Mimi Hall, Director of the County Health Services Agency, joins Talk of the Bay to speak about public health during a pandemic. Recently County Health awarded $619,900 in health equity grants to 20 organizations in our county. COVID-19 has revealed stark inequities in the health and economic security of California’s communities, with particularly alarming disparities in health outcomes by race and ethnicity. Our county is no exception. The organizations that received this grant operate in various areas of public health, and the awards will allow them to promote equity during this unparalleled time in our county’s history. Visit https://www.santacruzhealth.org/ for more information about our county’s public health initiatives.
Hall offered a reassuring portrait of Santa Cruz County’s preparedness before the pandemic was on the horizon, and its response once the pandemic hit home. However, crises in public health do not affect all citizens equally. The grants will help local organizations increase their outreach and services to underserved, at risk, and historically neglected populations. Joining us in the conversation were Angela Farley of Teen Kitchen Project and Laura Marcus of Dientes Community Dental. Both organizations have had to be flexible and creative in order to serve their client populations during the pandemic. Thanks to everyone for giving our listeners a wider picture of how public health organizations are serving our community in a time of desperate need.
