Advancing Health Equity in Yamhill County: A Community-Informed Public Health Plan

As a public health internship student from Linfield University, I will be contributing to the development of Yamhill County’s Health Equity and Cultural Responsiveness Plan, a strategic framework designed to address systemic health disparities in alignment with Oregon Health Authority guidelines. This ongoing project draws from the county’s 2022 Community Health Assessment (CHA) and 2023 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), both of which identify many critical barriers to health equity including rural isolation, housing instability, and lack of culturally responsive care. My work focused on integrating community input, supporting data analysis, and drafting strategy recommendations in collaboration with public health professionals and local organizations such as Unidos Bridging Community and Yamhill Community Action Partnership