The Community Health Project for Clark County, Las Vegas, is based on a three-step analysis approach that evaluates and prevents health issues affecting a particular community. In the first stage, extensive community profiling entails locating place, community statistics, healthcare information, and cultural behavior. This phase provides an in-depth analysis of the specific health terrain of the community. Once an assessment is made, the project moves towards a community teaching proposal for prevention. The second phase of the framework draws on information from the evaluation to highlight commonly occurring chronic and infectious diseases and other critical health issues. This proposal includes an hour-long theoretical session for a chosen audience to pass on prevention steps. The last step involves a disaster preparedness assessment that determines whether the community is ready, considering resources that could aid in response during emergencies. This project intends to improve the overall health outcomes and resilience of Clark County through a systematic approach that focuses on assessing, preventing, and preparing for disasters within the community health framework.
Community Information
Las Vegas’s Clark County represents vibrant communities with an intermingling of urban and suburban aspects. Southern Nevada has a desert-like landscape where the summer season is very harsh while the winter is pleasant with mild cold (Singh & Allen‐Dumas, 2022). Tourism, gaming, entertainment, construction, real estate, healthcare, and retail are major sectors fueling this city’s energy. Some key employers that determine the makeup of the local employment landscape include MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, UNLV, and Clark County School District. The district of Clark manages more than three hundred schools, including the most renowned University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) (Singh & Allen‐Dumas, 2022). The community has various parks, big supermarket stores, restaurants, and farmers’ markets, thus making it wholesome for residents. The RTC of Southern Nevada provides good public transport services that facilitate connection throughout the county.
Community Demographics
Clark County has a population of 2,265,461, including 1,035,874 males and 1,033,807 females. The community comprises 45% Whites, 8% Blacks, 22% Asians, and 17 % Hispanics (Evans et al., 2021). Demographically, the population is mixed regarding marital status- 51% are married and 49% singletons. The median household income is $98,454, with 12,596 households in different housing units such as single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums, apartments, and mobile homes. The heterogeneity creates different cultures, thus enriching life in Clark County.
Health Data 1: Chronic Diseases
Chronic conditions such as diabetes, stroke, and heart disease present significant problems for Clark County. In 2014, the number of people with diabetes was 8.8%, 0.7% more than last year’s data (snhd_admin, 2023). Also, there was a 3.6 percent increase in stroke occurrence rates during this year, with a prevalence of 37.9 %. The prevalence rate for heart disease was 201.3%, an increase of 1.6%. This highlights the necessity for focused health initiatives and community enlightenment to combat and lessen the effects of such chronic diseases. Such data-driven insights are crucial in creating appropriate prevention measures targeting healthcare issues affecting the locals.
Health Data 2: Infectious Diseases
Infectious diseases are one of the challenges facing Clark County, posing various health problems. Significantly, Hepatitis C, RSV, and Hepatitis B are notable diseases within the community (Hanson et al., 2020). Prevention and management of these diseases require an integrated approach. Proper identification of communal infections also advocates for public health issues, vaccinations, and education programs aimed at reducing the spread and effects among the members of the society. Solving these challenges relating to infectious diseases is vital in improving the community’s health resilience level.
Health Data 3: Risk Factors
Chronic disease constitutes a sizeable public health concern in Clark County due to its exposure to various risk factors. Alcohol consumption is one of these risks that, include having an inactive lifestyle and unhealthy dietary patterns. Healthcare providers, public health entities, and community stakeholders must work together to help people change their behavior and reduce this avoidable illness in society.
Social Data
The social fabric of Clark County consists of various threads, helping to make the county robust and healthy. People are often involved in community sports such as softball, volleyball, and pickleball, which promote comradery and healthiness (Data USA, 2023). The existence of Catholic, LDS, and Christian associations points to diverse religious denominations that are influential to their life situations. Organizations such as food banks, mentoring programs, and animal shelters exist as manifestations of such a concept (Data USA, 2023). The community’s robust support networks, which include emergency assistance, case management, and mental health services, underscores the care factor for its members in this country. Public safety projects are one of the areas in which collaboration with the community is essential and prompts mutual trust between citizens and law enforcers. These social elements make up a neighborhood character that binds individuals together by creating an atmosphere or network of connectedness and strength.
Top 3 Chronic Diseases
The three most common chronic diseases afflicting Clark County are Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes (Anderson & Durstine, 2019). These health concerns rule over the community’s welfare, requiring efforts to curb the scourges. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the community, and stroke and diabetes follow them with lasting effects on the general condition of people. Recognizing these diseases since they are dominant, we can develop particular interventions and educate people about their impact on the quality of life and prosperity of Clark County.
Top 3 Infectious Diseases
Clark County faces three infectious diseases in the form of Hepatitis C, Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and Hepatitis B (Ghany et al., 2019). They are all different, but they are significant players in the public health spectrum and need a close look at Hepatitis C, like RSV, with implications for fragile populations, and Hepatitis B, another viral threat to liver health. It shows a need for specific prevention measures, strong public health efforts, and community education to lower the incidence of these infectious diseases and improve the health status of people living in Clark County. When these diseases pass through the community, it should be comprehensive regarding its strategy to enhance public health.
Top Health Concerns
Heart disease, stroke, and diabetes are the three main health issues facing Clark County, and they require focused attention and coordinated actions. Individual health problems combined endanger the health state of the community. Cardiovascular disease is multifaceted and should be approached as an integrated issue using preventive and curative strategies (Zolnoori et al., 2019). However, stroke is another type of neurology concern involving numerous health problems that should receive constant consideration from society. The rising rate of diabetes shows how vital comprehensive health promotion programs on exercise for healthy living and disease prevention measures could be. Therefore, these health concerns support community-based initiatives involving education and advocating for a healthier and stronger Clark County. As such, these endemic health problems in the community, which have to precede any chance of better health and less preventable diseases, should be met head-on to enable a healthy future.
Priority Community Concern
In Clark County, among a wide range of health problems, the information speaks for itself – heart disease is the top communal problem that requires quick action to be taken right now. Empirical findings support the significant impacts of Heart Disease on the community health environment (Wang et al., 2021). An intricate relationship with various risk factors, societal determinants, and the general health of communities compounds this issue. The approach should aim to bring in all community members in order to address this priority community concern. Through the use of prevention education, lifestyle changes, and strengthening healthcare systems, intervention activities will lessen the effect of Heart Diseases (Wang et al., 2021). Thus, a particular hour of education on how one can avoid heart disease in Worksheet #2 is crucial for informing the population about this issue. This strategic focus complements the objective of promoting a dynamic and robust Clark County characterized by optimal cardiovascular health.
Disaster Assessment
Holistic community health is emphasized by moving from community education proposals to disaster preparedness assessments. As presented in the education proposal, the community’s preparedness for anticipated health conditions contrasts with the disaster assessments, which consider other aspects of health care, like the community’s readiness to prepare for unexpected problems. It is vital to assess emergency resources, identify susceptible groups of people, and perceive the influence that different disasters can have on the population, infrastructure, and emergency units. This is the basis of a holistic community health approach, including health education and emergency readiness.
Emergency Resources
Emergency resources in Clar Clark County demonstrate that a comprehensive mechanism exists to ease victims during emergencies. A strong ERS involving the RTC in Southern Nevada allows for prompt evacuation and transport (Chmielewski & Moretz, 2022). For instance, Sunrise Hospital, University Medical Center, and Valley Hospital Medical Center offer critical life-saving attention. This involves working closely with agencies such as the Clark County Fire Department and local law enforcement. In sum, these resources collectively constitute the community’s strength, ensuring quick and successful reactions to emergencies or disasters.
Vulnerable Populations
The elderly in Clark County, persons above 65 years old, form one vulnerable group in society. The elderly are more susceptible to different vulnerabilities during disaster management processes (Alireza Ermagun et al., 2023). When aging, physiological changes result in increased vulnerability of this category of people to injuries and health problems in emergencies. Moreover, cognitive impairments and high occurrences of chronic illness among this group of people might limit their response to emergencies.
Another concern is social isolation, as most older adults live solitary lives without any significant support network. As such, disruptions in continuity of care become more critical for individuals who rely heavily on medication or medical equipment as they age (Alireza Ermagun et al., 2023). Many people need help moving about quickly or getting transported out due to physical limitations. Additionally, language barriers may inhibit them from receiving prompt information in a crisis. Designing a disaster preparedness strategy aimed at the elderly population in Clark County must include the acknowledgment of its unique vulnerabilities to help ensure the safety, health, and well-being of these individuals in times of emergency.
Type of Disaster and their Effects
Clark County in Nevada stands exposed and vulnerable to one potential natural disaster—an earthquake. Earthquakes have great impacts on people, community facilities, and emergency services. Some of these instant dangers for the common population include physical injuries, forced relocations, and psychological trauma, among others. Secondly, interruption of fundamental services like electricity, water supply, and communication channels can cause severe disorder in ordinary activities. During an earthquake, community infrastructure, such as buildings, roads, and utilities, can be severely damaged (Torani et al., 2019). The failure of structures, roads, and utilities may limit movement, thereby hampering the accessibility of essential commodities and amenities. This may lead to a saturation of emergency services with demands that will exceed their responsiveness capability. There will likely be a lack of hospitals where sick people can get proper treatment and access to first aid will also be a problem. In Clark County, for instance, mitigation measures should emphasize strengthening the resilience of the physical infrastructure, carrying out the county-wide preparedness programs for the population, and developing the capability of the emergency responders to manage the possible post-earthquake outcomes effectively.
Health-Related Issues and Nursing Interventions
Trauma-related conditions, such as fractures and lacerations, are some of the problems expected after an earthquake in Clark County. Such interventions as wound cleaning, bandaging, and immobilizing to curb more injuries must be administered promptly during first aid (Torani et al., 2019). Pain management and psychosocial support are also critical where primary healthcare facilities are non-existent. Hygiene and nutritional counseling become important because clean water and food can be affected. In order to combat outbreaks, nurses play a crucial role by encouraging proper hygienic practices and providing accessible sanitation supplies. Training some community members in some basics may improve their resilience and responses.
Conclusion
Finally, this extensive community health project demonstrates the diverse dimensions of Clark County in Las Vegas. Using a comprehensive community assessment, a preventive-oriented pedagogy, and a disaster-ready evaluation, we have gathered helpful information concerning the nature of the community. Each detail, from demography to common health issues as well as social determinants, has been deeply analyzed. The identified health concerns will be addressed by the strategic objective, which would include topic areas of focus and educative approaches focusing on curative actions. Additionally, the disaster assessment provides insight into a community’s preparedness and resources that may be available during future disruptions. This project lays the groundwork for evidence-based, community-oriented decisions by identifying vulnerabilities, resources, and health concerns during disasters. This effort emphasizes the need for a full-scale community health program combining prevention education, disaster preparedness, and community involvement.
References
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