Community Organizations for Natives: COVID-19 Epidemiology, Research, Testing, and Services (CONCERTS)

Status: Current

American Indian and Alaska Native people have the highest risk of any racial or ethnic group in the United States for becoming infected with the COVID-19 virus, as well as developing severe disease and dying from the infection. This is due, in part, to their excess burden of chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, pulmonary disease, and heart disease, as well as other factors such as poverty. Our project will estimate the rate of infection and the influence of factors such as education, poverty, and poor health on being tested for COVID-19 among urban American Indian and Alaska Native people. The overall goal is to increase testing for the virus and address the many health disparities related to COVID-19 in this population, a group often overlooked in research. This project works with urban clinics serving American Indian and Alaska Native people located in Alaska, Utah, Minnesota, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. We have collected electronic health records data and administered two surveys to American Indian and Alaska Native patients 18 years and older. In addition, we administered a survey to clinic administrators and primary care providers. Each clinic chose to implement their own set of unique strategies aimed at increasing COVID-19 testing and vaccination among the urban American Indian / Alaska Native population they serve. 

Principal Investigator(s)

• Spero Manson, PhD, MA

Team Member(s)

• Austin Henderson, PhD
  Analyst
• Carolyn Noonan, MS
  Analyst
• Sara London, MEd
  Qualitative Analyst

Heath Research Initiatives

• American Indian and Alaska Native
• Urban