Community Assessment of Kent County Health Needs: Essay

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Community Assessment of Kent County Health Needs:

Kent County is an area within Michigan State in the United States of America and part of the Grand Rapids -- Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area. In order to identify the County's most pressing priority health needs, this paper focuses on providing a community assessment on the unmet community health needs.

Community Vitality:

The assessment of community health and ensuring the availability of certain services for the residents of this area is a responsibility of the Kent County Health Department, which also ensures the provision of some core programs and planning and executing public education to enforce public health laws ("Health Department," n.d.).

The department also operates five public health clinics in the entire county to provide immunizations and the Women, Infants, and Children program.

It also examines causes of disease, morbidity and mortality, epidemics, and environmental health hazards.

Indicators of Social and Economic Conditions:

The first indicator of economic conditions in Kent County is the diverse and family-owned business and commerce in the region.

Secondly, colleges and universities in the area produce high quality, innovative, and motivated students who offer innovation and new technologies for the future ("Community Triple Bottom Line," 2008).

The indicators of social conditions include the existence of caring and supportive agencies and organizations that contribute to the community's benefit.
Moreover, the area has low crime rates, less poverty, decreased homelessness, and reduced racial tension because of partnerships by various community stakeholders to support initiatives that are geared towards public safety.

Health Resources:

Health resources in the community are mainly provided by the five clinics operated by the Kent County Health Department. These public health clinics provide immunizations and conduct several health care programs for community members.

However, access to healthcare is relatively difficult for community members because of challenges like provider availability, location, and transportation among others.

Environment Condition Related to Health:

The area has a relatively poor air quality because of fine particulate matter and ozone, which places the entire population at risk. The county also has a higher diagnosis rate of food-borne disease and relatively healthy water quality.

Social Functioning:

The area has a higher percentage of adult population that is obese as compared to similar counties and National Benchmark.

Secondly, it has a similar percentage of physically inactive adult population though most of its residents are likely to be physically inactive as compared to Michigan residents (2011 Community Health Needs Assessment," n.d.).

Attitude toward Health and Healthcare:

Community members have a seemingly negative attitude toward health and healthcare because of difficulties in accessing care services and disparities in access to healthcare.

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