Alamance County North Carolina Community Needs Assessment
The primary needs of Alamance community include education, economic issues and access to health care. The lack of a proper education system, inadequate access to care and financial inequality is attributed to adverse effects on the general well being of any given population. The community literacy level is low as many people cannot access primary education. Many more people are living in poverty due to the economic crisis in Alamance County. There is also inadequate access to healthcare based on the weak transport system which makes it hard for individuals to access care (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2014). The un-insurance rates in the community are also high which increases the disease burden in the population.
The community needs services centered on the essential needs where deficit has been identified. Access to healthcare will be significantly boosted by expanding the public transportation system. Increasing the insurance coverage through the affordable care act will also facilitate improving access to care (N.C. Division of Public Health, 2014). The community should initiate a process of addressing the challenges impacting kindergarten readiness, literacy skills, graduation rates and career initiation. More institutions of learning should be set up and fees subsidized to meet the needs of the humble majority (Pride Surveys, 2013-2014). The community should be offered income support by the national government along with other initiatives such as adult education, workforce development skills and workforce training.
The establishment of better services for the Alamance community needs the collaboration between the state and also federal government. These have the mandate to negotiate on the needs and priorities and allocate resources to meet those needs. Community participation is of utmost importance in meeting the needs of the community since the community needs to participate in decision making and implementation of strategies aimed at improving their health. The community should be involved in executing the strategy given that they can offer some services such as labor.
Reference
N.C. Division of Public Health (2014). North Carolina Injury and Violence Prevention Branch: Unintentional medication and drug poisoning ED visits by county: N.C. residents, 2008-2013. Retrieved from: http://www.injuryfreenc.ncdhhs.gov/DataSurveillance/docs/30-UnintentionalmedicationanddrugpoisoningEDvisitsbycounty-2008-2013.pdf
Pride Surveys (2013-2014). Student Behavior and Perceptions. Retrieved from: http://www.pridesurveys.com/customercenter/us13ns.pdf
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2014). County Health Rankings and Roadmaps: Access to Exercise Opportunities. Retrieved from: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/#!/northcarolina/2014/measure/factors/132/data
