Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

Assess the health care needs of a selected community by completing an environmental analysis and a virtual windshield survey. Summarize the results of your assessment in a 2–3-page executive summary.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

Note: The work you complete in this assessment serves as the basis for Assessments 3 and 4. Therefore, complete assessments 2, 3, and 4 in the order in which they are presented.

Health care must be evidence-based, effective, efficient, and affordable; it must provide resources that meet the needs of the community. Nurse leaders must understand and thoroughly evaluate the environment to enable the efficient and equitable allocation of resources. A useful tool for this type of assessment is commonly called a windshield survey. Windshield surveys are what you might expect from the name. They are a way of gathering information about specific aspects of a community while driving around, such as the condition of roads, buildings, and housing.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

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This assessment provides an opportunity to examine the prevailing health conditions and social determinants of health in a community by completing an environmental analysis and a virtual windshield survey based on communities within the Vila Health system. Although Vila Health is a virtual lab, the communities represented in this simulation are real, enabling you to conduct an actual community health assessment. By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

• Competency 1: Identify the challenges and opportunities facing health care.
  • Assess, via a windshield survey, the general condition and needs of a community from a public health perspective.
  • Analyze the environmental factors affecting population health in a community.
  • Identify the social determinants of health in a community.
• Competency 4: Develop proactive strategies to change the culture of the organization by incorporating evidence-based practices.
  • Summarize windshield survey and environmental analysis findings for executive leaders.
• Competency 5: Communicate effectively with diverse audiences, in an appropriate form and style consistent with applicable organizational, professional, and scholarly standards.
  • Write clearly and concisely in a logically coherent and appropriate form and style.
  • Support assertions, arguments, propositions, and conclusions with relevant and credible evidence.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

Assessment Instructions

Note: You will use the Vila Health community you select for this assessment and the information you compile about the community, as the basis for Assessments 3 and 4. Link below

Preparation

Executive leaders at Vila Health have asked you to provide them with your assessment of the health conditions in one of the communities served by the Vila Health system. Knowing that a windshield survey is needed to validate any underlying assumptions about the needs of the community and inform evidence-based decision making and strategic planning, you have decided to conduct a first-hand exploration of the community, followed up by an environmental analysis. An environmental analysis examines the factors that can influence the performance of a health care organization, which is important in a rapidly changing health care environment.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

To prepare for the assessment, you are encouraged to begin thinking about how an environmental analysis and windshield survey contribute to assessing community health care needs. In addition, you may wish to:

• Review the assessment requirements and scoring guide to ensure that you understand the work you will be asked to complete.
• Review the Guiding Questions: Assessing Community Health Care Needs document linked in the Resources of this assessment, which includes questions to consider and additional guidance on how to successfully complete the assessment.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

Requirements

Complete this assessment in two steps:

1. If you have not already done so, complete the Vila Health: Environmental Analysis and Windshield Survey simulation. Link is below
2. Write an executive summary of your community health assessment, based on your windshield survey and environmental analysis.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

The community health assessment requirements outlined below, correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide, so be sure to address each point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed. The Guiding Questions: Assessing Community Health Care Needs document provides additional considerations that may be helpful in completing your assessment. In addition, be sure to note the requirements below for document format and length and for citing supporting evidence.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

• Assesses, via a windshield survey, the general condition and needs of a community from a public health perspective. Specifies applicable safety concerns and the limitations of the survey.
•  Analyzes the environmental factors affecting population health in a community. Clearly articulates key health issues, opportunities, and threats. Conclusions are well-supported by credible evidence.
• Identifies the social determinants of health in a community. Draws well-reasoned conclusions from credible evidence and articulates underlying assumptions and uncertainties.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.
•  Summarizes environmental analysis and survey findings for executive leaders. Information is detailed, accurate, and logically organized. Provides insightful lessons learned.
• Writes clearly and concisely in a logically coherent and appropriate form and style. Main points, ideas, arguments, or propositions are well-developed and engaging. Adheres to all applicable disciplinary and scholarly writing standards and conventions.
• Support findings and conclusions with relevant and credible evidence.

Document Format and Length

• Use the Community Health Assessment Template, (uploaded below) linked in the Resources of this assessment. An APA Style Paper Tutorial is also provided to help you in writing and formatting your assessment. If you would like to use a different worksheet for your community health assessment, obtain prior approval from faculty.
• The executive summary portion of your survey and analysis should be 2–3 pages in length.
• Be sure to apply correct APA formatting to all source citations and references.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

Supporting Evidence

Cite 3–5 credible sources from peer-reviewed journals or professional industry publications to support your executive summary.

Additional Requirements

Proofread your executive summary before you submit it, to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it more difficult for them to focus on the substance of your assessment.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

Community Health Assessment

Executive Summary

General Condition and Public Health Needs

Based on your windshield survey, summarize the general condition and needs of your selected community from a public health perspective.

Environmental Analysis

Based on your environmental analysis, summarize the environmental factors affecting population health in your selected community, including the social determinants affecting community health.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

Conclusions

Be sure to support your conclusions with relevant and credible evidence.

References

List your APA-formatted references here.

Appendix

Table 1: Windshield Survey and Environmental Analysis

Table directions:

1. Add table rows, as needed, for additional categories.
2. Enter the information (questions, observations and impressions, SWOT category, and references) for each category in columns 2–5.

Notes:

Cite applicable sources for each category of information, either the Internet or the Vila Health: Environmental Analysis and Windshield Survey simulation.

Community Health Assessment

Executive Summary

Every community provides a unique range of health needs which must be well assessed by the health leadership within the regions of the community. As such, the community assessment provides an opportunity to examine the prevailing health conditions and social determinants of health in a community. One most notable methodology applied by the health professionals during the community assessment is thewindshield survey,which involves driving around the community area and recording the observations in terms of physical resources and environmental elements. The survey is useful in the validation of any underlying assumptions about the needs of the community and inform evidence-based decision making and strategic planning when it comes to the community health needs. This executive summary provides an overview of the community health assessment analysis of the Jordan community within the Scott county of Minnesota.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

General Condition and Public Health Needs

Jordan community is located in the Jordan region of Scott county, Minnesota, with an approximate area of 8.132 km². According to the 2018 census, Jordan had slightly over 6000 residents with the population projected to grow at an increase of over 100 people annually (Jordanmn, 2020). From the survey observations, several general conditions and needs can be established in relation to the public health perspective of the Jordan community.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

To begin with, most of the people observed during the windshield survey are relatively young most of them under 40 years of age by estimation. Despitethe relatively young community members not having many health issues, they demand a lot of attention health-wise when it comes to elements such as maternal health needs, mental wellness, and psychological support (Lecloux et al., 2017). Therefore, there is a need for the establishment of health facilities that will cater for these community public health needs.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

Furthermore, personal vehicles and trucks were observed both at their packing state or on the road. As such, the connector roads, as well as those leading to the highways such as Highway 169 are full of traffic, especially during rush hours. From this observation, air pollution seems to be a concern and therefore, the issue of pollution can be categorized as a public health concern (Bruno et al., 2018).Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

Another notable observation was the availability of wastewater treatment plant. A lot of waterborne diseases and other health conditions have been associated with improper waste management and thus posing a public health hazard to the communities around (Kamble et al., 2018). For the Jordan community, this initiative is encouraging, especially in ensuring that the waste water is treated and can be reused in other activities that require water, thus saving water and reducing the negative health impacts of ineffective waste management.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

What’s more, several health institutions were spotted during the survey. As such, this is a positive indication that the community public health is taken care of and the community members have a place to visit whenever their health needs demand so. Valley View Health Care Center is a notable facility that cares for the elderly while St. Francis Regional Medical Center, Queen of Peace Hospital and Fairview Hospital are available for the emergency services, as well as the general inpatient and outpatient needs (Jordanmn, 2020).Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

Environmental Analysis

1. The Environmental Factors Affecting Jordan, MNCommunity

Traffic emanating from congested roads due to the overdependence of road transport, as well as a road connection to the National Highways such as Highway 169 is a major environmental concern due to its effect on air pollution. This may lead to increase in health complications that emanate from the air pollution (Payne-Sturges et al., 2019). Therefore, there is a need to decongest the roads or come up with more environmentally friendly transport systems such as the use of electric town rail that will work greatly in reducing the air pollution within the Jordan community.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

The Jordan region weather condition is relatively warm, which poses a friendly environment that discourages common health conditions such as flu and common cold associated with cold weather. This means there is an expected reduction in complications that are associated with cold weather, which may translate to fewer hospital visits, as well as improved health well-being of the Jordan community.

Concerning the nature of the buildings, the Jordan region is mostly occupied with relatively old buildings with an estimate of over 40 years, which may account for over 50% of the total buildings in the area. This means that there are fewer disruptions in terms of utilities such as water, sewerage and electricity, which sometimes leads to rise in health issues when disruptions occur during rapid constructions. Noise and dust are also common with constructions, which their effects are associated with negative health complications (Robinson et al., 2018).  The road construction is also minimal within the region. This, therefore,translatesinto more improved health within the community.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

1. The Social Determinants Affecting Jordan, MNCommunity Health

The social determinants of health that affect the Jordan community include economic stability, neighborhood and physical environment, education, food, as well as a healthcare system. On economic stability, the Jordan community seems to do well economically with the observations of many and diverse open businesses andthe existence of large organizations with the capabilities of employing several hundreds of employees. This means that the poverty level is low,leading to increased access to health dieting and reduced health issues. The economic stability can also translate to affordability and increased access to health facilities to cater for the rising health needs.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

On neighborhood and physical environment, there is observation of existence of several parks and other sporting spaces which are crucial for recreation, as well as physical well-being. This translates to a more improved physical and psychological well-being, which is good for reducing numerous health complications. On education, several tertiary schools were observed with technical schools and universities within the neighborhoods also. This is an indication that the literacy level is high within the Jordan community which is a good element in the understanding and coping with social and health challenges, as well as offering solutions to the same.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

Furthermore, the availability of a fresh produce market and established restaurants means that there is a wide range of access to food and a good balanced diet available within the community. As such, these improves the health status of the community at large. On the healthcare system as a health, social determinant, Jordan regions boosts of several comprehensive health facilities with services offered, ranging from the elderly care, emergency, maternity and the general health (Jordanmn, 2020). This shows that the community is better placed health wise and their health needs can be attended to within their reach.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.

Conclusions

The windshield analysis of the Jordan community health assessment reveals a number of crucial observations. The relatively small number of populations of the Jordan community fits well with the established facilitations within the region, ranging from ample recreational parks to the beautiful golf courses. The availability of several health facilities is also an indication that the community has prepared enough for the eventualities of health needs. However, the physical environment poses a great threat to the community’s health well-being. Air pollution emanating from the traffic congestions can be a catastrophic source of health complications and thus its very existence jeopardizes the well-being of the Jordan community in terms of health.Assessing Community Health Care Needs Essay.