Local health community leaders are hoping to get more input about major issues of concern to people living in the Frenchtown and Southside areas. They’re also hoping more people will join a Community Advisory Council looking into such issues.
One of the main staples of the council is to find out the top health priorities for Frenchtown and Southside residents. Florida State University’s College of Medicine is helping to launch the council. FSU Professor Dr. Heather Flynn says people have already come forward to talk about problems with access to health care.
“…whether that be because of transportation, not having a clinic close to home, insurance issues, awareness of where to go for particular health concerns,” said Flynn. “So, there were definite themes that came up from the groups that were talking about this.”
So far, the council has six members. Dr. Cynthia Seaborn says the goal is to form a 12-member council. She’s the Health Committee Chair of the Tallahassee Branch of the NAACP, also helping to coordinate the council.
“Then, every community would be represented,” said Seaborn. Now, we have some Southside residents and we have Frenchtown residents. So, both sides are currently represented. It’s just that Southside needed a few more, in my opinion.”
In addition to FSU and the NAACP, the four-part partnership to help start the council also includes Florida A&M University’s College of Pharmacy and the Leon County Health Department.
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