NURS 4465 Community And Public Health Impact

Community and Public Health impact almost every aspect of your life. In this discussion, you will locate and summarize local interest stories or articles from the newspaper (or other local publications) that demonstrate how community or public health impact our daily lives.

Browse your local newspaper or other local publications for articles that focus on public health issues at the local, state, and/or national level. For example, reports or articles that discuss a train collision, an earthquake in California, the dedication of a new park in your neighborhood, an outbreak of the flu in Texas, low-cost child immunization clinics, or a free traveling mammogram program for low-income women are all examples of public or community health issues.

Locate two examples of community or public health issues from a local publication, magazine, or newspaper. The examples you select should focus on completely different topics – for example, select one article that discusses a new park and another article that focuses on plans for a new coal-fired power plant.

Write a one paragraph summary of each article. Include a proper reference to the source of the article.

Include an additional paragraph that explains why you consider these articles to be public or community health.

Your original post should consist of complete sentences and include three paragraphs.

Reply to at least two of your online colleagues’ posts with reflective questions, substantive comments, or relevant personal experiences.

A young first-time mother receives at-home nurse visits as part of a community outreach program. A weekly clinic targeting high diabetes rates helps a struggling man with diabetes gain nutritional control and reduce symptoms. These success stories illustrate how improving quality of life in communities is an essential part of public health.

The public health worker’s goal in community-focused care is to enhance healthcare services and patient outcomes in targeted populations. By applying public health theory on a local, personalized level, community health providers can cater services to a specific demographic and bring a sense of wellness to communities that would otherwise lack proper access to care.

Community health programs address disparities by ensuring equitable access to health resources. Such disparities include living in an isolated rural area with limited healthcare providers or being unable to afford health insurance. Community health centers often serve as the primary care provider in communities where health equity is limited by socioeconomic factors.

Those seeking to apply public health principles to address a local population’s needs must understand the area’s unique characteristics. This allows them to interact dynamically with community members and create a lasting positive impact on the population.

What Is Community Health?

Community health is the collective well-being of community members. In addition to living in the same neighborhood or region, these populations often share health characteristics, ethnicities, and socioeconomic conditions.

For instance, some low-income communities might experience high obesity rates due to limited availability of nutritious foods in local grocery stores. This places them in an area commonly known as a food desert.

In addition, a population might be exposed to contaminants from a nearby plant or waste facility. Community health programs improve access to preventive health care services, engage citizens in care decisions, and seek out lower medical costs.

Community Health Elements

Public health professionals engaged in community health identify how variables related to socioeconomic status — such as income levels, nutrition, crime, and transportation resources — impact people. They also determine how the community’s medical and educational resources contribute to residents’ lifestyles and what improvements are called for. Key elements of community health include:

Identifying top public health concerns within the specific geographic area, such as environmental and social factors that affect healthy life choices.
Developing an intervention plan to address resource gaps in the community, such as establishing community health centers, mobile clinics, and outreach programs.
Educating residents on the benefits of preventive care and healthy behaviors to facilitate life changes.
Providing essential services such as screenings, social support, and counseling.
Helping residents gain access to resources such as affordable medical, dental, and mental health care services; insurance (Medicare or Medicaid enrollment); translation and transportation services; or housing, food, and education.
Reducing the need for expensive emergency care and hospitalizations.
Advocating for improved care for at-risk populations to state and federal policymakers.
Working with other community agencies to address the area’s mental, physical, cultural, and social characteristics, including nutrition, housing, and transportation.

Community Health Goals

The goal of a community health provider is to offer comprehensive services that grant communities direct and immediate access to essential resources, including medical, dental, pharmacy, and mental health care. By educating area residents on what resources are available and giving them the tools to access care, public health workers empower people to take control of their own health.

Community public health initiatives focus on identifying specific geographic areas with high levels of need and helping those communities overcome barriers to living healthier lives. Community members’ average lifespans can differ by 20 to 30 years based on inequities that restrict access to healthy food, affordable health care, and mental health support, according to the American Public Health Association.

Community health professionals form strong bonds with citizens, as well as area health care and social services providers. This enables them to complete essential tasks, such as uncovering regional health risks, educating local residents on healthy behaviors, or establishing community health resources to close gaps in care.

Community health differs from the similar concept of population health management, which considers a population’s health outcomes based on a wider range of factors beyond just geography. Hospitals use population health management tactics to improve chronic disease management or to avoid readmis

NURS 4465 Community And Public Health Impact