Rush. 
My community is inclusive. However, the group that often fails to get access to healthcare are those who live in rural areas. A majority of those living in this area show high incidence and prevalence of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. They also have high mortality rates for issues such as cancer and infant mortality due to inadequate prenatal and postnatal care. Access to healthcare is often severely limited by a shortage of healthcare facilities, which usually increases travel times to these facilities (Khaliq, 2020, p. 92). In addition, these individuals often lack access to preventative services such as screenings and regular checkups, meaning that when an issue arises, it is addressed late, limiting the chances of a successful intervention. 
The root cause of this disparity is finances (Jensen et al., 2020, p. 465). Rural areas often need to be more populated. The low population usually makes it difficult to operate a healthcare facility, as healthcare in America relies on clients to provide financing. Few institutions are willing to take the risk of opening a healthcare facility, leading to a facility shortage (Jensen et al., 2020, p. 465). This often denies these individuals access to healthcare specialists and preventative services. 
Proverbs 31:8-9 states, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” This verse urges us to advocate for people in need at all times. This verse and context will influence my future role as a healthcare administrator (Morales et al., 2020, p. 1329). I intend to use my role to advocate for those living in rural areas. I plan to emphasize being a voice for these individuals and pushing for the federal and state governments to do more for them, including building better facilities (Morales et al., 2020, p. 1329). 
Is advocacy possible, considering the current polarized politics in America? Modern society cannot agree on anything, and the division in America is significantly wide. As a future healthcare practitioner interested in advocacy, I am concerned that polarization will have a negative impact on things. ?
References
International Bible Society. (1997). The Holy Bible: New International Version. Broadman & Holman.
Jensen, L., Monnat, S. M., Green, J. J., Hunter, L. M., & Sliwinski, M. J. (2020). Rural population health and aging: toward a multilevel and multidimensional research agenda for the 2020s. American Journal of Public Health, 110(9), 1328-1331.
Khaliq, A. A. (2020). Managerial Epidemiology. (1st ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers
Morales, D. A., Barksdale, C. L., & Beckel-Mitchener, A. C. (2020). A call to action to address rural mental health disparities. Journal of clinical and translational science, 4(5), 463-467. 
Nathan
The coastal region of the Southeastern United States is composed of communities that vary in size, population, racial diversity, and healthcare needs. One community hospital system that serves a three-county area in this region completed a Health Needs Assessment in 2022 and identified opportunities for improvement in various areas (Tidelands Health, 2022). As Christian healthcare leaders, we must consider how our organizations will meet the needs of all people, particularly those at the most significant risk. Scripture teaches that we should, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (King James Bible Online, 2024, Galatians 6:2). So, it is essential from a business and Christian perspective to work to achieve the goal of providing care for all.
In this population of 464,651 souls served by the subject healthcare system, the number one healthcare priority was the affordability of care (Tidelands Health, 2022). With an African American population of 15.3%, 28.6%, and 62.9% in the three counties served, the lack of affordable healthcare services has a significant effect on this minority population (Tidelands Health, 2022). Cancer, Heart Disease, Mental Health, and Diabetes were the top diseases identified by the community as areas of concern (Tidelands Health, 2022). Unemployment rates, children living in poverty, and average household income are all worse than the state average in these three counties (Tidelands Health, 2022). These and other socioeconomic factors directly impact an individual’s ability to access care (Khaliq, 2020).
The effects of low income on these identified concerns have been well documented. Research indicates that from 2004-2017, breast cancer rates increased the greatest for non-Hispanic black women and those living in poverty (Kaur et al., 2021). Additionally, a study identified that across the United States, from 2010 to 2015, poverty had the strongest correlation with mortality from Heart Failure and Coronary Heart Disease (Ahmad et al., 2019). Furthermore, poverty and the barriers it creates to safe housing, food security, education, and health care have been identified as a significant negative impact on mental health care (Clark et al., 2020). Finally, low income has been demonstrated to impact the diet of diabetics living in poverty negatively (Orr et al., 2019).
As a future leader in healthcare, I seek ways to improve broadband internet access in these areas to improve the utilization of telehealth services by individuals in the area. Likewise, implementing mobile clinics, screening stations, and low-cost fresh food markets could significantly enhance the health of the communities. Finally, establishing brick-and-mortar locations closer to these population centers would also increase access to care.
The cost of care is a topic of greater concern to those who provide health care as well as those who receive it. We must continue to study the needs of our communities and find innovative ways to help offset the negative impact of poorly performing social indicators of health.
Follow up question: Would Medicaid expansion adequately address the healthcare needs of people living in poverty in the Untied States?
References
Ahmad, K., Chen, E. W., Nazir, U., Cotts, W., Andrade, A., Trivedi, A. N., Erqou, S., & Wu, W. (2019). Regional variation in the association of poverty and heart failure mortality in the 3135 counties of the United States. Journal of the American Heart Association, 8(18).https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.119.012422
Clark, M., Ausloos, C., Delaney, C., Waters, L., Salpietro, L., & Tippett, H. (2020). Best practices for counseling clients experiencing poverty: A grounded theory. Journal of Counseling & Development, 98(3), 283–294. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12323
Kaur, M., Joshu, C. E., Visvanathan, K., & Connor, A. E. (2021). Trends in breast cancer incidence rates by race/ethnicity: Patterns by stage, socioeconomic position, and geography in the United States, 1999?2017. Cancer, 128(5), 1015-1023.
Khaliq, A. A. (2020). Managerial epidemiology: Principles and applications. Jones and Bartlett Learning.
King James Bible Online. (2024). Galatians 6:2. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Galatians-6-2/Links to an external site.
Orr, C. J., Keyserling, T. C., Ammerman, A. S., & Berkowitz, S. A. (2019). Diet quality trends among adults with diabetes by socioeconomic status in the U.S.: 1999–2014. BMC Endocrine Disorders, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-019-0382-3
Tidelands Health. (2022, September 27). Community health needs assessment. Retrieved May 29, 2024, from https://www.tidelandshealth.org/discover/community-health-needs assessment/
Emil
The issue of health inequity arises from a complex interplay of social, economic, environmental, and structural disparities that lead to unequal health outcomes among different segments of society (Khaliq, 2020). When looking into the issue of health inequity, it becomes apparent that there are two primary sets of underlying factors that contribute to this problem. The first set encompasses individual, interpersonal, institutional, and systemic elements that play a role in the unequal distribution of power and resources based on factors such as race, gender, class, sexual orientation, gender expression, and other aspects of individual and group identity (Lee et al., 2020). These factors create disparities in access to healthcare and health outcomes.
The second and more fundamental root cause of health inequity lies in the unequal allocation of power and resources, which encompasses goods, services, and societal attention (Khaliq, 2020).  This unequal distribution manifests in unequal social, economic, and environmental conditions, also known as the social determinants of health. These conditions include access to healthcare, education, employment opportunities, safe housing, and clean environments, significantly impacting an individual’s health and well-being. Health needs assessments to assist in bridging the understanding of gaps and inequalities (Ravaghi et al., 2023). The assessment identifies needs, gaps, assets, and resources related to the community’s health. The coastal Georgia and northern Florida region have their own causes for these disparities.
Camden County, Georgia, is predominantly white, with approximately 75 percent of the population being white (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). The county has a unique demographic makeup, with a primary age range of residents falling between 25 to 29 years old. This is largely due to the county’s proximity to several military bases, which attract a younger population. Despite this, the county faces economic challenges, with a poverty rate of sixteen percent. While Camden County’s unemployment rate is slightly lower than that of its neighboring counties, Glynn and McIntosh, it still lags behind the national average, indicating that the county has not fully recovered from the economic downturn that began in 2009. These economic disparities may have implications for access to healthcare and overall health outcomes in the county.
Healthcare managers are confronted with the complex task of addressing the varied needs of patients with lifestyle-related health issues and the administrative hurdles presented by similar challenges among their staff (Garrison, 2022). Meeting the specific needs of patients involves providing specialized equipment such as armless chairs, larger stretchers, motorized wheelchairs, bariatric beds, and operating tables with increased weight capacity to accommodate larger patients. There is a certain way in which Christians must respond to servicing others within healthcare and situations that arise. This is written in 1 Peter 4:10-11 as it reads, “As every man hath received the gift, even so, minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (King James Bible, 1769/2016). A steward is one entrusted to manage the property of another. Every good thing that Christians are given is only by God’s grace and intended to be used for His purpose. To fail to use God’s gifts to serve each other is to fail to be a good steward. Healthcare administrators must serve others wholeheartedly and serve each other as a part of fulfilling our purpose as God’s set apart people
With all of this information, the question still remains for those who argue that individual lifestyle choices and behaviors are the primary contributors to health disparities rather than systemic factors such as unequal access to healthcare and resources: How should that be addressed with epidemiological data?