Health Equity

The state-funded program, Reducing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities "Closing the Gap" (CTG) grant, section 381.7356, Florida Statutes, supports communities, faith-based, and other organizations to eliminate health disparities. CTG grants fund communities to work with partners to improve the health of racial and ethnic populations, eliminate barriers and achieve optimal health in Florida.

DOH-Citrus launched a Health Equity and Disparities Coalition whose goal is to work with the community to achieve health equity, eliminate disparities and improve the health of all groups within our community. The Health Equity and Disparities Coalition (HEDC) discusses strategies to improve the health of Citrus County. The strategies focus on the social determinants of health: education access and quality, health care access and quality, economic stability, social and community context, and neighborhood and built environment. Membership includes community leaders working to address each SDOH, as well as any relevant sub-SDOHs. The Coalition meets once monthly. If interested in joining, please reach out to Kathryn DeFranco, Co-Minority Health Liaison, at (352) 513-6083 or Dr. BJ Ezell, DrPH, Co-Minority Health Liaison, at (352) 464-0155.

The HEDC, along with the Florida Department of Health in Citrus County (DOH-Citrus) celebrates National Minority Health Month every April with a free health event. Services offered include vaccines, lipid, blood glucose and blood pressure screenings, hemoglobin checks, nutrition education, safe sleep, breastfeeding, car seat safety and many more at no-cost. More Details for the 2023 event will be released soon.

Click Here (CitrusCountyHealthEquityPlan.pdf (floridahealth.gov)) to view the Citrus County Health Equity Plan.

For more information, call 352-513-6083 or email Kathryn.Defranco@flhealth.gov.