Healthy People Wood County is a partnership of residents, hospitals, nonprofits, businesses, public health officials, and schools all aligning our energy to fight complex health problems together.
Alone none of us can overcome the challenges our communities face. Together we can achieve progress.
Join our coalition
Our Four Priorities
Inequity at the Center
Our approach to all four priorities will emphasize the underlying social determinants of health inequity. These “determinants” refer to the social, economic, and political forces that shape inequalities in health. This approach will help us address relationships of power and differential access to resources and privilege that create poorer health outcomes for the most vulnerable in our county.
We're Making Impact
ALCOHOL & DRUGS
- 10,545 lbs of loose prescription drugs secured
- Passed a "social host" ordinance in Wisconsin Rapids
- E-cigarettes added to smoke-free laws
FOOD & ACTIVITY
- 18,314 lbs of local produce sold in schools
- 520 bike share checkouts
- 50 healthy options served by 10 local restaurants
HEALTHY GROWTH
- Youth survey completed across county
- 421 youth reached with peer education
- 1,512 oral health screening packets distributed
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING
- 3,310 local residents trained in suicide prevention
- Employee mental health resolution passed
- 700 local residents attended conferences
Our Home
We're focused on Wood County, Wisconsin, home to 74,469 people across 809 square miles at the exact geographic center of Wisconsin. Our county is more rural than the state overall: 37% live in rural areas and 63% in cities like our county seat of Wisconsin Rapids. Most of the nation's cranberries come from Wisconsin, and Wood County boasts the most acres.
Though 94% of our county is white, we are home to strong Hmong, Ho-Chunk, and Amish communities. Wood County is part of treaty land that has been claimed historically by multiple tribes including the Ho-Chunk, Ojibwe, and Menominee Nations. Much of the land was taken through federal government treaties.
Wood County residents have a lower income and education than the state average, with 11% of our residents living in poverty.
Your Voice Matters
We attribute our early successes to the collaborative spirit of hundreds of community partners who have joined in our effort so far. Resident voice is instrumental to this work, especially the voice of those most impacted by these health issues. By investing in community organizing and partnerships through a data-driven process, our work aims to improve community health and build resident leadership, power, and community ownership to create long-term sustainable change.
