Windshield Survey and Environmental Analysis
Social Determinants (Jordan, MN)
To begin with, citizens of Jordan, Minnesota, have access to health and primary care of quite a high quality. Medical services are offered by several providers covering different health insurance. For instance, St. Francis Jordan Clinic, deals with a range of health issues including adult and senior medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, and gynecology. The average physician of St. Francis Health Service in Jordan works with more than 1600 patients a year. Open Door Health Center (non-profit community health institution) provides citizens of different incomes with dental care. What is more, people can visit Cedar House Inc. for out-patient mental health care. The town has 14 city parks including Lagoon Park where 24 miles of sidewalks and trails can be found. Moreover, there is a Recreation Center that consists of a fitness center, an elevated walking track, and a 3 gym-station. The Food Pantry also operates and contributes to the wellbeing of low-income families.
More than 60% of local citizens receive their wages regularly. At the same time, employers offer a health insurance plan for 66% of their workers (“Economic development”, 2020). The median household income approximates to 69,000 USD what is slightly higher than the nationwide index in 2019. On the contrary, about 10% of Jordan’s population does not have insurance at all or are Medicaid members. These individuals require more attention from the government and society to increase the current welfare of the town. Addressing their needs should be a top priority of the county and local health initiatives.
One of the community’s positive aspects is its annual population growth rate estimated at 1,25%. What is more important, young residents constituting the major age group of the current population. Most of the citizens have decent jobs with insurance coverage which increases their wellbeing. Housing quality is quite high, while the median home costs 209,000, which is 120,000 lower than the median home price sold in the US (329,000). As was already mentioned, Jordan possesses a number of parks, recreation zones, and centers necessary to live an active and healthy life. Moreover, Highway 169 offers restaurants and businesses ready to satisfy the needs of residents. Jordan Public Schools successfully meet the need for primary and secondary education providing both parochial and public opportunities.
Although the city of Jordan seems to be a great place to live, there are still some opportunities that should be seized. The estimated 10% of residents have restricted access to high-quality services available. In the current situation, they are deprived of wellness and health goods available to others. The 2020 County Health Rankings rank Scott County 4th overall for health behaviors and also 4th overall for health outcomes. Nevertheless, this source indicates that 4% are uninsured, 29% of adults suffer from obesity, 19% are physically inactive, and 12% of adults smoke (University of Wisconsin, 2020). Thus, obesity and linked chronic health issues such as type 2 diabetes and heart diseases are the main challenges for the community.
Change Proposal
The proposed health care change is aimed to consolidate local health professionals and social activists, increase their involvement in advocacy for health and social change in the community. The majority of local physicians embrace their role as advocates of individual patients, while a wider and more comprehensive approach is neglected. Involved practitioners will meet together to design community-based programs to prevent and fight obesity, foster physical activity, and healthy eating. The are several active programs, including a community health improvement plan by Scott Public Health, the implementation plan of St. Francis Regional Medical Center, the SPAN program, and others. However, the mentioned programs are Scott-county based, thus, to be effective their implementation and toolkit should be revised at the local leve