Health plays a significant role in our daily lives, and a functioning body requires to be healthy. Medical care is necessary to be accessible to everyone despite their location. Rural-urban migration is usually initiated by a lack of amenities in the rural areas, including health facilities. Being close to healthcare facilities means an emergency will be taken care of, opposed to being far away. Not being able to access a medical facility during the time of need is frustrating and diminishing. It becomes hopeless for a patient needing urgent treatment and cannot get it. The death rate is higher in the regions health care is difficult to access. This paper discusses the clientele of community health nursing, the government resources eligible to the health facilities, and the agencies by which the government funds these health centers.
Community health nursing serves everyone regardless of their ability to pay. According to Hartzier, et al. (2018), Tuzzio, Hsu & Wagner, “increased health care costs and demand have accelerated the need for resource-saving approaches that improve access to and delivery of primary care service.” The nurses have roles to play, including health education, clinical services, care coordination, and social support. Community health nursing bridges the healthcare gap in low and medium-income countries. Also, negligence upon seeking health care due to lack of funds is close to forgotten. Primary healthcare being so close to the community has encouraged people to go for checkups, reducing late detection of chronic illnesses.
Funding of community health centers is essential to provide accessible health care equally to everyone in the community. Following a publication by Rosenbaum et al. (2018), Tolbert, Sharac, Shin, Gunsalus, Zur, the enactment of the Affordable Care Act expanded coverage options favorable for low-income patients and increased funding of health centers via the Community Health Center Fund. This funding helps buy necessary equipment for the health center and medication.
Moreover, the government has offered to give out hospital beds to the community health facilities, medication, and free screening for chronic diseases like cancer. The government funds community Health nursing via the US Department of Health and Human Services. The funding ensures that community health centers are up and running throughout, better services are provided, and readily available medication. Access to medical care is essential to the community, catering to emergencies and treating infectious diseases. The government has made it easier for the district to access healthcare by building community health centers in rural areas. Health workers can give back to society by working in these health facilities.
To conclude, community health nursing has made survival in rural areas less burdening. Many community members can now access medical care without having to travel miles. Awareness is a bonus, and the health workers promote awareness of diseases, vaccines, contraception, and hygiene. The funding from the government has made it possible to establish community health facilities, hence bringing medical access to the doorstep. Community health nursing has proven to have catered for inaccessible and remote areas. Situating these facilities in the communities has lowered death rates due to lack of accessibility on time. Community members have reduced ignorance towards checkups since now they are nearer and accessible. To sum up, community health nursing is essential in making rural and remote areas easy to acquire healthcare.
References
Hartzler, A. L., Tuzzio, L., Hsu, C., & Wagner, E. H. (2018). Roles and functions of community health workers in primary care. The Annals of Family Medicine, 16(3), 240-245.
Rosenbaum, S., Tolbert, J., Sharac, J., Shin, P., Gunsalus, R., & Zur, J. (2018). Community health centers: growing importance in a changing health care system. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www. kff. org/medicaid/issue-brief/community-health-centers-growing-importance-in-a-changing-health-care-system. Published May.
write