This book begins as an attempt to tell the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, a “big shot Boston doctor, professor of both medicine and medical anthropology at Harvard Medical School, and an attending specialist on the Brigham’s senior staff” (Kidder, 2009, p. 10). This is a man with multiple prestigious titles under his belt, yet continues to spend the majority of his time and energy in Haiti. Farmer strongly believes that healthcare shouldn’t be a privilege, it is a right that all human beings should have and this belief has brought him to places all around the world. His life’s work is to bring those rights into poverty stricken countries such as Haiti, and Rwanda. Although he is a doctor, his interest isn’t focused specifically on just medicine.
Background statement: Heritage Valley Medical Center has had a wonderful reputation for providing excellent health care services to their community. Initially, their community was 80% Caucasian, 40% African American, and 5% Hispanic. However, in the last 5 years, the population has changed to more minorities and the whites have moved out to the suburbs. This caused the Center’s occupancy rate to go down 40% because many of their traditional, more affluent, private-pay patients had left the neighborhood. To bring in revenue, they campaigned to bring in more Medicaid patients.
I know VCOM is dedicated to creating an engaging learning environment to educate the next generation of doctors to provide care of the utmost quality. As someone who grew up in a medically-underserved county and desires to address the needs of my community, I can relate to the mission of VCOM to address the needs of medically-underserved populations When I shadowed Dr. Edwin Chan, we discussed potential research projects I could propose to the professors from the UF Department of Anthropology. We agreed I should propose research on the disparate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities of color in Alachua County. While the project unfortunately fell through when returning to UF, addressing these disparities remained a forefront concern which I seek to pursue in the future. I anticipate that VCOM, with a commitment to health equity and addressing the needs of underserved communities, will provide me the opportunity to pursue research assessing disparities in healthcare.
Access to affordable healthcare is a major concern that has a significant impact on the well-being of people all across the world. Numerous problems with the current healthcare system exist, including issues with quality, affordability, and access to care. These difficulties are important because they affect how people, groups, and populations fare in terms of their health. Thus, addressing these healthcare challenges is crucial for promoting better health outcomes and improving the quality of life for individuals and communities. In this essay, examples of current healthcare challenges from Kristina Campbell's article "Ready to Respond: EBSCOhost" will be cited to illustrate and reinforce the arguments presented.
As a low-income, first-generation Mexican American/college graduate, my personal identities and experiences uniquely position me to contribute to RFU’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts (DEI). Through my journey, I have encountered various challenges and triumphs that have shaped my perspective and deepened my commitment to promoting DEI in healthcare and beyond. My lived experience growing up in an economically disadvantaged and medically underserved community has heightened my awareness of the healthcare disparities and inequities that exist, especially being raised in a traditional Hispanic household. It has fueled my passion to address these issues and advocate for accessible, culturally sensitive, and equitable healthcare.
Poverty in the south bronx In the world we live in today there are too many people who are suffering due to the inability to feed themselves. Some are asking if poor people care about their health then why aren 't they doing anything about ameliorating their health. This is because they don 't have the tools to make their life better, they’re not in the same situation as a rich person does. They also ask why is it difficult for them to prevent it.
Witnessing their high-quality standard of care and immense knowledge made me realize just how vital the role of proper medical care and treatment has on one’s quality of life, and inspired me to consider pursuing a career in health care strongly. I value SDSU Master of Public Health’s mission because it prepares students not only for the practice of public health policy but the research and education of health issues and inequity in the field, for future professionals to translate that knowledge. This will help create innovative health care solutions for populations around the
" Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, Johns Hopkins University Press, 13 May 2016,
Health disparities have been an issue all over the world. In the United States, individual and community activism have been seen in an attempt to address the health inequalities of the underrepresented groups tracing back to 1781 (Mitchell, 2015). With the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the hope for social equality and justice through insurance for all remains complex. The legislation will certainly provide better health outcomes, but health advocacy remains an important aspect in changing the landscape of our health system. A study indicated that the overall rate of insurance coverage increased and a decreased in “coverage disparities related to race and ethnicity” was noted a few years after the ACA was passed (Buchmueller,
It has always been my dream to make an impact in someone else’s life, and by giving back to the community and the world
The discovery of antibiotics, vaccines, and anesthesia transformed the practice of medicine, leading to improved outcomes for patients. However, these innovations were not without their drawbacks, as evidenced by the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the anti-vaccine movement. Additionally, the development of medical specialties and the expansion of medical education and research led to a more complex and sophisticated healthcare system. Despite these changes, access to healthcare remained unequal, with marginalized populations facing numerous barriers to receiving quality
Coming from a small, diverse town and high school, with an overwhelming majority of low-income families, I learned to never take for granted the life I was given. More importantly, I learned that I have the opportunity to help people that are less fortunate than I am, in a wide variety of
My medical volunteer trips to Haiti played a large role on my decision to practice osteopathic medicine. The medical trip was the initiation of a medical organization name “Heart in Hand”. My interaction with the locals in the province of “Cotes-de-fer” and “Grand Goave” were very rewarding in the aspect of giving back through medicine. I believe in volunteerism for the less fortunate, I also believe that a healthier person have a better shot at improving their lives more so than a sick person. While medicine will allow me as physician to care for someone who cannot care for their selves, I believe the “Heart in Hand” organization will help the individual who cannot afford a
Certainly, growing up in poverty is a strength I hold dear to my heart. Surely, it was a struggle my parents, myself, and my brothers, however, my challenging past influenced me to be a hard worker, show up to work 15 minutes early, and perform my duties so I can have a job. Lastly, growing up in this financial condition has taught me how to value life instead of personal belongings.
the unfortunate truth is that not everyone is as lucky as I am to get that chance, around the world there are children who don't have a chance to learn or to get food on their plates, it is our responsibility and destiny in life to help others. I would like to be part of that change in the future, to help those in need and inspire those who are lost. as someone that was born in a third world country I have and an idea of what it is like when you have limited resources. I'm a
