discussion responses vulnerably population

Please respond to the following posts;

Module 5 – Discussion 1 – Yolanda L

“Although social and economic policies are not considered part of health services infrastructure, such policies may influence health and disease by altering social determinants of health” (Osypuk et al, 2014). The disparities that impact vulnerable populations are intertwined in many cases with the political focus that is taking place within our world. As legislators continue to argue over the best way to handle the health care crisis, we see an increasing number of those that are part of vulnerable populations looking for answers and assistance and yet not being heard by legislatures as they are not the “majority”. Unfortunately, those that are not the “majority” are often the ones that need services such as healthcare the most, and the impact that political affiliations and debates have on this topic is alarming. Instead of fixing the issues in most cases they are adding to the disparities that exist and widening the gap. “ Health care and public health policies directly target health, through, e.g., health services, provision of health insurance, and prevention (e.g. immunization) programs. In contrast, social policies may indirectly influence health by virtue of their influence on social or economic outcomes (including income, education, employment, housing, marriage). Since these social and economic factors are also causes of health, they can then in turn can affect health” (Osypuk et al, 2014). Much of the fragmentation that exists can simply be based on differences of opinion and an argument over power. Research has shown that based on political party affiliations we are often found to look at these disparities in healthcare in certain ways, and to either accept or deny the existence of challenges and thus impact the number of disparities that are present (University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication, 2019). We see this as we all agree that the healthcare insurance needs an overhaul for example, and yet the need for control and exercise of power between political parties leaves those that need healthcare wondering if they have been forgotten.

References:

Osypuk, T. L., Joshi, P., Geronimo, K., & Acevedo-Garcia, D. (2014). Do Social and Economic Policies Influence Health? A Review. Current epidemiology reports, 1(3), 149–164. doi:10.1007/s40471-014-0013-5

University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication. (2019, April 18). Political values influence people’s response to health disparities messages. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/1402…

Sociopolitical Factors & Vulnerability Module 5 Discussion 1

ciera b

Factors that contribute to fragmented and marginally effective services for vulnerable populations include education, attitude, and knowledge along with the skills necessary for providing quality care to a diverse population (Stange,2009). Fixated research on the type of service needed by a specific vulnerable population is required to understand the behavior and the treatment needed to accommodate individuals in need. Some causes of fragmentation are inefficiency, ineffectiveness, inequality and deprofessionalization. Politics play a role in fragmentation because politicians can’t fully address issues, they have little or no knowledge about. To improve health care the hard and joyful choices necessary to reduce fragmentation anticipates politicians to think and act differently as if they were affected (Stange,2009). A few sociopolitical forces that create barriers and challenges are an individual’s income, level of education, occupation, and neighborhood conditions. One factor creates challenges in the health care of individuals with certain occupations, their less accessible to a job that provides benefits, health insurance, dental coverage so the quality of health is determined to be lower than an individual with a better occupation.

Stange, K. C. (2009, March). The problem of fragmentation and the need for integrative solutions. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC26539…

Serving Vulnerable Populations Module 5 Discussion 2

Julia N

Vulnerable population- People that are experiencing homelessness.

Why this population is considered vulnerable? Individuals that are experiencing homelessness are at an increased risk for adverse health related outcomes.

The Homelessness Prevention Administration (HPA) works tirelessly to keep New Yorkers in their homes. This is a wonderful program that works with many housing organizations within New York City to prevent homelessness. Prevention is the best way to treat the ongoing issue of individuals not having a secure place to live.

HPA Website:

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/hra/help/homelessness-prevention.page

For more information on HPA, please call the Info line at 718-557-1399.

One of the many services provided by this organization is free legal services for those individuals that may be facing an eviction. The website also provides a lot of information about tenant rights, which is very important for anyone that is in a renting situation to understand.

The primary goal of this resource is to prevent homelessness from occurring in the first place. They do this by offering many free resources for tenants that could be facing eviction. They also offer cash assistance to eligible individuals.

From my overview of this initiative I cannot see any obvious barriers that would reduce the effectiveness of this service. A simple Google search and anyone could easily find this resource. I am sure that they could use more funding, as with any non profit service.

The Migrant Clinician Network Module 5 Discussion 2

Tara F

Migrant workers belong to a population that is underserved, in part because of the lack of resources, communication, and education within healthcare. Migrant workers can be an individual to entire families that migrate from their home country to another country for work (Migrant Clinicians Network [MCN], 2017). There are also workers known as agricultural workers who migrate within one country and usually during the seasons to find work (MCN, 2017). With the constant changes between communities and exposure to dangerous work conditions, migrant workers are at a greater risk for health concerns and often have little to no resources to seek medical treatment (MCN, 2017).

A resource that is in place to help address the underserved migrant population is the Migrant Clinicians Network. The MCN has multiple programs in place to benefit workers and their families. Examples include the migrant health promotion which aims to help farmworkers and families to improve their health through education, and the college assistant migrant program, which can assist a farmworker or their children who are enrolled in undergraduate studies (MCN, 2017). In relation to healthcare, the MCN aims to help clinicians in Federally Qualified Health centers with support, assistance, and professional development (MCN, 2017). Essentially, the MCN is a place to provide resources for workers and their families to aid with the inability to receive follow up care if the worker moves.

A barrier that may hinder the effectiveness of the MCN is the frequent discussion of the migrant status which shifts focus away from the health crisis towards this population (MCN, 2017). Unfortunately, this population is frequently subjected to political opinions which may lead the population to become afraid to seek help or treatment.