DNP 825 Identify a population-based problem of interest you see in your community and identify relevant outcomes you would like to see from mitigating the scope and effects of this problem

I am not sure if this aligns with the topic, however, the CDC has made health literacy and health disparities a matter of concern for public health. That being said, Health Occupations Students of America has added a new event called Public Health. This event encourages high school and college level students to think of ways to increase community health. This years topic is 2022-2023 Public Health Topic: Heart Healthy for Life: What You Need to Know Now, however, I find it interesting that the CDC has lessons for students ages pre-K to college that focus on public health. I believe the next step is to promote these free lesson plans to public and private schools. For example, you may find a link to the health equity science and intervention strategy on their website. This is useful information as part of public health is using community resources to education and engage.

I will now shift subjects. Our professors asked how public health was effected by COVID. This is a hot topic as I have spent much of today working with the Medical Reserve Corp in DFW. This community emergency response organization lost a great deal of their staff during the pandemic. The MRC along with other health care entities were strapped for human resources and found themselves overworked, mentally and physically exhausted. COVID provided a rude awakening to the lack of resources needed to prepare for a pandemic. Unfortunately, COVID greatest impact was on populations with high levels of health disparities. Although, public health announcements encouraged social distancing the tight living quarters and lack of access to health care increased their mortality rates. However, as we review the roles of public health nursing we better understand part of their purpose is to address health equities. For example, COVID 19 was an unfortunate reminder of the need to close these gaps… as “Black, Hispanic, and American Indian persons in the US are more likely to live in crowded conditions, in multigenerational households, and have jobs that cannot be performed remotely, such as transit workers, grocery store clerks, nursing aides, construction workers, and household workers. These groups are more likely to travel on public transportation due to lack of having their own vehicle.” Public Health also recognizes other influences such as access to healthy food, medical care and mental health also effected COVID outcomes, this understanding may assist in the future.

https://hosa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/22-23-PH-Sept1.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/education-support/schools.html

https://aspr.hhs.gov/MRC/Pages/index.aspx