Assignment Prompt & Instructions
#1
In the assessment, I worked with Bernadette Alamillo, a Registered Nurse, who has lived in Piru all her life. She gave valuable information on the healthcare issues seniors face in the community. Through her help, it was discovered that many seniors in Piru struggle with chronic diseases because they do not have enough access to care facilities or transportation. While assessing the situation, we agreed that having reliable transportation for seniors would guarantee they could make all their medical appointments. She explained that when transportation is lacking, people often miss their medical appointments, their health worsens, and they end up in the hospital more often. Because of this, we worked together to diagnose the community’s main healthcare problem and suggest mobile clinics and subsidized rideshare programs as possible solutions. Her medical background helped us ensure our recommendations were helpful to patients in real situations.
The changes should be implemented with the help of the Ventura County Health Care Agency (VCHCA) because of its ability to operate and its authority in public health matters. As a community partner, VCHCA can manage medical care, update policies, and coordinate the use of mobile clinics and rideshare services for older people. Partnering with the Piru Community Center can make it easier for everyone to trust and use the programs. Partnering with communities and having clear roles helps find solutions that benefit the environment and public health (Geese & Schmitt, 2023). Nonetheless, to sustain mobile healthcare, it is necessary to have funds for the units and maintenance workers, pay staff, and cooperate with local transportation companies. Investing in health education materials that are culturally sensitive will help everyone be included.
As someone who supports this change, I plan to give more attention to the elderly in Piru and tackle the issues that block them from receiving proper healthcare. My strategy involves creating briefs with data, presenting findings to local councils, and arranging public events to increase awareness of elderly care. With the help of strong statistics and testimonials from our assessment, I will ask for priority in policy for equal transportation and healthcare resources. The agency can support this cause by sharing its support for the recommendations, helping with grant applications, and including these ideas in future county health plans. According to Durrance-Bagale et al. (2022), working with public agencies helps make community-engaged advocacy more successful and sustainable. In addition, participatory governance models are often important for effective advocacy since they bring together health stakeholders and residents to create solutions that include everyone.
Collaboration with reliable organizations and active community involvement will help close the healthcare divide for the elderly in Piru. Advocacy should be based on facts and include the people who are most affected. Supporting local people and working with health care agencies and policymakers promotes lasting change. We must keep collaborating, getting policy support, and engaging the community as we focus on mobile clinics and transportation. It has shown that working with clinical knowledge, local efforts, and partnerships is key to success. Using this approach, we can make noticeable improvements in senior health, making Piru an example for others in rural healthcare.
#2
For my population health project, I worked with Brianna Madson, an RN-BSN who has a lot of insight into what’s going on in the community. She not only resides in this area but also works as an orthopedic clinical nurse coordinator at a nearby surgical hospital. We talked about how mental health is a big issue in Northwest Hills, especially for teens and adults dealing with stress, social isolation, and financial barriers. Bri mentioned that even though people say they care about their health, a lot of them avoid seeking care because of cost or not realizing how serious things can get. We both agreed that mental health support needs to be easier to access and more visible in the community.
One community stakeholder that could really help support this change is the Northwest Austin Civic Association (NWACA). They’re already involved in local events and outreach, so they could help with promoting mental health programs to spread awareness and even providing space for community events. Some of the resources needed would include funding for education campaigns and local mental health providers.
As part of my advocacy, I’m really focused on helping reduce stigma and making it easier for people to find support. One of our SMART goals is to start a peer mentorship program for teens at Anderson High School by the end of this year. Having NWACA on board would make it easier to connect with families and get the word out. With their help and support from places like UT Health Austin, we can make mental health care feel more normal and accessible for everyone in the community.