Simmons Partners with #DocsOnCall to Address COVID Misinformation

Boston, Mass. (December 1, 2020) – Simmons University announced today that it has begun a project in partnership with Doctors on Call, COVID-19 (#DocsOnCall) to address misinformation and health inequities that are impacting vulnerable communities during the ongoing global pandemic.

The project is supported by a $250,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle, Creek, Mich. The funding enables Simmons to support the work that #DocsOnCall is doing to provide accessible and accurate information about COVID-19 to underserved communities at greater risk of experiencing health disparities.

#DocsOnCall is a national grassroots information campaign launched in March 2020 as a result of the pandemic, and it is partnering with Simmons University’s Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities, the School of Social Work, the Master’s Program in Public Health, and the President’s Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for this project.

“It’s no secret that one of the greatest challenges during this public health crisis has been combatting the massive amounts of COVID-19-related misinformation, which continues to threaten communities across the nation,” said Meenakshi Verma-Agrawal, Assistant Program Director and Associate Professor of Practice at Simmons’ Master of Public Health program. “Issues related to social justice and racial equity have been especially apparent during this pandemic. We’re honored to receive this grant that will enable our university to support the vital work #DocsOnCall is doing to help vulnerable and underserved communities that are at greater risk from COVID-19.”

#DocsOnCall has been working to share crucial information about the COVID-19 pandemic through targeted media programming, social media and public service announcements. This includes weekly “Health Wrap” episodes featuring interviews with medical professionals. The organization has already reached thousands of individuals and expanded its presence to include multiple social media platforms, such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. The partnership with Simmons will further expand this effort and provide citizens in vulnerable communities with the information and resources to better understand COVID-19 and make informed health decisions.

“This pandemic has highlighted how misinformation can exacerbate existing health disparities and lead to poorer health outcomes for traditionally underserved communities, and that’s why this campaign is so vital,” said Carolyn Sawyer at #DocsOnCall. “We’re grateful to have funding from the Kellogg Foundation and support from our partners at Simmons University, who are bringing a variety of public health, social work and communications expertise to this effort.”

The grant, which runs from September 1, 2020 through August 31, 2021, enables Simmons students to gain hands-on experience as they work to support #DocsOnCall and its mission of providing accurate and accessible information about the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Simmons is committed to the core values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and this project is helping to address some of the major disparities that exist with this pandemic,” added Brian Norman, Dean of the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities at Simmons University. “This communications campaign will empower citizens to better identify COVID-19 misinformation so that communities can reduce the spread of this virus and better protect the health of residents.”

About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.

About Simmons University
Located in the heart of Boston, Simmons is a respected private university offering more than 50 majors and programs for undergraduate women and graduate programs open to all on campus, in blended formats, or entirely online in nursing and health sciences, liberal arts, business, communications, social work, public health, and library and information science. Founded in 1899, Simmons has established a model of higher education that other colleges and universities are only recently beginning to adapt: the combination of education for leadership in high-demand professional fields with the intellectual foundation of the liberal arts. The result is a Simmons graduate prepared not only to work, but to lead in professional, civic, and personal life — a vision of empowerment that Simmons calls preparation for life’s work. Follow Simmons on Twitter at @SimmonsUniv, and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/school/simmons-university/.

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