Christiana Care Helps Local Businesses Reopen Safely

As the city of Wilmington, Delaware, began reopening in June, ChristianaCare helped local business owners do so safely. The health system developed a webinar on COVID-19 safety. Licensed barbers and hairstylists who completed it received safety kits that contained masks and face shields, disposable capes, sanitation supplies and educational materials, including posters to help educate clients on coronavirus prevention and safety. Many of these businesses didn’t have the resources needed to ensure safe and hygienic practices.

LeRoi Hicks, M.D., chief medical officer at the health system’s Wilmington campus, explained that the best way to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in communities, particularly in minority communities, is working with them. Well-known and respected local business owners can pass along important health info to their customers and communities — and influence behavior change.

One local barber observed: “We all are connected. We all are against this one enemy [the pandemic]. … This [initiative] shows that you have our back, and we’ve got your back.”

The COVID-19 safety kits were funded by the Harrington Value Institute Community Partnership Fund, which fosters partnerships between ChristianaCare, ChristianaCare’s Value Institute and the community, and supports projects addressing the social determinants of health. View this YouTube video to learn more.