Community Assessment

Answer

Community Assessment

Apart from Native Americans, there are other key vulnerable groups in Rhode Island including the homeless and the aging population. Research has shown that there are over 1,180 persons in the region with no shelter or a place to call home (Young, 2015). Most of the individuals from this group are veterans who spend their days and nights on the streets with no access to basic commodities such as food, medication, and clothing which exposes them to numerous health risks (Maurer & Smith, 2013).  Similarly, the aging population is also regarded as a vulnerable group in Rhode Island due to the many health-related issues and complications that come with old age. In this case, the population is composed of over 362,000 persons above 50 year-old.

Rhode Island was recently ranked as the 5^th best performing economy in the U.S. In this case, there are various resources at the local, regional, and national levels that contribute to the rapid growth of the economy. For example, healthcare, education, and tourism are some of the largest industry in the state. The health sector employs more than 13,695 employees   (Young, 2015). Similarly, the education segment has employed over 12, 140 workers. It is also renowned for its high performance and has some of the best universities and highly paid tutors in the country. Moreover, the tourism sector supports about 39,000 jobs and produced an estimated amount of $4.56 billion in 200 from tourism related sales (Young, 2015).

Rhode Island is regarded as one of the smallest states in America with an area of about 1,214 square miles (Young, 2015). This can be considered a major strength because the small size gives it an advantage over other larger states in terms of identifying and meeting the needs of its inhabitants, as well as distributing resources (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2015). In this case, this attribute will be integral in the formulation of a community health strategy because it will enable the community representatives and other relevant stakeholders to determine and estimate the health needs of the affected population and address them appropriately and in a timely manner (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2015). On the other hand, research has shown that Rhode Island is densely populated despite its small size. That is to say, most areas in the region are congested and over populated. As a result, there is limited land left for expansion and development since most of it is occupied (Young, 2015). This aspect should, therefore, be carefully evaluated when formulating a health strategy because it may act as a barrier, particularly, when it comes to the construction of more health facilities to improve access to healthcare.

Several opportunities exist for improving the health of the community. For instance, the government can partner with the locals, community representatives, and health officials to identify the health needs of the affected population (Maurer & Smith, 2013). Partnering with these stakeholders will make it easier and more convenient for the government to identify the health needs of the affected population since most of them reside in Rhode Island and are, therefore, aware of the challenges that they face as a community (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2015). It will also save time and simplify the decision making process with regard to formulating an effective health strategy (Maurer & Smith, 2013). Similarly, the government can construct more health facilities in areas where they are limited, as well as employ more healthcare providers to address the access to healthcare problem and meet the health needs of the community.

One of the barriers that may impact successful implementation of a community health strategy in Rhode Island is lack of support from the government and other relevant health stakeholders. This is because the government is in charge of public funding and has the power to implement and enact policies that affect the community (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2015). As a result, poor support from the government may prevent or slow down the implementation process of the community health strategy (Maurer & Smith, 2013). Similarly, it may make it difficult for individuals to obtain sufficient funding to support the initiative, thus contributing to its long-term failure (Stanhope& Lancaster, 2015). In this regard, obtaining full support from the government and public health officials is significant in facilitating the implementation of the community health strategy.