ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Most food insecurity estimates are developed for large geographies (counties and states). With many hunger relief initiatives focused at the community level, Feeding America West Michigan (FAWM) partnered with the Student Consulting Center at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) to analyze its 40-county service area. OBJECTIVES: To identify communities at risk of food insecurity and gain a more articulated understanding of community need with respect to food insecurity. METHODS: We analyzed the risk factors of food insecurity by census tract using 17 indicators. We used cluster analysis as a profiling technique to transform results into more manageable units of analysis. RESULTS: The work is being used to prioritize targeted interventions for areas with the greatest needs. CONCLUSIONS: Cluster analysis provides opportunities to present results in ways drawing conclusions from separate indicators cannot. When incorporated into programmatic decisions, analytics can assist agencies like FAWM make more efficient use of resources by ensuring they get to those most in need.
Subject(s)
Food Supply/statistics & numerical data , Geographic Information Systems , Needs Assessment , Cluster Analysis , Humans , Michigan/epidemiology , Risk Factors , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
Proponents of devolution often maintain that the transfer of power and authority of programs enables local officials to craft policy solutions that better align with the needs of their constituents. This article provides one of the first empirical evaluations of this assumption as it relates to non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). NEMT programs meet a critical need in the areas in which they serve, directly targeting this single key access barrier to care. Yet states have great latitude in making such services available. The authors utilize data from 32 states to provide a preliminary assessment of devolution's consequences and policy impact on transportation-related access to care. Their findings provide mixed evidence on devolution's impact on policy outcomes. Proponents of devolution can find solace in the fact that several states have gone beyond federally mandated minimum requirements to offer innovative programs to remove transportation barriers to care. Detractors of devolution will find continued pause on several key issues, as a number of states do not offer NEMT to their SCHIP populations while cutting services and leaving over $7 billion in federal matching funding unspent.
Subject(s)
Child Welfare/statistics & numerical data , Health Policy/trends , Insurance Coverage/statistics & numerical data , Medicaid/statistics & numerical data , Patient Transfer/economics , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Diffusion of Innovation , Female , Health Care Surveys , Health Services Accessibility , Health Services Needs and Demand/statistics & numerical data , Health Status Disparities , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Patient Transfer/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires , United States , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Over the last two decades, concern has been expressed about the readiness of the public health workforce to adequately address the scientific, technological, social, political and economic challenges facing the field. A 1988 report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) served as a catalyst for the re-examination of the public health workforce. The IOM's call to increase the relevance of public health education and training prompted a renewed effort to identify competences needed by public health personnel and the organizations that employ them. METHODS: A recent evaluation sought to address the role of the 10 essential public health services in job services among the Texas public health workforce. Additionally, the evaluation examined the Texas public health workforce's need for training in the 10 essential public health services. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Overall, the level of perceived training needs varied dramatically by job category and health department type. When comparing aggregate training needs, public health workers with greater day-to-day contact (nurses, health educators) indicated a greater need for training than their peers who did not, such as those working in administrative positions. When prioritizing and designing future training modules regarding the 10 essential public health services, trainers should consider the effects of job function, location and contact with the public.
