Members say longstanding disparities persist; council urges proactive outreach

Members at the July 23 meeting described enduring disparities in Merced County and urged more proactive outreach. Sharon Jones asked for feedback on visible disparities; Marilyn Mochel said she did not believe disparities identified in 2008 have been corrected and raised recent federal changes, including what she described as "the current freeze of Medi-Cal dollars to California by the federal government," which she said contributes to systemic barriers.