PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (April 18, 2024) – Tiffany Thomas, Ph.D., has been awarded $150,000 in grant funding by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Thomas is a Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Community Development in the School of Architecture at Prairie View A&M University.
Andrea McDonald, Ph.D., Assistant Director of the School of Public and Allied Health and Assistant Professor, will serve as the Co-Principal Investigator for this project.
The grant aims to tackle health disparities in two communities in Calhoun County: Port Lavaca and Seadrift. Its objectives include:
- Fostering trust by engaging the community, gathering feedback, and fostering continuous learning and information exchange with community partners.
- Enhancing COVID-19 and flu vaccination rates, although this funding does not cover vaccine provision, nor has DSHS actively promoted the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Compiling a comprehensive directory of partners, particularly those focused on addressing health disparities.
- Developing community-led plans to address local needs and mitigate the adverse effects of future pandemics and mass disasters.
Dr. Thomas will draft a community intervention plan to bolster community resilience against future pandemics and mass disasters. This plan will be informed by literature reviews, best practices, data collection, and input from a community steering committee and selected community members.
By Joe McGinty