter wants to encourage Maricopa families to get Back to the Office during the pandemic. Too many children are missing out on their Well Visit Checks & Immunizations. Let’s work together to get them back on track. Visit the AzAAP website to learn more about the “Back to the Office” campaign: https://azaap.org/



HIPMC | hipmc@mail.maricopa.gov | www.hipmc.org