Introduction
The practicum took place in New York, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern. The hospital is a member of charitable trust organization, Bon Secours Charity Health System (BSCHS), hence a non-profit entity. It has a capacity of more than 360-bed and serves as Level II Trauma Center to the surrounding community in Suffern. Some of the paramount services offered in this hospital include an emergency provision, medical, acute care, surgical and gynecological services to the residents of Northern Bergen County in New Jersey, Southern Orange County and Rockland County in New York. At the present, there are about 600 physicians and more than 1900 employees working in the hospital. Other hospitals associated with this charitable organization include “Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis and St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick” (Friedman 1). The three health care centers are located in New York.
As mentioned earlier, the hospice serves as a level II trauma center to the surrounding communities. In addition to the services offered, the hospital also offers special services such as specialized cancer treatment services. Recently, the hospital opened a special wing duped as Wound Care Center. Beside Trauma center services, the hospital offers child and maternal services, a nursery and children’s diagnostic center. Most of the specialists offering these services are drawn from Westchester County Medical Center.
Throughout the practicum, there were different medical practitioners involved. The hospital has various wings, where each wing has its unique administrative structure. Physicians found in this hospice work together to ensure that the primary mission of the hospital is accomplished within the stipulated time structure.
Suffern is a village integrated into Rockland County in New York in the year 1896. With respect to 2010 census, the township had a total population of 10,723 people. In 2000, the survey indicated that there were 11,006 inhabitants, 2,836 family units, and 4,634 households living in Suffern. By then, statistics of the population density was found to be 5,265.8m2. The housing components were about 4,762 while the average density of the same was 879.7 km2. In the question of the racial makeup, 86.83% was made up by of whites, 0.26% Native American; African American had a percentage of 3.53%, 0.09% Pacific Islander, the Asian took 2.83%, and 4.52% from other races. 1.94% of the total population was composed of two or more races. 20.1% of the total population was made up of the under age of 18 years old, 7.4 was made up 18 to 24 years old, 32.9% was composed of 25 to 44 years old and those above 45 years old made up 24.7% of the total population. The remaining percentage accounts for these of 65 years old and above. Approximately 5.7% of the population and 3.5% of the total families lived below the poverty line. Among them, 6.4% was made up of those with 65 years old and above while 7.6% was made up by those below the age of 18 years old (Santos 2).
Discussion
The New York State has come up with a prevention agenda whose primary aim is to make the state one of the healthiest in the next half a decade, from 2013. The action of prevention agenda identified five major population needs to reduce health differences for disability, racial and other minority groups with similar health needs. The agenda was developed in partnership with other 140 organizations. Thus, a majority of the local health departments, charitable organizations, hospitals flow this blueprint to responds to the needs of the community and the population in general.
Some of the population needs include “chronic disease, healthy and safe environments, healthy women, infants and children, communicable diseases and the promotion of mental wellness and the prevention of substance abuse” (Rees 27). However, Good Samaritan Hospital has isolated two main concerns as their primary objectives in meeting the needs of the surrounding communities. Obesity reduction in both the adults and the minors is one of the primary objectives. The second objective revolves around the increment of access to High-end chronic disease preventive care. Both priorities identified fall under the New York State Priority Areas.
The first area of priority revolves around the lifestyle adopted and access to safe food. Some of the factors that contribute to these needs include insufficient access to quality health information, poverty, and cultural barriers among others. Inadequate information on how to observe healthy diets and living sedentary lives contributes to the sharp increase of obese population in the region. On the other hand, poverty bars a considerable percentage of the total population from access quality health services. Being a charitable organization, Good Samaritan Hospital ensures both rich and poor have access to quality health services. However, there was a time the federal government sued the hospital for religious discrimination. Most of the needs listed by the Good Samaritan Hospital are common to most communities, population, and states. More often than not, those affected by these factors are poor, and the minority groups. However, the rich and the middle class are also at risk depending on the type of diet they take and the kind of life they opt for.
References
Friedman, Wendy. “Good Samaritan Hospital nurse receives award from Catholic Health Services of LI.” Long Island Business News. 2004: B1. Print.
Rees, Tom. “Hospitals Target-Marketing Wound Centers to Build Profit Statements.” Profiles in Healthcare Marketing 21.2 (2005): 27-28. Print.
Santos, Fernanda. “Suffern Is Sued for Religious Discrimination After Village Rejects an Orthodox Lodging.” The New York Times 2004: A2. Print.