REDUCE THE RISK 915 CAMPAING 2020-2022

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

The COVID-19 Pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to communities all over the world, and El Paso County was not the exception. Early in the pandemic, the County understood the need to create an evidence-based plan that prioritized the health and well-being of all the residents. An integral part of the plan was to effectively communicate with people in a clear and consistent manner in times of crisis. The County partnered with community entities and organizations to launch the Reduce the Risk 915 Campaign reaching out and educating residents with culturally relevant, accurate and timely messages delivered by trusted messengers using appropriate communications channels with the explicit goal of preventing the spread of COVID-19. A cross-sector collaborative partnership was established to coordinate and provide consistent and relevant information to residents in both English and Spanish. But traditional methods such as paid media ads, social media, and direct mail were not enough, and the County utilized the trusted voices of Promotoras, or community health workers to provide relevant COVID-19 information in the county’s hard to reach areas. The campaign provided valuable health and safety information to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community. But most importantly, it contributed to achieving one of the highest vaccination rates in Texas. In less than nine months, from November 2020 to July 2021, El Paso County went from being one of the harder-hit communities by COVID-19 in the United States to one with leading vaccination rates in Texas.