Multisite Integrated Health System Utilizes Proactive Community Strategies to Address Vaccine Hesitancy and Create Positive Change

Vaccine hesitancy remains a barrier to successful COVID-19 vaccination programs across all populations. Attempts to mitigate this barrier, including mandates, have not been successful, especially in communities of color where the vaccination rates remain low. Nursing leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion officers, and C-suite executives of 1 health system collaborated to address vaccine hesitancy through various community conversations with health care workers, non-direct caregivers, nursing students, and all populations across 4 state counties. The efforts of the health system were to improve trust in the health care system by presenting transparent dialogue with opportunities for interactive questions through presentations by health care professionals.