September 2021
En Español: Esta es una carta solicitando una donación para el trabajo que hace CCHCC. Si tiene preguntas sobre esta carta, o para mas información sobre donando a CCHCC, llame a (217) 352-6533 y pregunte por Chris o Adani.
Dear Friends,
Champaign County residents continue to get vaccinated, which is great news. But we cannot ignore the fact that children under 12 years of age cannot get vaccinated, and in-person school has now started. Locally, we are seeing many “breakthrough” COVID cases in Champaign County. A “breakthrough” COVID case is when a person who has been fully vaccinated for COVID ends up getting COVID. As of August 30, 2021, masks are required for all indoor settings regardless of vaccination status. However, not everyone can be vaccinated, so it is important to protect our most vulnerable community members by getting vaccinated if you can. If you have already been vaccinated, talk to your family and friends and share your experience without judgement.
Pandemic challenges – we will continue to be cautious. CCHCC’s work to provide free services to community members, including health insurance enrollment and prescription assistance, continues but is much harder now that we have to work remotely and practice social-distancing. We are committed to keeping our clients and staff safe. Providing direct services to consumers is more complicated and time-consuming, and requires more back and forth – whether over the phone, email, text, zoom, or regular mail – to get everything done.
Doing even more. In addition, there is more work for us to do beyond our regular scope of work! For example, more medically-fragile homeless individuals with complex health care situations need help with shelter and housing as they fall through the cracks of our current community resources. CCHCC has stepped up to assist these individuals with motel stays, and with the process for obtaining subsidized permanent housing. Also, community members need even more information about, and help accessing the COVID-19 vaccines. We are sharing information about vaccine clinics and answering questions that folks have about getting vaccinated. We are doing all of this while helping our clients find affordable healthcare!
COVID-19 Testing and Vaccinations. Throughout the pandemic, CCHCC has been helping community members find out about COVID-19 resources, as well as where and when to go for testing. Since the vaccines have been available, CCHCC has been on the front lines of working with community members and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD), to help people learn about vaccination opportunities and to sign up to get vaccinated. Our work on vaccination has focused mainly on reaching people who do not have easy access to the internet and therefore have not been able to sign up or get information about where to go for vaccines or testing. This includes working with low-technology seniors and with low-income community members who do not have access to timely information about how to get scheduled to get their vaccines. Now, so many walk-in clinics are being offered that the need to schedule online is diminishing, but we still need to share the updated information as it changes. CCHCC also provides outreach and information in the appropriate language for non-English speakers.
Besides working on COVID outreach and access, CCHCC is also working on a COVID education campaign to help people understand what the vaccine is, why it is important, and that it is accessible, as well as addressing the COVID misinformation which somehow spreads much more quickly than truth.
Vaccine access in Champaign County – where to go. CCHCC encourages all of our community members who are eligible for the vaccine (those age 12 and older) to get vaccinated. CUPHD has a walk-in clinic on weekdays Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., and 1:00 p.m.- 4:30 p.m., and on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at 201 W. Kenyon Road, Champaign. You can also find vaccine clinic schedules and availability by going to the CUPHD website at www.c-uphd.org or the Vaccine Finder website at www.vaccinefinder.org.
Plus, Medicare Open Enrollment is coming up! If you would like to change your Medicare advantage plan or Part D prescription drug plan, you will have the opportunity to change for the 2022 plan year starting October 15 – December 7, 2021. CCHCC staff can help you compare plans and complete those enrollments. Even if you already like your plan, it is important to make sure it will remain the same for the following year and continue to cover your medications and doctors.
CCHCC’s experienced staff with highly-specialized skills are here to help year-round! CCHCC’s staff are the most experienced enrollment workers in our community! Thanks to community support from people like you, CCHCC has been able to retain staff and build our expertise in health insurance enrollment.
Thank you for your support!
We appreciate your financial support for our services, and your help getting the word out to others about CCHCC. Together, we are working to help our community survive the pandemic, and building a stronger, healthier community – together, we are giving the gift of health!
Sincerely,
Claudia Lennhoff
Executive Director