Health of Virginians

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Topic: Health of Virginians

In this learning activity, you will review secondary data sources for details about the health of Virginians. Target 1 Virginia county or community of interest in the following data sources; briefly scan the health assessment information to get a more detailed picture about the health status of Virginians in that specific locale or region. Then, look more closely at the health data concerning 1 of the 5 health ranking determinants you wrote about in Learning Activity 1.

• Virginia Department of Health Data & Statistics • Community Health Status Indicators • County Health Rankings • SMART: BRFSS Data

Following the principles of epidemiologic inquiry, answer the following questions regarding the information you uncovered about 1 health determinant in your selected county or community. Give your response in a post of 400–500 words.

• Person: Describe the population expressing the determinant o How many (percentage of population or rate) are described by this determinant? o How is the determinant expressed in the population (age, gender, education, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics)? o Compare segments of the population (who has the most/least, at greatest/least risk)?

• Place: Describe the location with regard to the determinant o Is the determinant seen more in urban or rural regions? o What other characteristics define the prevalence of the determinant in the region (housing, geography, topography, etc.)? o Compare other locations with the one you selected (how does prevalence compare in neighboring counties, the state, or the nation)?

• Period: Describe the time trends of the determinant o Over the past few years, has the prevalence rate decreased or increased or stayed about the same? (i.e., is it getting better or worse?) o Compare the time trends of the state and the nation with those of your location. Are they better, worse, or similar?

• Conclusion: From the information you gathered about the health determinant, describe a priority population in a particular place with a precise problem to address. This will be the focus of a public health intervention you will develop across the remaining learning activities.

Medical Management Committees

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Medical Management Committees

Managed care is a complex system involved in the financing and delivery of health care. The main goals of this system are to control access, quality, and cost of health care. MCOs have complex relationships or contracts with buyers (employers or individuals), providers (health care facilities and physicians), and consumers (patients). To this end, there is a need for complex management structures to organize and oversee these relationships.

There are six different medical management committees typically formed within an MCO. Some serve operational purposes while others serve to meet regulatory and quality standard functions. Refer to the readings of this week and answer the following questions:

  • Research a Managed Care Organization [MCO] (e.g. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Humana, etc.) online. Discuss the similarities and differences between six medical management committees of an MCO.
  • Analyze the main role of each committee on the basis of your research.
  • Explain out of the six committees, which committee do you feel is the least important. State your reasoning using specific examples from your research.
  • In addition, how is the information you found online similar and/or different from what is described in your readings?

After answering the above questions, read the following information:

The development of MCOs has been influenced by the type of market they serve. For example, BCBS companies moved from primarily a service plan provider to a multiproduct line that includes HMO, PPO, and consumer choice plans. In addition, various types of managed care organizations have emerged due to forces imposed by the state and the federal governments, such as the HMO Act of 1973. Answer the following questions keeping in mind the above information:

  • Examine how public policy has impacted the growth of managed care.
  • Evaluate the impact of one federal and one state-level policy.
  • Compare and contrast the ways the policy caused the managed care market to grow or retract.
  • please document sources

Specify the importance of continuing to evaluate patients, as stipulated by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), during the emergency

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Assignment 5: Public Health Preparedness

Due Week 10 and worth 200 points

You have just been hired as a new Vice President of quality and safety for a full-service 600-bed government healthcare organization.  Within your first month on the job, the national security threat level has been raised to Imminent, which means there is a credible, specific, and impending terrorist threat against the United States, and your facility may be directly impacted. The Chief Executive Officer has requested an immediate six to eight-page report of your proposal for handling such a situation.

Note: You may create and /or make all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment.

Write a 6-8 page paper in which you:

  1. Examine the existing procedures related to at least four (4) of the ten (10) essential public health services. Focus on the principal effects that these procedures will have on your hospital during the emergency.
  2. Specify the importance of continuing to evaluate patients, as stipulated by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), during the emergency.
  3. Detail three (3) measures that you would use in order to maintain the electronic medical record system during the emergency.
  4. Defend your position on the decision to accept health insurance during the emergency as a potential source of income for the facility. Provide support with at least three (3) examples that illustrate your position.
  5. Analyze the extent to which this emergency might affect the quality of care provided to the patients and the unimpeded operation of the organization.
  6. Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

  • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
  • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

  • Examine information management and health care records and how the legal reporting requirements impact health care.
  • Analyze the impact of healthcare financing and health insurance on healthcare access, quality, and cost.
  • Analyze the influence of health policy and health reform on healthcare access, quality, and cost in the U.S.
  • Analyze tort reform and healthcare quality.
  • Use technology and information resources to research issues in healthcare policy, law, and ethics.
  • Write clearly and concisely about healthcare policy and law using proper writing mechanics.

Disadvantaged children often do not have health insurance and do not receive the preventive care (such as vaccines and well-baby check-ups) that can help avoid long-term health problems

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Identify and select a health problem in the US Health Care sector from the list below.  Prepare a summary document using the required table format shown below. The table should be single spaced and a maximum of three (3) pages. Also include a cover page and a reference page in APA Format (these do not count toward the page limit). Reference the bolded formatting instructions in the Class Guidelines area of the syllabus.  The topics is as follows

Disadvantaged children often do not have health insurance and do not receive the preventive care (such as vaccines and well-baby check-ups) that can help avoid long-term health problems

 

Health Problem: Describe and provide details about the health problem.  Indicate in detail who is most impacted by this health problem. This section must include how the problem impacts patients, health care providers and/or professionals, health organizations, and government. Note the human and financial costs. Use in-text citations for all statistical references. 
Healthy People 2020: Summarize the health problem as recognized by Healthy People 2020. Note how the health problem you identified fits within the Healthy People 2020 framework. Use in-text citations as needed. 

If the issue is not identified in Healthy People 2020, research and assess if another governmental document identifies and describes the problem. If yes, indicate the source. Hypothesize about why this specific societal health problem might have been excluded from Healthy People 2020. 
Official Title and Citation of the Legislation: Indicate the government’s response to the health problem you selected. Select one piece of legislation. In this section, include the title, bill number or citation from the statute.
Status: As of the date of submission, what is the status of the legislation in the health policy cycle?
Analysis of the public policy response: Describe the scope of the legislation and the anticipated impact.
Conclusion: In your opinion, does the health policy adequately addresses the health problem you identified? Why or why not?
Resources for Updates: What resource would a health organization use to check for updates on this policy or legislation?