With the ultimate goal of helping to alleviate Black health disparities, the team first needed to understand the variety of Black health experiences. The team needed to know what Black women locally were experiencing, then gather up-to-date feedback regarding resources currently available for Black families. Questions asked in focus groups were related to experiences within health care facilities, with medical personnel, and with their personal support systems. The team also inquired about their experiences with currently offered health care services, in an attempt to gather information on which resources were having an impact and how significant that impact might be. Focus groups took place in locations, such as the public library, that were seen by participants as neutral and trusted.
[Source: Final Report of Lawrence-Douglas County’s MCH Opportunity Project, 2019-2020.]