August 2022  |  Issue No. 4

In Memoriam

Arva Marshall Jackson

With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of Arva Marshall Jackson, who passed away on July 21, 2022.

Arva Marshall Jackson was one of the founding members of the Primary Care Coalition, joined the PCC Board in the early 2000s, and was active on the PCC Board until 2016. During her time on the Board, she served as Chair of the Board and later led the Selection and Development Committee. Notorious for her

“wisdom and wisecracks,” Arva was gifted at making people feel comfortable during difficult conversations and was able to guide a group through hard conversations weaving in all perspectives and insights.

Arva’s passion, commitment, and concern for the community were sparked in the early 1950s when she became a housemother for “delinquent pre-adolescents” who had been assigned there by the Juvenile Court of the State of Delaware. Since then, she focused her career on the premise that every life is worthy of the best the world has to offer—if you’re able and willing to work with others to realize it.

PCC Partner Wins Two Emmys for Spanish Language PSAs That Helped Curb COVID

Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar (For Our Health and Wellbeing) was recently recognized with two Emmy awards by the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS). The organization won Emmys for its public service announcements that helped curb COVID-19 infections among the Spanish-speaking community.

The public service announcements (PSA 1 and PSA 2) were part of a COVID-19 prevention and mitigation initiative. The short “La Abuelina” video announcements feature animated characters encouraging Latinos to take charge of their health and make well-informed decisions in response to COVID-19.

The initiative was created under the leadership of the Montgomery County Council and Executive and implemented by the organization in a partnership forged by the County’s Latino Health Initiative with seven community-based organizations: Care For Your Health, CASA, Identity, Inc., Mary's Center, Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic, Proyecto Salud Clinic, and the Up County Hub. The Primary Care Coalition proudly serves as the backbone organization for Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar, providing administrative support, contracts management, and fiscal sponsorship for this multi-partner program.

The PSAs were produced by The Communications Shop, the Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar communications firm. They were nominated and awarded in the public service announcements category in the campaign and single spot sections. The 64th Annual National Capital Emmy Awards Ceremony was held on June 25 at the Bethesda North Hotel and Conference Center.

PCC extends hearty congratulations to The Communications Shop and to all of the partner organizations participating in Por Nuestra Salud y Bienestar on this great honor.

Covid Relief Fund Partnerships Work
to Keep AAPI Communities Safe

The Primary Care Coalition is partnering with Montgomery County's Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI) to provide COVID-19-related services, including outreach, testing and vaccinations, education, mental health, anti-harassment/ anti-hate, and social service support for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the County. 

The initiative is part of a larger effort by Montgomery County to ensure that its communities of color have access to the services they need to overcome the pandemic. Montgomery County is one of the nation's most diverse counties, with more than 50% of its population consisting of minorities who tend to be disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Asian American and Pacific Islander communities account for nearly 15% of the County population. Because of the growing diversity and wide range in language, culture, and socioeconomic status within the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, providing services and care to people of AAPI descent requires custom approaches to overcome the challenges. 

While the pandemic affected all residents, the added layer of threats related to anti-Asian rhetoric and racism intensified the challenges for the AAPI community.

During the first year of programming, recipients of the COVID-19 Relief Fund providing outreach and services within the AAPI communities include American Diversity Group, Asian Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project, Chinese American Community Health Services, Chinese Philippine Culture & Community Service Center, Inc., EveryMind, IMAAM, Inc., Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington, Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association, MCC Medical Clinic, Nurses Association of Metropolitan DC, and Vietnamese American Services.  In fiscal year 2023, PCC will continue this important work with another round of resilience grants to be announced this fall.

August 10, 1–3 p.m., Lighting Your Path: Cataract Awareness Month, hosted by Independence Now via Zoom and presented by the Prevention of Blindness Society for individuals interested in best practices for protecting vision and managing blindness. Contact Rochelle Harrod at rharrod@innow.org to register or request accommodations.

August 13, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Back to School Drive 2022 at Aastha Adult Medical Day Care, 12210 Plum Orchard Drive, Suite 214, Silver Spring, MD 20910, hosted by American Diversity Group. Please pre-register. Backpacks will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

August 16, 12-1 p.m., Mental Health through Covid-19 Workshop Series, hosted by Independence Now via Zoom. Pre-register in advance for each event.

August 20, 4-5:30 p.m., Super Social Saturday, hosted by ArtStream, Inc. via Zoom, this class for adults 18+ with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism) will cover conversation skills, how to make new friends, and what to expect at a party. The cost is $25. Register here.

SAVE THE DATE! November 10, PCC’s 30th Anniversary Storytelling Show, AFI Silver Theatre, Silver Spring.

PCC Job Openings

Bilingual Client Services Referral Specialist (Full-Time)

Bilingual Community Health Worker (Full-Time)

Dental Assistant-Certified Radiation Technologist (Full-Time)

Dental Clinic Principal Administrative Aide (Full-Time)

Director, Diabetes Programming
(Full-Time)

Population Health Program Coordinator (Full-time)

Primary Care Coalition
8757 Georgia Ave 10th Floor | Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
301-628-3405 | info@primarycarecoalition.org

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