Community Assessment and Representative Interview Analysis

Part I: Assessment

The selected community site is a community health center in Winston-Salem. The physical assessment focuses on secondary prevention/screening for vulnerable populations, in this case, older adults 65 years and above. The primary purpose of the assessment was to identify key health needs and problems through systematic and comprehensive data collection and analysis to give the organization robust information regarding the current health status, needs, and issues affecting the target population and the community at large. The assessment also assessed the community’s partnerships, funding sources, and health priorities.

The assessment findings indicate that the community health center has a steering community comprised of public health officers, hospital and healthcare professionals, EMS providers, law enforcers, public school system representatives, and community organizations as partners. The steering community addresses common health issues in the community. The assessment also found that the community has health priorities that include preventing chronic disease and related health conditions, promoting behavioral health, including reducing drug overdose and fostering mental health, improving life expectancy, preventing infectious diseases, and addressing social health determinants, particularly poverty and poverty education. The results also indicate funding sources for the community health center vary. Primary funding sources include reimbursements from Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance. The center also receives federal and state grants; some are funded by the HRSA’s Community Health Center Fund (CHCF). Federal grant funding is through the Health Center Program. The community health center also has partnerships with the public school system, community organizations, epidemiology and surveillance program, and the local church association, especially the Union Baptist Church.

Part II: Interview

The interview was conducted in a community health center in Winston-Salem. The interview topic was secondary prevention/screenings for a vulnerable population. The target population was individuals 65 years and above. The interview focused on the health needs of this population. The nursing manager at the community health center was involved in the interview. The interview was in-person at the community health center. The purpose of the interview was to understand the role of the nurse manager in the community, common health issues the community health center faces, and the role of public health in addressing environmental issues the community faces, notably pollution from various industries like tobacco and cigarette, brewers, and textile, the barriers and challenges in the community that hamper the community health center from delivering quality, safe, equitable, and affordable care, and the community’s health priorities based on the identified health needs and issues. The determination of these interview aspects would help understand the current state of health in the community and the various health needs that must promptly address to promote a healthy community.

Interview Questions

What is the role of the nursing manager at this community health center?
What are the common health issues faced at the community health center?
What is the role of public health in addressing environmental issues facing the community?
What are the barriers and challenges od delivering equitable, quality, and safe care in the community?
What are the community’s health priorities?

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Assessing community health needs and resources. Community Health Assessment & Health Improvement Planning. https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/cha/assessment.html

Health Resources & Services Administration. (2021). Community health centers and the Health Center Program. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://bphc.hrsa.gov/about-health-centers/what-health-center

American Public Health Association. (2022). Addressing social determinants of health in vulnerable populations. https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/health-equity/social-determinants-of-health

National Institute on Aging. (2021). Health and aging. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health

United States Census Bureau. (2022). Aging and the older population in the United States. https://www.census.gov/topics/population/older-aging.html

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2020). Social determinants of health. Healthy People 2030. https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health

Community Assessment and Representative Interview Analysis