Healthcare Disparities
The Healthcare system in East Harlem has been regarded as underserved due to the limited number of healthcare providers who cannot meet the community’s medical needs. Due to the high rate of immigrants in the region, several factors have made it difficult to access quality healthcare. Some factors include the lack of trained physicians to serve the region. This has been influenced by the low rates of locals who pursue higher education. Accessing quality healthcare is a major problem that has increased avoidable hospitalizations. For instance, it is reported that one in every four adults does not have medical cover. This ratio translates to about 12% of the adults who lack health insurance (East Harlem, Manhattan (History), n.d.). Avoidable hospitalizations are caused by conditions that would be treated if the patient had access to primary care in the initial stages of the condition.
In East Harlem, the rate of avoidable hospitalizations is about 2000 per every 100000 adults. This rate is almost double that of the entire New York region. Some of the conditions that lead to hospitalizations in East Harlem include obesity, diabetes, and hypertension (East Harlem, Manhattan (History), n.d.). There is also high psychiatric hospitalization level which is almost triple the rate of the larger New York region. This high rate exposes the area residents’ stresses leading to increased mental conditions.
The poor healthcare system has been one of the leading factors for the high death rate in the area. With a life expectancy of 76 years, premature death in East Harlem at 65 years is higher than in the New York City region, with cancer leading as the top cause of death with at least 63.3% per 100000 deaths (East Harlem, Manhattan (History), n.d.). Heart disease and HIV come second and third with 50.2% and 18.0%, respectively. The infant mortality rate stands at 5.9 % per 1000 live births in the region (East Harlem, Manhattan (History), n.d.). This is higher than that of the rest of the New York City region, which has a rate of 4.4 per 1000 live births.
Education
In terms of education, East Harlem has one of the highest rates of dropouts and school absenteeism in all levels of education. For instance, at elementary school, the level of absenteeism is at 30%, 10% more than the entire city of New York. At least 30% of elementary school students miss more than twenty days per academic year. It is estimated that at least 26% of East Harlem adults have not completed high school. College graduates in the region stand at 36%, while high school graduates are 38% (East Harlem Info, n.d.). The poor economic status of most families in the region has been closely associated with the low rate of graduates witnessed in East Harlem. Most families are low-income earners and find it difficult to finance higher education.
East Harlem has many public schools operated by the New York Department of Education. Some of the notable elementary schools include Central Park East I, Central Park East II, Mosaic Preparatory Academy, Tag Young Scholars, and The Lexington Academy. For public middle schools, Esperanza Preparatory Academy and Renaissance School of the Arts are among the notable schools in the area. Some of the notable libraries in East Harlem include the Aguilar library, a branch of the New York Public Library (NYPL) (East Harlem, n.d.). Another branch of NYPL is on 125th Street. Most of these structures are generally well equipped and have the normal standards of most public institutions. Various extracurricular activities are practiced in these schools, including arts, sports and theatrical performances such as poetry and comedy.
Health Interventions
The administration at East Harlem and New York City have been working hard to fight the health disparities in the area. Undoubtedly, East Harlem lags in most sectors, including the healthcare system. Various interventions have been set in place to address the major healthcare loopholes in the region that limit the number of people accessing quality healthcare. Over the years, these interventions have been paying off, with the area showing significant improvement in the healthcare sector and other issues such as education (East Harlem | The Official Guide to New York City, n.d.). Some of the interventions in East Harlem include; firstly, there has been an increased awareness in the community by both private and government organizations to educate the people on the need to seek medical attention when necessary. Most community members have been shunning medical care by self-reporting on their health. For instance, according to statistics, at least 48% of the people in the area self-reported their health as excellent (El Barrio (East Harlem), n.d.). Accessing medical care and regular checkups have been essential in identifying various conditions at their initial stages and treating them before they worsen. This also reduces the number of avoidable hospitalization.
One of the challenges that have been given special focus in East Harlem is teen pregnancy. For a long time, the area has been one of the leading regions in New York City, with the highest cases of teen pregnancies. There have been mechanisms in place to reduce the rate of teenage pregnancies and help the teenagers who have already gotten pregnant psychologically and medically. Various institutions have initiated programs to educate pregnant teens on maternal care and provide them with medical and counselling resources to help them monitor their pregnancies to safe deliveries (El Barrio (East Harlem), n.d.). Most teen pregnancies are at risk of infant mortality due to a lack of knowledge on pregnancy’s necessary care. Organizations such as Union Settlement have led this initiative by creating workshops and designing programs that offer emotional and medical help to pregnant teens.
Recommendations
Creating awareness to educate the mass on the need to shun negative practices is one of the effective methods of dealing with the inequalities in East Harlem. There are many issues affecting the community of East Harlem. Most inequalities result from social stresses, while others are due to cultural beliefs and practices (East Harlem NYC Neighborhood Guide, n.d.). My plan involves creating social institutions such as theatres and cultural heritage centers in most neighborhood parts. Secondly, there is a need to identify the most preferred cultural practices, such as songs and sports, and organize competitions and events that will bring together most people. Such events will be perfect for educating the masses on the many things they disregard.
The approach should not aim to undermine their culture and beliefs but show them the brighter side of refraining from some practices and embracing habits that meant good for the community (East Harlem NYC Neighborhood Guide, n.d.). Research has indicated that most of the children of immigrants fail to succeed in school due to the mentality of their parents due to reluctance to motivate their children on the benefits of education. Cultural events to educate the community members on a new way of life are likely to be taken positively by the population and cause a significant change in the way the locals perceive issues. In such events, it is important to include the members of the society who have embraced a positive life, such as school graduates, to talk to the youth about the importance of going to school and graduating. This technique will motivate most people to embrace a new life and shun derailing practices.
References
East Harlem | The Official Guide to New York City.
East Harlem Info, Housing Availability and Values | StreetEasy.
East Harlem NYC Neighborhood Guide – Compass.
East Harlem, Manhattan (History) – UrbanAreas.net.
El Barrio (East Harlem) – History of New York City.