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Wilmington City Community
Student
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Instructor
Date
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Wilmington City Community
Community Description
The community focused on in this paper is the City of Wilmington, Delaware. A total
population of approximately 70,000 residents resides here. Racial and ethnic distribution
includes 58.0% African American, 35.2% Caucasian, 12.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 1.8%
Asian. $42,400 is the median household income for the area, and around 25% of the population
lives below the poverty line. Educational attainment is varied, with 85% of residents holding a
high school diploma and 25% holding a bachelor's degree or higher (Atangcho et al., 2023).
Wilmington is an urban area with a diverse culture, including integration between old local,
established customs and the infusion of more recent immigrant populations.
Health Problem Selection and Population at Risk
The chosen health issue to be addressed in this community is hypertension. Hypertension,
or high blood pressure, is an extremely prevalent chronic disease in Wilmington (Atangcho et al.,
2023). It becomes an important condition among African-American residents who are far more
disposed to high blood pressure due to factors such as genetics, socio-economic status, and other
root causes of lifestyle habits.
Data Supporting Selection of Health Problem
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40.3 per cent of African
Americans have hypertension, compared with 28.7 per cent in the Caucasian population
(Ogunmuyiwa, 2023). Local data from Delaware Health and Social Services indicated that 37
per cent of Wilmington residents had been diagnosed with hypertension; this was much higher
than the national average of 32.6 per cent—signifying the need for imperative action to be taken
against this health issue.
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Scope of the Problem
Hypertension is an important public health problem because it is a major risk factor for
the development of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke. Hypertension
accounts for nearly 500,000 deaths annually across the country (Margozzini et al., 2023). In
Wilmington, hypertensive complications are very burdensome to emergency rooms and
hospitals, accounting for thousands of visits and admissions. Compared to national rates, the rate
of hypertension in Wilmington is worse, and warrants targeted interventions within the
community.
Community Capacity Assessment Using Assets Mapping Model
Defining Building Blocks
Primary building blocks are assets located within the community and under community
control. In contrast, secondary building blocks are the assets located within the community but
under the control of outside people. The third kind of building blocks is Tertiary building blocks,
Resources originating outside the community, and controlled by 'outsiders.'
Examples of Building Blocks in Wilmington
The local health clinics and community organizations are examples of the primary
building blocks in Wilmington. The Wilmington Community Health Center would be the one to
provide the primary care services, notably for hypertension management, while the West Side is
working on community health improvement Grows Together initiative through education and
outreach activities.
Secondary building blocks include hospitals and pharmacies. Christiana Care has a main
hospital in Wilmington, the seat of New Castle County, that offers specialized cardiovascular
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care. CVS and Walgreens pharmacies can also be reached for medication management and
health screenings.
Finally, tertiary building blocks include state health programs such as Delaware's
Division of Public Health, which operates the Chronic Disease Bureau, which in turn funds
hypertension prevention and control activities, as well as federal grants such as funding the
CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention supporting local health programs
seeking to reduce hypertension rates (Margozzini et al., 2023).
Instrumental Role of Building Blocks In Resolving Hypertension
Local health clinics can provide chronic care, patient education, and lifestyle counselling
in the management and prevention of hypertension. They are accessible to the general public and
have the trust of the people. They, therefore, play a very crucial role in the ongoing management
of hypertension. Community organizations, West Side Grows Together, in particular, can
sponsor health fairs and distribute educational materials advocating for healthier lifestyles. This
grassroots approach will ensure that interventions are culturally sensitive and 'hit' the desired
targeted population. Advanced diagnostic and treatment measures for complications of
hypertension can be provided in hospitals like Christiana Care. Also, community clinics could be
involved to provide continuity of care.
Pharmacies can act as easily accessible health checkpoints through assessment of blood
pressure and counselling on medications, thus allowing early detection and treatment of diseases.
Additionally, the Division of Public Health manages resources, data, and policy support for local
health initiatives. In turn, its programs can finance community-based interventions and training
of healthcare providers. Finally, this can be financed through grants from federal agencies: large-
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scale public health campaigns, research, and the implementation of practices with supporting
evidence all show some potential for reducing hypertension rates.
Contributions as an Advanced Practice Nurse
As an advanced practice nurse, I will contribute clinical expertise through the provision
of evidence-based care and consult in the management of hypertension. This would also include
developing treatment protocols and patient education materials. I will then lead workshops and
seminars in the community to educate residents about hypertension, its risks, and prevention
strategies and make a public case for policy changes that open access to healthy food, safe
exercise spaces, and affordable health services. I will work with interdisciplinary teams to
coordinate the care of patients from diagnosis to management and conduct community-based
research for the identification of barriers in hypertension control and the effectiveness of
implemented interventions.
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Reference
Atangcho, F. A. (2022).BDevelopment and Evaluation of a Nurse Practitioner-Directed
Hypertension Monitoring Protocol in a Primary Care Practice. Wilmington University
(Delaware).
He, S., Park, S., Kuklina, E., Therrien, N. L., Lundeen, E. A., Wall, H. K., ... & Jackson, S. L.
(2023). Leveraging electronic health records to construct a phenotype for hypertension
surveillance in the United States.BAmerican journal of hypertension,B36(12), 677-685.
Margozzini, P., Tolonen, H., Bernabe-Ortiz, A., Cuschieri, S., Donfrancesco, C., Palmieri, L., ...
& Oyebode, O. (2023). National Health Examination Surveys: An essential piece of the
health planning puzzle. medRxiv.
Ogunmuyiwa, O. (2023). Hypertension and Diabetes Comorbidity: Factors that are associated
with their Joint Occurrence.
