Healthcare Services for Rural Underserved Populations Paper Example

Describe Specific Health Issues of Migrant Worker Populations

There are health issues that affect the migrant especially in the state that I work in. Health is of great concern, especially for the farmworkers. They are thus more vulnerable to certain diseases as they work on the farm because of the environment they are exposed to and their working conditions too. The migrants are more likely to get chronic illnesses as they suffer hypertension more than the other population. The disease increases their risk of getting diabetes and heart diseases. Also since the farmworkers in a state like North Carolina where I work do not get enough food thus are more likely to face food insecurity (Frank, Liebman, Ryder, Weir & Arcury, 2013). The migrants in North Carolina contract infectious diseases like tuberculosis, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections due to lack of enough knowledge on the contraction of the diseases (Way, 2018). Mental diseases also affect them due to depression and anxiety due to poor working conditions.

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Discuss Issues Related To the Delivery of Services for Rural Underserved Populations

Delivering services in rural and underserved areas may be difficult for the health workers and for the population living there to access the services efficiently. There is over 150,000 farmworker in North Carolina but only approximately 20% access health care (Frank et al., 2013). That happens because of the barrier where most are non-financially stable and lack information about healthcare. Also because of the frequent change of residence of the migrant in NC, they do not get long-term care for chronic diseases.

Also, in those underdeveloped areas in North Carolina transport is a big issue since most people there lack means of transportation or driving licenses thus hard for them to get to medical facilities (Way, 2018). Language is also a barrier in delivering services in rural areas in NC since those who live in such areas are farmworkers, and they are Spanish speakers (Collins, 2015). Very few health providers in NC can speak Spanish. Additionally, very few people in rural areas of North Carolina have health insurance. Approximately 85% of the residents in NC rural areas lack health insurance (Frank et al., 2013). Most people living in those areas are below the poverty line and happen to be farm workers and do not qualify for social services because they are migrants.

References

Collins, C. (2015). Rural Health Care Redefining Access. North Carolina medical journal, 76(1), 20-23.

Frank, A. L., Liebman, A. K., Ryder, B., Weir, M., & Arcury, T. A. (2013). Health care access and health care workforce for immigrant workers in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector in the southeastern US. American journal of industrial medicine, 56(8), 960-974.

Way, D. (2018, May 28). The great divide: Challenges facing rural health care delivery in N.C. Retrieved from https://www.carolinajournal.com/news-article/the-great-divide-challenges-facing-rural-health-care-delivery-in-n-c/