...Accessing Healthcare Area Substance Abuse Council (ASAC) Iowa Danielle Fisher HCA 430 Prof. Jon Lasell April 2nd, 2012 With the many different vulnerable populations out there in the United States, the one that needs the most look after are people with alcohol or substance abuse. With the way that some people live day to day, it is hard to keep track of people who need help in the areas of drug abuse. Where I live, in Cedar Rapids Iowa, there is the Area Substance Abuse Council (ASAC) that helps people receive substance abuse treatment services that they need. The services that they provide are substance abuse treatments and the halfway housing which helps monitor people with heavy drug abuse problems. The type of care that is provided at the ASAC is the following: residential short-term treatment, residential long-term treatment, outpatient, and partial hospitalization/day treatment. For the ASAC the strengths to the program are its ability to adapt to different cases of people with drug abuse problems seeking help needed for their situation. Among the many different things that they have for common drug users, there are also special programs and groups that are provided as well. Adolescents, persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, pregnant/postpartum women, women, residential beds for clients' children, DUI/DWI offenders, and criminal justice clients are all the special groups that can be found there. Not everyone who is dealing with the...
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... Topics 2 and 3 – Sociological Perspectives on Health and Illness Gray, D. (2006) Health Sociology: An Australian Perspective, Sydney: Pearson (Chapter 2: Theoretical Approaches to Health and Illness). http://www.csu.edu.au/division/library/ereserve/pdf/gray-d1.pdf Topic 4 – The Australian Health Care System and Medical Dominance Allsop, J. (2006) ‘Medical Dominance in a Changing World: The UK Case’, Health Sociology Review, 15(5): 444-457. http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/203159309/1366604FAEF6B748988/5?accountid=10344 Benoit, C., Zadoroznyj, M., Hallgrimsdottir, H., Treloar, A. and Taylor, K. (2010) ‘Medical Dominance and Neoliberalisation in Maternal Care Provision: The Evidence from Canda and Australia, Social Science and Medicine, 71: 475-481. http://ac.els-cdn.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/S027795361000314X/1-s2.0-S027795361000314X-main.pdf?_tid=f431c118-1bdd-11e2-8e5b-00000aab0f26&acdnat=1350865267_a1391f139d0114a9d79046d28e270495 Topic 5 – Healthcare Workers: Nursing and Allied Health Speed, S. and Luker, K.A. (2006) ‘Getting a Visit: How District Nurses and General Practitioners “Organise” Each Other in Primary Care’, Sociology of Health and Illness, 28(7): 883-902. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2006.00511.x/pdf Di Luzio, G. (2008) ‘Medical Dominance and Strategic Action: The Fields of Nursing and Psychotherapy in the German Health Care System, Sociology of Health and Illness, 30(7): 1022-1038. http://onlinelibrary...
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...Health disparities among racial and ethnic groups present a complex national issue. ….Health disparities are the differences in frequency, commonly occurring, raising the death rate, diseases that are difficult to bear, and other adverse health conditions or outcome that exists among specific population groups in the United States. …The specific population groups can be based on gender, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geography, sexual orientation, disability, or special health care needs. Health disparities occur among groups who have persistently experienced historic trauma, social disadvantage, or discrimination. They are widespread in the United States as demonstrated by the fact that many minority groups in the United States have a higher incidence of chronic diseases, higher mortality, and poorer health outcomes when compared to whites.” ( Multicultural Health. n.d., p.14) …The causes of health disparities are due to both voluntary and involuntary factors. Voluntary factors are related to health behaviors, such as smoking and diet, and can be avoided. …Factors such as genetics, living and working in unhealthy conditions, limited or no access to health care, language barriers, limited financial resources, and low health literacy skills are often viewed as being involuntary and unfair, because they are not within that person’s control.”(Multicultural Health., n.d., p.19) From the research reported by the institute of medicine an overwhelming body of evidence in the...
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...Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the U.S. Healthcare Delivery System Alden Knight Health Services System – HSM541 DeVry University, Keller Graduate School of Management August 10, 2013 According to HHS when it comes to racial and ethnic disparities, they identify the lack of insurance as a significant driver of healthcare disparities. Lack of insurance, more than any other demographic or economic barrier, negatively affects the quality of health care received by minority populations. Racial and ethnic minorities are significantly less likely than the rest of the population to have health insurance. They constitute about one-third of the U.S. population, but make up more than half of the 50 million people who are uninsured (HHS 2011). Unfortunately, it has a negative impact on the U.S. healthcare delivery system. Primary care is the most important part of the health care system. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or the AHRQ, about 30 percent of Hispanic and 20 percent of Black Americans lack a usual source of health care compared with less than 16 percent of whites. Also, Black Americans and Hispanic Americans are far more likely to rely on hospitals or clinics for their usual source of care than are White Americans (AHRQ 2013). The American Hospital Association or the AHA has convened the Special Advisory Group on Improving Hospital Care for Minorities as part of ongoing...
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...With regards to this assignment the aims are to analyse patterns of health within the adult population regarding health disease and exclusion, whilst also having the ability to assess the health needs and the impacts they have on individuals and their communities. The assignment targets to analyse and investigate public health perspectives, ideologies, with the use of current legislation and policies. Public health aims to help people avoid becoming ill with strategies to help stay healthy, this is defined by the Department of Health (2012) which states a variety of policy areas of concern, these include immunisations, alcohol, drug users, sexual health, pregnancy, smoking, alcohol and a child’s health (DOH, 2012). The health issue chosen for this assignment will be smoking in pregnancy and the implications smoking can have with regards to health issues and the problems faced globally, nationally and within a chosen demographical area. In order to clarify what is meant by the term ‘health’ an understanding must be achieved and although according to the World Health Organisation (1986) health being ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. Although this is a highly thought of definition according to Macaulay & Herbert (2011) the (WHO, 1986) definition of health is no longer appropriate and should be changed towards ‘the ability to adapt and self-manage in the face of social, physical, and emotional challenges’...
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...Hepatitis B Virus: Epidemiological and Social Implications Amy Berry Grand Canyon University Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS-427V Sandra White August 21, 2015 Hepatitis B Virus: Epidemiological and Social Implications The Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is an infection that attacks the liver and is categorized as both acute and chronic. The geographic prevalence between five and ten percent is predominantly in African and East Asian countries and only a one percent occurrence in the United States. The global incidence of HBV is approximately two billion people worldwide and of those, 350 million have chronic liver dysfunctionality resulting in an increased mortality risk related to cirrhosis and hepatic neoplasms ("The World Health Organization," 2015). According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in 2013, acute cases of HBV totaled 3,050 and 31,763 chronic cases were reported in the United States and a it is estimated that a total of 140,000 patients are infected every year that are not reported or unknown, and of those, an upwards of 1,000 people will die of chronic liver disease resulting from HBV ("CDC," 2013). The introduction of the HBV vaccine in 1982 and the inoculation of infants has dramatically lowered the frequency of infection, however, certain subgroups such as hemodialysis patients, health care professionals, intravenous (IV) drug users, organ transplantation recipients and homosexual males are at higher risk and should be periodically tested...
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...I E S IN T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF HEALTH INEQUALITIES IN THE UNITED STATES Thomas A. LaVeist, Ph.D. Darrell J. Gaskin, Ph.D. Patrick Richard, Ph.D. September 2009 foreward Not everyone in the United States enjoys the same health opportunities. Studies show that minority Americans experience poorer than average health outcomes from cradle to the grave. They are much more likely to die as infants, have higher rates of diseases and disabilities, and have shorter life spans. As the U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration work toward enactment of legislation to reform America’s health care system, a central focus of the debate has been the projected cost of ensuring accessible and affordable health care to every citizen. While some have struggled with the premise that health care reform can actually reduce health-related spending, the experience of racial and ethnic minorities under our current health care system is a strong indication that improving opportunities for good health – and minimizing inequities in health care access and outcomes – may well be good for the nation’s fiscal health, as well. This study, commissioned by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and carried out by leading researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, provides important insight into how much of a financial burden racial disparities are putting on our health care system and society at large. The researchers examined the...
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...Health Promotion Among Diverse Populations Marcia Maris Grand Canyon University NRS-429v November 14, 2015 The purpose of this paper is to discuss the health status of the American Indian/ Alaskan Native (AI/AN). A comparison and contrast of AI/ANs with the national average regarding the health status such as heart disease and strokes will be presented. Multifactorial barriers limiting health, and the overall factors affecting health within this population are identified. Current health status will be presented including health promotion and disparities among this US population. Primary, secondary, and tertiary health promotions will be discussed along with one approach to promoting health offered. According to the office of Management and Budget’s “American Indian or Alaskan Native” refers to one who has origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America, including Central America, and maintains ties and connections to a tribe or tribal community (United States Census Bureau, 2010). Results of the 2010 census revealed there were 5.2 million people or 1.7 percent of the population who were Native American/ Alaskan Native. Chronic diseases and risk factors among AI/AN groups remain high. When compared to white populations AI/ANs are more likely to have diabetes and high blood pressure, be obese, and smoke cigarettes ( Centers for Diseas Control, 2015). The death rates from heart disease is 20 percent greater and from strokes are 14...
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...According to the assigned article, "Health Disparities and Structural Violence: How Fear Undermines Health Among Immigrants at Risk for Diabetes. In and effort to Explain the relationship between fear and health identified by the researchers in the article I will start with this issue of cost pointed out in the article. People are afraid to seek health care because they cannot afford the copays, or the medical bills to follow. According to the article, the people in the international district are left with choices to make such as pay for healthcare now or be left in the cold, dark, no food or water and possibly get thrown out in the streets along with their families, possibly young children in the mix, these children's needs takes precedence of healthcare for the adults. The people consider the fact that diabetic complications are not imminent. Eventually, they make a choice to suffer in silence until their health gets out of control, to the point where they cannot tolerate it anymore. At this point, there is not much that can be done for them because the prompt diagnosis has not been made prior to the complexity that they present with to the doctor. There are also the issues of them being unable to discern the bills and not sure how to go about getting the bills settled. Keeping in mind that they are undocumented, they are fearful of deportation, they are stressed out and we all know that stress plays a major role in the exacerbation of any diagnosis especially diabetes...
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...Populations Jennifer Maas NUR/440 August 11, 2011 Marie Fagan MN, RN Vulnerable Populations Vulnerable populations are social groups who experience health disparities as a result of a lack of resources and risk factors. In this paper the vulnerable group of the homeless will be discussed. The homeless population has many barriers that make obtaining healthcare a challenge. This paper will discuss the barriers and personal experiences with this demographic group. Vulnerable Population Definition Vulnerability and vulnerable populations are significant issues in today's health care system. Vulnerable populations are social groups who experience health disparities as a result of a lack of resources and increased exposure to risk. Vulnerable populations are those who are made vulnerable by their financial circumstances or place of residence, health, age, personal characteristics, functional or developmental status, mental or physical status (Goliath on Demand, 2011). The homeless is one of the many vulnerable population groups and is a very problematic issue currently. Barriers of the Homeless There are many barriers of the homeless however the one that stands out is the lack of access to health care. Many of the homeless live on the streets in dirty, filthy conditions which put them are risk for illness. They do not have the finical means or insurance to access preventive or acute care if needed. Many...
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...Challenges Facing Health Care in the United States Liz M. Santiago Dr. Watson HSA 500 March 11, 2012 Identify and describe at least three of the most difficult issues facing health care in the United States today. Our health care system is complex in the way it is setup and the way it operates. There are many key issues that face the health care system in the United States today. Three of the most difficult issues include diseases, health disparities and paying for health care. As we are capable of preventing diseases through preventive medicine and advanced technology, the mortality rate of the United States will continue to decline. Although this may be true, macro trends such as illnesses, diseases, injuries, and population groups are of concern. “Differential morbidity and mortality between men and women, among different ethnic groups, in different age groups within the population, by geographic region, and in other important population comparisons raise red flags about our limited successes for certain populations, and the challenges that we face” (Torrens & Williams, 2009). Health concerns such as hypertension, obesity, injuries and chronic diseases surround individuals in the United States today, regardless of their race, gender, income status or geographical location. Although a steady income, health insurance and access to care may exist for some individuals across the United States, health disparities are still clearly...
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...public health industry, it is a difficult task to align all efforts in a framework that promotes the overall health of populations. During the late 1970s, hundreds of public health experts collaborated to confront high-priority community health issues. This grand dialogue amongst researchers resulted in the publication of the Healthy People report, which emphasized the impacts of health determinants and personal behavior on the health of individuals. By focusing on preventative health services, health protection, and health promotion, the Healthy People reports challenge public health services to meet specific, population-based health objectives by the end of the decade. Whether the objectives might be to reduce the prevalence of a communicable disease or improve birth rates, all the objectives are intended to meet these overarching goals of the report: eliminate health disparities and promote quality of life for all population members. In the most recent report, Healthy People 2020, the new national health agenda added new focus areas to its objective list; some of those focus areas are LGBT health, healthcare-associated infections, and global health. In addition, the report outlined four health measures to evaluate progress in efforts that meet the objectives of the report: general health status, health-related quality of life, determinants of health, and health disparities. The objectives of the Healthy People reports provide a national standard that public health administrators...
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...Vulnerable Populations in Current Events Paper Vulnerable Populations in Current Events Paper Vulnerable populations can be defined broadly to include any individual, group, or community whose circumstances present barriers to obtaining information or to access resources offered before, during and after a socio-economic and or life changing event. Additionally, it may include, but are not limited to: age; physical, mental, emotional, or cognitive status (CDC, 2014). In 2011, the American Hospital Association (AHA) Board Committee on Research (COR) examined emerging practices in effectively coordinating care for vulnerable populations of Medicaid beneficiaries. There are approximately 9.2 million Medicaid beneficiaries are dual eligibles – low-income seniors and younger persons with disabilities who are enrolled in both the Medicare and Medicaid programs (AHA, 2011). Barriers that may prevent these populations from obtaining needed services: Medicare and Medicaid dual eligibles are among the sickest and poorest individuals, and they must navigate both government programs to access necessary services. The barriers that may prevent these populations can range to in include economic status, their personal or family values, attitudes, culture, and life circumstances of these individuals and the communities in which they reside. CDC provides evidence that Medicare beneficiaries belonging to racial and ethnic minorities persistently experience an increasing disproportionate...
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...Health disparities of the LGBT community Darlene Poer Grand Canyon University Minerva Gonzales May 15, 2016 Health disparities of the LGBT community Many factors contribute to a person’s health status. Among them are, limited access to care, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “the social determinants of health as well as race are ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, age, and disability” (Myers, Yoon, & Kaufman, 2013). The Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community falls into this category. The individuals that belong to this group come from all ethnicities, races, economic and social statuses throughout the United States and the world. The Institute of Medicines report in 2011 states, “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have unique health experiences, but as a nation, we do not know exactly what these experiences and needs are ("LGBT health report," 2011, p. 4).For this reason their needs and health care inequities and inequalities should be addressed. The health promotion goal of the LGBT community is to “improve the health, safety, and well-being of lesbian, gay, and transgender individuals” ("," 2014). To understand the current health status of the LGBT community, one must understand some basic definitions. 1. Gender identity-A person’s basic sense of being male or female. 2. Gender expression- Manifestations that are defined as masculine or feminine. 3. Gender role...
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...Health Promotion Among African Americans Family-Centered Health Promotion 02/22/2015 African Americans or Blacks have been a part of our countries history for very long time now. They have been, up until the recent years, treated unequally and discriminated. Unfortunately discrimination against African Americans and Blacks are still prevalent today. Their past in our country is not something we should ignore; rather use it as a tool of understanding the African American culture. Their perception of healthcare and their willingness to seek help could be linked to the fear of social discrimination and the possibility of being treated differently if the healthcare providers are predominately white. The health disparities among African Americans today is something that cannot be ignored and is something that healthcare professionals need to take seriously. This paper will talk about the health disparities among African Americans and how we can make change to this by approaching the problem with health promotion and prevention techniques. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015, the population of African Americans is estimated to be a 45 million; which is 15.2 percent of the United States population. Around 14.7 percent of the African American populations are shown statistically to live in fair or poor health. This particular race is known to suffer from high incidences of Heart Disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, poverty and high crime...
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