The goal of this group project was to improve health equity in Wood County. Health equity occurs when “[E]veryone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care” (Wood County Health Equity Report 2021). Health inequities are unjust because there are possible preventative measures we can take. With this broad idea in mind, the Wood County Health Department liaison who assisted us narrowed down the project focus to equitable employee policies within the Wood County government, hiring bias county-wide, and relationships with the Native American and other minority populations within the community.
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