Elgin Area Pandemic Team supervisor to testify at U.S. Congressional Select Subcommittee Nov. 10

Martha Martinez, supervisor of the Elgin Area Pandemic Team, has been invited to testify at the U.S. Congressional Select Subcommittee hearing on the coronavirus crisis at 1 p.m. (CST) Wednesday, Nov. 10. The hearing title will be: "Building Vaccine Confidence: Our Shot at Curbing the Pandemic in Chicago and Beyond."

There are two panels of witnesses scheduled for the hearing. Martinez will appear on the second panel with Ben O'Donnell, Dr. Helene Gayle, Dr. Omar Khan, and Don Abram. The first panel includes Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Rep. Bill Foster, two members of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, will start the hearing by providing opening statements and questioning the first panel. Once completed, Martinez and the other witnesses will provide their opening statements, after which the members will have an opportunity to ask questions.

Martinez was born and raised in Elgin. After college, she worked in the technology sector for many years. More recently in 2020, she became part of the Census 2020 Outreach at the Gail Borden Public Library. They had a very successful engagement, especially with those segments of our community that might otherwise have been undercounted. Currently, she is supervising the Pandemic Health Navigator Team at the library. She and her team have had a positive impact in our community by increasing the vaccination rates, especially among the underserved.

According to Martinez, these recent efforts have provided great personal satisfaction to be able to make a difference in her community.

The Gail Borden Public Library District Foundation and Library District, in partnership with Centro de Informacion and in coordination with local, regional and state partners, is assisting COVID-impacted people in the community as part of the Pandemic Health Navigator Program. The grant for this program is from the Illinois Public Health Association, in partnership with the Illinois Primary Health Care Association and funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The program will utilize Community Health Workers to help prevent transmission of COVID-19 through education and outreach, and integrates community health centers, community-based organizations, and public health partners to coordinate Illinois resources for the most vulnerable populations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Centro de Informacion will be a full partner on this project along with the City of Elgin, U-46 and many other organizations.

The link for the Select Subcommittee hearing will be posted at gailborden.info/covidhelp.