In 2021, Ashleigh co-led the Coforma team in support of the Presidential COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force. The collective team evaluated social and health disparities worsened by the pandemic, synthesized recommendations, and produced a comprehensive report aimed at advancing health equity for communities of color and underserved populations.
The Problem: Disproportionate Pandemic Impacts
The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the systemic, widespread social and health inequities in the United States. While all Americans were affected, communities of color and underserved populations were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
“COVID-19 has laid bare what has been the reality for so many in our country, who over generations have been minoritized and marginalized and medically underserved, and the pandemic took advantage of the legacy of intentional policies that have structurally disadvantaged communities over time.”
The Team and Goal: Health Equity
In January 2021, President Biden and Vice President Harris created the Presidential COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force through Executive Order 13995. The Task Force's mission was to provide specific recommendations for addressing health inequities worsened by the pandemic and preventing future disparities.
The recommendations had to cover:
How agencies and local officials could allocate COVID-19 resources to communities disproportionately affected by high infection, hospitalization, and mortality rates.
Guidance for agencies on distributing COVID-19 relief funding in ways that promote equity.
Strategies for effective, culturally relevant communication with communities of color and underserved populations.
Recommendations to enhance cultural competency, language access, and sensitivity toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, aligning with the January 26, 2021, Presidential Memorandum condemning racism and xenophobia against these communities.
On February 10, 2021, the White House appointed 12 non-federal members to the Biden-Harris COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, showcasing diverse backgrounds and expertise. As Chair, Dr. Nunez-Smith also invited six federal agencies to join the Task Force, including the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, and Labor.
“This is our collective work. The reimagining of a different and better post-pandemic reality.”
Coforma, co-owned by Ashleigh Axios, supported the Task Force staff through human-centered design (HCD) and research. Our efforts helped Task Force members evaluate and synthesize diverse information within the rapidly shifting government and health landscapes, aiming to deliver cohesive, lasting recommendations based on a health-justice-in-all-policies approach.
The Approach
Under Ashleigh’s executive leadership and in collaboration with the Task Force, Coforma provided human-centered design and research experience to deliver two reports—the Final Report and Proposed Recommendations as well as the Proposed Implementation Plan and Accountability Framework—and a series of socialization tools to help promote the work of the Task Force.
We collaborated with Task Force members nationwide using digital tools to address systemic inequities, all while applying a flexible framework to navigate the complexities of the government ecosystem. Our efforts included engaging with communities for feedback, empowering clients through tailored templates, prioritizing inclusivity and accessibility, and organizing the Final Report to enhance visual navigation.
“You have to show up. You have to listen. You have to learn. And you have to be humble with equity work. Communities are the experts in what they need.”
Remote-First FACILITATION
During the pandemic, we used our experience as a distributed, agile workforce to collaborate with Task Force members nationwide. We employed digital tools and people-centered practices to facilitate problem-solving discussions on systemic inequities.
Screenshot of the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force in their eighth remote meeting
Complexity-busting Process
To support progress within a tight timeframe and a dynamic environment, our team used a flexible process, and recommended implementation and accountability frameworks, that addressed the complexities and ambiguities of the government ecosystem.
The COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force Process as graphically visualized in a page of the Report
Community Engagement
Alongside collaborative sprints, we facilitated opportunities for Task Force members to hear directly from communities, users, and subject-matter experts. This helped them connect their committee workstreams and identify the most impactful and relevant recommendations.
Key Populations engaged in community engagement and supported by proposed recommendations appearing as a pattern in the Final Report and Recommendations
Systems And Client Empowerment
To promote the Final Report and Implementation Plan, we generated tailored templates that met accessibility and brand standards for communications spanning social media and events.
Sampling of social media templates created to empower the client
Inclusivity and Accessibility
We prioritized inclusive design and accessibility in creating the Final Report and Implementation Plan. Despite tight timelines, we ensured that the final artifacts reflected the Task Force's principles of collaboration, inclusivity, and accessibility.
Sampling of pages from the Presidential COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force Final Report and Recommendations
Information Architecture And Wayfinding
The Final Report organized recommendations into four outcome areas: Communications and Collaboration; Data Analytics and Research; Structural Drivers and Xenophobia; and Health Care Access and Quality. We designed distinct patterns for each area to aid visual navigation through the content.
The Four Subcommittees of the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and their associated names, icons, and colors from the Reports
Initial Results
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s action to prioritize equity in the COVID-19 Response has the potential to be transformative for health equity in the United States. Over 80 percent of the Task Force recommendations have already been fulfilled, and the Administration is committed to embedding the Task Force’s recommendations into the historic initiatives and programs we continue to build to promote and sustain equity across the federal government.”
News Highlight
Center for American Progress: Advancing Equity: Review of the Biden Administration’s Efforts in Its First Year To Implement a Racial Equity Agenda
COMPANY
Coforma
CLIENT
Department of Health and Human Services, Presidential COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force
START
April 2021
LAUNCH
November 30, 2021
TEAM
COFORMA
Ashleigh Axios: Coforma Project Sponsor and Lead
Kim Friedman: Design Researcher and Facilitator
Michele Washington: Design Researcher and Facilitator
(Clockwise from top-left) Kim, Ashleigh, and Michele collaborating remotely over Zoom; laughing because the meeting platform flipped Michele’s video upside down
PARTNERS
Deloitte