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Write a 500-750-word paper describing the CIS. Be sure to specifically address

Working in the health care industry often puts health care professionals in the line of danger from ill patients, stressed families, overburdened health care facilities, and the many situations and locations in which each individual works. The Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CIS) Management Tool has been designed to decrease the stress levels of those that experienced or witnessed violence or trauma.

Write a 500-750-word paper describing the CIS. Be sure to specifically address:

What is the purpose of using the tool?

The process of using the tool.

The expected outcome from utilizing this stress management tool.

Name at least three professions that are at risk and have utilized the tool.

Do you believe the tool to be useful in decreasing stress and coping with violence in the workplace? Why or why not?

List several physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral reactions to stress.

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located on the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.

Week 5

The National Center for Health Statistics has established the Healthy People 2020 for tracking the nation’s health. Locate the 42 topic areas discussed in Healthy People 2020.

Write a 750-1,000-word paper identifying the top 10 areas that you would consider the most important to address if budgetary restraints limited the study.

What are the areas?

Why did you choose these areas?

How would you develop a program and present it to an individual and a community?

Discuss the impact of failure to achieve the goals of the chosen focus areas.

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located on the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

Trends and Issues for the 21st Century

Introduction

Health care trends and issues are well documented by multiple governmental and private organizations to study changes in the demographics of the populations, to discover disparities in health care, and to develop consistent solutions to any problems exposed. Changing population age, ethnic minority shifts, and economic swings do not alter the basic need for adequate health care and developing sustainable programs to adjust to future needs. The health of the nation is at risk without solutions in place.

Factors in Disparities

Disparities in health care quality and access have been extensively studied by The National Center for Health Statistics for the purpose of discovering trends and directing policy to improve the health of the nation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has as its mission to improve the quality of health care for all Americans by identifying inequalities in care (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2004). A research search finds other agencies address the same basic disparity issues in health care.

The aging population of the United States creates new problems with an increased need for more access to health care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS), report that in 2006 there were 35.5 million people over the age of 65 in the United States. This is expected to rise to 55 million by 2020 (The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service, 2006) As people are living longer, the incidence of chronic diseases increase the need to utilize the health care system, increase the cost of and usage of medications, and an overall increase in the size of the health care budget (Lecca, Valentine, & Lyons, 2003, p.176). Utilizing the budget for the elderly takes money from other programs needed to be financed. The governmental Medicare and Medicaid systems provide coverage for the elderly and disabled, but struggle to keep access to adequate care available.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) report states that in 2006 the expenditures for Medicare and Medicaid were estimated to be 3.2% of the gross domestic budget (GDB). The government realizes that costs need to be controlled and pass the Medicare Modernization Act to identify and put in place cost-cutting solutions to help the Medicare system survive (The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service, 2006). Without the programs many more elderly Americans would have no insurance coverage and only increase the disparity to adequate health care.

Changing minority and ethnic populations in the United States presents unique challenges to health care delivery. The demographics in the United States have changed to a more ethnically diverse population, which has forced health care providers to reevaluate the health care delivery system and those that deliver the care. Lecca et al. (2003) suggest that more cross-cultural programs be developed to meet the needs of minorities.

The Institute of Medicine commissioned a study on health disparities in minority populations. In its 2002 report Unequal Treatment: What Healthcare Providers Need toKnow About Racial and Ethic Disparities in Healthcare, The Institute of Medicine suggested that health professionals should be educated on attitudes, knowledge base, and skills to better understand another culture in order to deliver effective health care. Only through education and understanding will the racial and ethnic barriers be eliminated to decrease disparities in care.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2007 the minority population numbered over 100 million. This translates to one in three people living in the United States being classified as a minority (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007). Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian are all listed as minority groups, with non-Hispanic, single race representing 66% of the population. With such large numbers of the population listed as minorities, health care concerns must be addressed.

Disparities in health care often include a lack of insurance or financial means to pay for care. Those that qualify can enroll in governmental programs to pay for their care, but others find it difficult to afford even basic health needs. Disparities in health care can also include locations where access is limited, as rural areas that have either no health care providers available or lack of transportation to get to where the care is provided. Persons with diseases that require specialized treatments may need to access health systems that are far from their homes and have few care options to consider (Shi & Singh, 2003).