Some communities are at greater risk for impact from public health concerns. These communities can also be harder to reach with public health messages through standard messaging processes.
Communities of Concern Workgroup (COC)
The Winnebago County Health Department brings together partner agencies, community members, and influencers within these communities of concern to address barriers to health equity. The workgroup meets every month and on demand as needed. The COC Workgroup’s focus is healthy people, healthy homes, and healthy neighborhoods.
Resources
Coordinating across agencies and the COC to bring resources to communities most impacted by public health concerns.
Data
Gathering information and statistics that identify health inequities and disparities in the community, to best assess and appoint the right resources and create the best messaging.
Messaging
Getting the right public health message to the community in the way most receptive to those most impacted.
Become An Influencer
The COC looks for individuals in these community of concern that are willing to help share public health messages with their network in the way that is most receptive to who, and influencers within these communities of concern to address barriers to health equity.
COC Projects
The COC Workgroup was started as part of the response to COVID-19 through which messaging campaigns such as the “Keep That Same Energy” information card and the “Why I Mask Up 815” social media campaign were utilized in conjunction with the WCHD outreach initiatives. The COC expanded their objectives to addressing health equity on community health outcomes for the COC.
The COC Workgroup partnered with the WCHD to identify neighborhoods in the COC with the lowest vaccination rate and bring the #VaxUp815 bus into those communities. The COC Workgroup helped to get the message out about the bus in those communities and helped reassure that the effort was with good intentions. For example, COC members helped to walk neighborhoods and provide handouts to the community about the vaccination event.
