Community Strategic plan: part B

1

Community Health Assessment Using Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns Framework

M Lopez RN

West Coast University

Course: NURS 561

Community Health Assessment Using Gordon’s Functional Health Pattern Framework

This community assessment’s aim is to evaluate the health risks within Miami-Dade, FL (my community) by applying Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns framework. This framework serves as a systematic approach to assessing all the domains of health and well-being in the community and thus enhances the assessment of issues of concern and achievements.

Resources in my community

In this community health assessment, several local sources were useful. The Miami-Dade County Health Department has quite detailed information about the demographics of health, programs, and services offered within the community (Stoler et al., 2020). Their respective annual health reports and community health needs assessments provide valuable information on the prevailing health challenges and the existing strategies being implemented. Furthermore, institutions like Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) cater to most of the population's full range of health care needs, ranging from basic outpatient services to specialized care. From these centers, information is collected in regards to the population served and the main health issues that are treated.

Additional support was obtained from local non-profit and non-governmental organizations, which are usually concerned with particular health concerns and can offer valuable information and statistics. As is true with most educational institutions, like the University of Miami, CHAs are often performed and are a valuable source of health data and information within that particular community. Lastly, websites and publications of government agencies provide informative health news and data essential for this evaluation (Battineni et al., 2020).

Community Strengths and Concerns

Strengths

An important source of strength is the existence of lively health-oriented associations, including the Health Foundation of South Florida. These organizations actively support and encourage healthy lifestyles by regularly organizing events such as health fairs, fitness classes, and educational seminars, making the community healthier. Also, the community has adequate health facilities, such as the Jackson Memorial Hospital and many clinics that provide health services in the community (Stoler et al., 2020). These include health facilities that offer affordable and accessible healthcare so that the majority of people can access healthcare services when they develop an illness.

The Miami-Dade County Health Department also delivers other public health programs that also play a major role in boosting community health. Such activities as immunization, health check-ups, and educational sessions have enhanced health promotion and enhanced health literacy among the residents. Such measures show that the community is actively working on sustaining or enhancing the quality of people’s health.

Community Concerns

However, there are several points that require further debate and development as well. In particular, the frequency of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension is increasing (Kareff et al., 2020). As the data provided by the Miami-Dade County Health Department shows, these conditions are among the most critical health challenges pregnant women, middle-aged individuals, elderly people, and other sensitive population categories face. Another vital issue is the critical question of equity in access to health care services across the classes and ethnic groups in the above-mentioned population. However, the major ones are that the areas with low income are also likely to be affected by diseases, and their access to health facilities is limited.

Also, there is a lack of mental health care, and there are only a handful of mental health care providers to cater for the needs of the community. This gap results in long hours of waiting and poor attendance for patients with mental illnesses. With regard to these issues, there is a need to improve the standard of health and welfare for the people.

Potential Barriers and Solutions

Potential Barriers

The following are some of the challenges that may hinder the achievement of good community health plans: Lack of funding for health interventions and programs is a challenge because available funding restricts the number and types of health interventions. Some of the health interventions rely on grants and donations, and at times, the amount received is insufficient to support all the programs required to improve the health of the people. Other barriers include culture, because some cultures are inimical to change, and this would also affect health promotion activities (Pulimeno et al., 2020). For example, there are people who cannot agree to undergo certain types of tests or receive certain treatments because these are considered shameful to their culture.

Transportation is still another factor here because unfavorable transport might prevent patients from getting timely healthcare in remote areas. This barrier restricts the likelihood of attending medical appointments or participating in health-improvement activities. This may reduce the health literacy of members of the community, and they may not be able to interpret the health information and hence access services. It is more prominent in older and ethnic groups and in people with limited proficiency in the English language.

Addressing Barriers

To address these challenges, there is a need to search for grants and funding from the government and other organizations. Local companies and other charitable organizations can also participate in the financial aspect of funding the project. In this context, cultural competence training is useful in improving the performance of healthcare workers in the course of serving culturally diverse clients (Pulimeno et al., 2020). Culture is a very important component in the interaction between a patient and the provider and can go a long way in encouraging people in the community to support health promotion.

Expanding the availability of transpiration services, such as shuttle bus services or volunteer driver services, to healthcare facilities will also increase healthcare access. These services could be implemented more easily by partnering with such organizations and government agencies. In terms of health literacy, the level of knowledge among the members of the community can be improved through the expansion of health education interventions (Meherali et al., 2020). The type of program should be easily accessible and developed in a way that can help people of all ages and that can be implemented regardless of language barriers. Informing the target group can be facilitated and supported by cooperation with schools, community centers, and local media.

Conclusively, using Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns framework, the assessment of Miami-Dade, FL, has revealed the existing strengths and concerns that are essential for designing effective community health plans. All stakeholders need to support and remain engaged to augment the outcomes of these efforts.

References

Battineni, G., Baldoni, S., Chintalapudi, N., Sagaro, G. G., Pallotta, G., Nittari, G., & Amenta, F. (2020). Factors affecting the quality and reliability of online health information. Digital health, 6, 2055207620948996. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2055207620948996

Kareff, S., Diaz, C., Zeigler, A., Faulkenberry, J. G., Utter, B. F., Barber, C. M., & Symes, S. (2020). Characterization of the Demographics and Psychiatric Co-Morbidites Among Clients of a Human Rights Clinic in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Cureus, 12(7). https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/original_article/pdf/34521/1612430508-1612430502-20210204-18204-1196m4k.pdf

Meherali, S., Punjani, N. S., & Mevawala, A. (2020). Health literacy interventions to improve health outcomes in low-and middle-income countries. HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice, 4(4), e251-e266. https://journals.healio.com/doi/full/10.3928/24748307-20201118-01

Pulimeno, M., Piscitelli, P., Colazzo, S., Colao, A., & Miani, A. (2020). School as ideal setting to promote health and wellbeing among young people. Health promotion perspectives, 10(4), 316. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7723000/

Stoler, J., Verity, J., & Williams, J. R. (2020). Geodemographic disparities in availability of comprehensive intimate partner violence screening services in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Journal of interpersonal violence, 35(7-8), 1654-1670. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0886260517698283

1

Community Health Assessment Using Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns Framework

M Lopez RN

West Coast University

Course: NURS 561

Community Health Assessment Using Gordon’s Functional Health Pattern Framework

This community assessment’s aim is to evaluate the health risks within Miami-Dade, FL (my community) by applying Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns framework. This framework serves as a systematic approach to assessing all the domains of health and well-being in the community and thus enhances the assessment of issues of concern and achievements.

Resources in my community

In this community health assessment, several local sources were useful. The Miami-Dade County Health Department has quite detailed information about the demographics of health, programs, and services offered within the community (Stoler et al., 2020). Their respective annual health reports and community health needs assessments provide valuable information on the prevailing health challenges and the existing strategies being implemented. Furthermore, institutions like Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) cater to most of the population's full range of health care needs, ranging from basic outpatient services to specialized care. From these centers, information is collected in regards to the population served and the main health issues that are treated.

Additional support was obtained from local non-profit and non-governmental organizations, which are usually concerned with particular health concerns and can offer valuable information and statistics. As is true with most educational institutions, like the University of Miami, CHAs are often performed and are a valuable source of health data and information within that particular community. Lastly, websites and publications of government agencies provide informative health news and data essential for this evaluation (Battineni et al., 2020).

Community Strengths and Concerns

Strengths

An important source of strength is the existence of lively health-oriented associations, including the Health Foundation of South Florida. These organizations actively support and encourage healthy lifestyles by regularly organizing events such as health fairs, fitness classes, and educational seminars, making the community healthier. Also, the community has adequate health facilities, such as the Jackson Memorial Hospital and many clinics that provide health services in the community (Stoler et al., 2020). These include health facilities that offer affordable and accessible healthcare so that the majority of people can access healthcare services when they develop an illness.

The Miami-Dade County Health Department also delivers other public health programs that also play a major role in boosting community health. Such activities as immunization, health check-ups, and educational sessions have enhanced health promotion and enhanced health literacy among the residents. Such measures show that the community is actively working on sustaining or enhancing the quality of people’s health.

Community Concerns

However, there are several points that require further debate and development as well. In particular, the frequency of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension is increasing (Kareff et al., 2020). As the data provided by the Miami-Dade County Health Department shows, these conditions are among the most critical health challenges pregnant women, middle-aged individuals, elderly people, and other sensitive population categories face. Another vital issue is the critical question of equity in access to health care services across the classes and ethnic groups in the above-mentioned population. However, the major ones are that the areas with low income are also likely to be affected by diseases, and their access to health facilities is limited.

Also, there is a lack of mental health care, and there are only a handful of mental health care providers to cater for the needs of the community. This gap results in long hours of waiting and poor attendance for patients with mental illnesses. With regard to these issues, there is a need to improve the standard of health and welfare for the people.

Potential Barriers and Solutions

Potential Barriers

The following are some of the challenges that may hinder the achievement of good community health plans: Lack of funding for health interventions and programs is a challenge because available funding restricts the number and types of health interventions. Some of the health interventions rely on grants and donations, and at times, the amount received is insufficient to support all the programs required to improve the health of the people. Other barriers include culture, because some cultures are inimical to change, and this would also affect health promotion activities (Pulimeno et al., 2020). For example, there are people who cannot agree to undergo certain types of tests or receive certain treatments because these are considered shameful to their culture.

Transportation is still another factor here because unfavorable transport might prevent patients from getting timely healthcare in remote areas. This barrier restricts the likelihood of attending medical appointments or participating in health-improvement activities. This may reduce the health literacy of members of the community, and they may not be able to interpret the health information and hence access services. It is more prominent in older and ethnic groups and in people with limited proficiency in the English language.

Addressing Barriers

To address these challenges, there is a need to search for grants and funding from the government and other organizations. Local companies and other charitable organizations can also participate in the financial aspect of funding the project. In this context, cultural competence training is useful in improving the performance of healthcare workers in the course of serving culturally diverse clients (Pulimeno et al., 2020). Culture is a very important component in the interaction between a patient and the provider and can go a long way in encouraging people in the community to support health promotion.

Expanding the availability of transpiration services, such as shuttle bus services or volunteer driver services, to healthcare facilities will also increase healthcare access. These services could be implemented more easily by partnering with such organizations and government agencies. In terms of health literacy, the level of knowledge among the members of the community can be improved through the expansion of health education interventions (Meherali et al., 2020). The type of program should be easily accessible and developed in a way that can help people of all ages and that can be implemented regardless of language barriers. Informing the target group can be facilitated and supported by cooperation with schools, community centers, and local media.

Conclusively, using Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns framework, the assessment of Miami-Dade, FL, has revealed the existing strengths and concerns that are essential for designing effective community health plans. All stakeholders need to support and remain engaged to augment the outcomes of these efforts.

References

Battineni, G., Baldoni, S., Chintalapudi, N., Sagaro, G. G., Pallotta, G., Nittari, G., & Amenta, F. (2020). Factors affecting the quality and reliability of online health information. Digital health, 6, 2055207620948996. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2055207620948996

Kareff, S., Diaz, C., Zeigler, A., Faulkenberry, J. G., Utter, B. F., Barber, C. M., & Symes, S. (2020). Characterization of the Demographics and Psychiatric Co-Morbidites Among Clients of a Human Rights Clinic in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Cureus, 12(7). https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/original_article/pdf/34521/1612430508-1612430502-20210204-18204-1196m4k.pdf

Meherali, S., Punjani, N. S., & Mevawala, A. (2020). Health literacy interventions to improve health outcomes in low-and middle-income countries. HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice, 4(4), e251-e266. https://journals.healio.com/doi/full/10.3928/24748307-20201118-01

Pulimeno, M., Piscitelli, P., Colazzo, S., Colao, A., & Miani, A. (2020). School as ideal setting to promote health and wellbeing among young people. Health promotion perspectives, 10(4), 316. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7723000/

Stoler, J., Verity, J., & Williams, J. R. (2020). Geodemographic disparities in availability of comprehensive intimate partner violence screening services in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Journal of interpersonal violence, 35(7-8), 1654-1670. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0886260517698283