Receptivity to strategies to improve the food environment by increasing access to healthier foods in small food stores is underexplored. We conducted 20 in-depth interviews with small storeowners of different ethnic backgrounds, as part of a small store intervention trial. Storeowners perceived barriers and facilitators to purchase, stock and promote healthy foods. Barriers mentioned included customer preferences for higher fat and sweeter taste and for lower prices price, lower wholesaler availability of healthy food, and customers’ lack of interest in health. Most storeowners thought positively of taste tests, free samples and communication interventions. However, they varied in terms of their expectations of the impact these strategies on customers’ healthy food purchases. The findings reported add to the limited data on motivating and working with small store owners in low income urban settings.

Objective To document the experiences of converting a general hospital to a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) designated hospital during an outbreak in Daegu, Republic of Korea. Methods The hospital management formed an emergency task force team, whose role was to organize the COVID-19 hospital. The task force used different collaborative channels to redistribute resources and expertise to the hospital. Leading doctors from the departments of infectious diseases, critical care and pulmonology developed standardized guidelines for treatment coherence. Nurses from the infection control team provided regular training on donning and doffing of personal protective equipment and basic safety measures. Findings Keimyung University Daegu Dongsan hospital became a red zone hospital for COVID-19 patients on 21 February 2020. As of 29 June 2020, 1048 COVID-19 patients had been admitted to the hospital, of which 22 patients died and five patients were still being treated in the recovery ward. A total of 906 health-care personnel worked in the designated hospital, of whom 402 were regular hospital staff and 504 were dispatched health-care workers. Of these health-care workers, only one dispatched nurse acquired COVID-19. On June 15, the hospital management and Daegu city government decided to reconvert the main building to a general hospital for non-COVID-19 patients, while keeping the additional negative pressure rooms available, in case of resurgence of the disease. Conclusion Centralized coordination in frontline hospital operation, staff management, and patient treatment and placement allowed for successful pooling and utilization of medical resources and manpower during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Objective: Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are low-wage healthcare workers who provide direct care to nursing home residents, yet also experience significant health disparities. However, limited research has been conducted on CNAs’ perceived barriers and facilitators to workplace health promotion (WHP) participation. Method: Informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), 24 CNA semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted in two Chicagoland nursing homes. Results: Key barriers were time-constraints and lack of staffing, lack of access to WHP programs, and limited organizational and employer support. Facilitators included the availability of WHP programs, breaks, and other workplace benefits, and enhanced leadership and familial support. Conclusion: An effective WHP program must attempt to minimize the work-related, organizational, and environmental barriers while supporting high motivation of CNAs in health promotion. We offer some suggestions for enhancing CNAs’ WHP access and utilization.