Health issues in the community

Tania Ferreira Matos

Upon calling the Osceola Health Department I spoke to one of the nurses who informed me that the main health reason why patients seek medical attention at their facility is cardiovascular disease, mainly Hypertension (HTN). She then added that Osceola county has a predominantly Hispanic community and that there was a genetic predisposition for this type of disease due to their genetics and cultural dietary habits. She also stated many patients in the community seek help for HIV and Hepatitis C.

After further research, I discovered that Osceola county, as well as other counties in Florida, is required to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), on a county level (Florida Department of Health in Osceola County, 2022). Health needs are identified in the CHNA, while the CHIP identifies goals, strategies, and ultimately the plan of action for addressing and improving those health needs (Florida Department of Health, 2022). A CHIP is reviewed and updated every three to five years, while its goals and objectives are monitored monthly (Florida Department of Health, 2022).

I then looked over the demographics for the county, and it is estimated that Osceola County will grow by almost ten percent in the next five years from 368,559 residents in 2019 to 404,326 in 2024 (above Florida's 6.8 percent growth rate) (Florida Department of Health in Osceola County, 2022). In Osceola County, the Hispanic population consists of 55.1%, compared with 25.9% for the state of Florida and 18.3% for the nation (Florida Department of Health, 2022). Therefore, the county must have the resources and services necessary to maintain a healthy population on an individualized basis.

Compared with non-Hispanic whites, people of Hispanic descent have a higher prevalence of hypertension, according to Campos and Rodriguez (2019), along with poor blood pressure control measures compared to other ethnicities in the United States.

Nurses have three options for intervening to improve hypertension and other health topics: directly with individuals, as part of a single or group, as part of a community, and as part of systems that affect community health (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2020). These interventions can range from screenings to referrals and follow-up to direct health education or in community collaboration.

References

Campos, C. L., & Rodriguez, C. J. (2019). High blood pressure in Hispanics in the United States: a review.  Current opinion in cardiology,  34(4), 350–358.  https://doi.org/10.1097/HCO.0000000000000636Links to an external site.

Florida Department of Health in Osceola County. (2022, July 22).  COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2020-2025. floridahealth.gov. Retrieved February 28,2023, partnerships/floridahealth.gov/provider-and-partner-resources/community-partnerships/floridamapp/state-and-community-reports/_documents/Osceola_CHIP2.pdf 

Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2020).  Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (10th ed.). Elsevier