Evaluating Local Healthcare Delivery - Essay Example

Evaluation of Phoenix Health Care Delivery Evaluation of Phoenix Health Care Delivery Characteristics of Phoenix, Arizona Population Phoenix has a total population of 1,445,632 people. This population is large since the general population of Arizona is 6,551,149. This is why is ranked as the top populous of the US capital cities. The distribution of the city’s population by age bracket is highlighted on Table 1 below. The median resident age in Phoenix is 32.2, which is lower than Arizona’s 37.1 median (Suburban Stats, 2014). Age Bracket/Gender Percentage of Phoenix’s total population Persons below the age of 5 8.3% Persons below the age of 18 28.2% Persons beyond the age of 65 8.4% Female persons 49.8% Male persons 50.2% Table 1: Phoenix population by age bracket Geography Phoenix city occupies an area of 1,338.26 kilometer squire. 1,338.26 km2 of this area is land while Water 3.22 km2 is covered by water. The metropolitan area of the city occupies an area of 42,920 km2. The elevation of the city is 331 m or 1,086 ft. the city’s population density is 1,080.2/km2. It is therefore evident that the city is densely populated (Infoplease, 2014). Mean Income The mean household income within Phoenix is estimated to be $43,960. This figure has increased from the $41,207 mean household income that was recorded in 2000. The median condo or house value within Phoenix is estimated to be $137,500, which is above the $107,000 that was recorded in 2000 (Infoplease, 2014). Race and Ethnic Diversity Phoenix is a diverse society. It is composed of white, Hispanic, Black Asian, America Indian and Native Hawaiian racial groups. The populations of these races within Phoenix and the associated percentages are highlighted on Table 2 below. Race Population Percentage of Total Population White alone 687,663 46.8%) Hispanic 591,144 40.2% Asian alone 49,073 3.3% American Indian alone 25,517 1.7% Two or more races 20,467 1.4% Native Hawaiian 2,710 0.2% Other race alone 2,196 0.1% Table 2: Racial diversity in Phoenix Local Health Care Services and Facilities The metropolitan area of Phoenix has a variety of health care facilities, which provide d a wide range of services. The city is served by more than 55 medical centers and hospitals. This would be attributed to the reality that the incidence of deaths within the city is lower when compared to the national average (Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association, 2014). Notable health care services are provided by the following health care organizations. 1. St. Josephs Hospital and Medical Center: This is a non for profit organization. It offers health care services to the underserved and poor people within the city of Phoenix. The hospital offers the poor special advocacy. It is ranked as one of the biggest health care organizations within the state of Arizona. 2. Arizona Heart Institute: This is an outpatient clinic situated in Phoenix. It exclusively provides health services that are focused at cardiovascular illnesses or disorders. It has operated since 1971 when it was started. It has an international image for its outstanding and high quality heart related health care services (Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association, 2014) 3. The Mayo Clinic: This is of the medical research groups in Arizona, which operates as a non-profit health care system and practice. This organization is highly integrated with operations across the world. It provides a wide variety of health services. 4. John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital: This hospital offers general medical and surgical services. The hospital has a national ranking. It focuses on adult care or specialties. 5. Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI): This is a health care institute that is located within St. Josephs Hospital and Medical Center. The institute provides neurological health care services. It also trains neurosurgical professionals. The institute engages in research on neurosurgery and provides patient care services. It is ranked one of the best neurosurgical centers in the US (Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association, 2014). 6. Phoenix Childrens Hospital: This hospital offers pediatric health care services. It is also a teaching hospital for specialists and professionals in pediatric care. It is a large hospital with a bed capacity of more than 420. 7. Banner Health: This is a private and non-profit health care organization which is headquartered in Phoenix. It is a health care system, which has specialized health care facilities and over 22 hospitals. It is ranked one of the top employers within the state of Arizona. It was started in 1999 (Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association, 2014). Characteristics of Hospitals Hospitals in Phoenix provide a wide variety of health care services. An effective health care system is characterized by the provision of a wide variety of health care services. It is through variety that access to care for all is guaranteed (Bodenheimer & Grumbach, 2009). Variety of health care services also contributes to the reduction of the cost of care (Bates & Santerre, 2013). Both inpatient and outpatient services are offered by the hospitals in the city. The hospitals are categorized as private and public health organizations in line with their ownership. The city also has both non-profit and for-profit hospitals. Examples of inpatient and outpatient services that are offered by hospitals in Phoenix are listed on Table 3 below. Inpatient Services Outpatient services Cancer services Heart catheterization End-of-life services (Palliative care and Pain management) Heart surgery Neonatal care Psychiatric care Infection isolation room Chemotherapy Kidney dialysis Psychiatric services Dental services HIV-AIDS services Genetic testing/counseling Sleep center Sports medicine Physical rehabilitation Wound management services Urgent-care center Table 3: Services offered in Phoenix hospitals The health care services, which are provided by hospitals within Phoenix, are directed at people of all age groups and ethnic groups. Specialist health care services are targeted at various groups in society, such as the elderly and pediatrics. The public hospitals within Phoenix are relatively less costly than private hospitals. The quality of car is generally higher than the national average. Non-profit hospitals provide health care services to those who have limited access to health care plans. Training and research services are also provided within hospitals in Phoenix. The training centers or teaching hospitals provide a wide range of courses and research on various medical fields. It is through research that evidence based practice is realized (Brunt & Bowblis, 2014). Training also enriches health care practitioners with vast knowledge and skills, which make them effective in the delivery of high quality care to the public (Bates & Santerre, 2013). Characteristics of Ambulatory Care Within Phoenix health care system, ambulatory services are offered by the Emergency Departments of various health care organizations, both in the private and public sector. Phoenix has several Outpatient Clinics. This makes the ambulatory services within Arizona better than the state of Arizona in general. a wide range of ambulatory services are provided in Phoenix, including preventive care, minor surgeries, dermatology services, emergency visits, dental services and rehabilitation visits. It is through ambulatory services that health care systems have been able to provide effective preventive and emergency care to the public (Brunt & Bowblis, 2014). Ambulatory services within Phoenix are highly coordinated and well managed. Phoenix spends more in ambulatory services, than other cities within Arizona. This would be attributed to the high population in the city. The quality of care within Phoenix’s ambulatory clinics has also been rated highly. The quality of ambulatory services defines the ability of a health care system to provide evidence based preventive and emergency care to patients (Bodenheimer & Grumbach, 2009). Characteristics of Long Term Care Facilities The private sector dominates the long term care services within Phoenix. Since 8.4% of the Phoenix population is aged above 65, the important role of long term care for the elderly is apparent. The main long term care services that are provided within Phoenix health system include pain palliative care and pain management. Patients with disability and chronic illnesses are the main target of Phoenix’s long term care services. The long term care services are provided within three main settings. These are assisted living facilities, home care settings and nursing homes. The quality of long term care is determined by the ability of care givers to provide holistic care, which meets the physical, emotional, psychological, religious and cognitive needs of patients or clients (Chassin, 2013). Like other states in the US, Phoenix spends millions annually on long term care services, such as the care of the elderly and terminally ill patients. It is important to note that long term care is not only directed at seniors, but individuals of any age who need long term care services (Kang & Hasnain-Wynia, 2013). References Arizona Hospital and Health Care Association. (2014). Members. Retrieved From http://www.azhha.org/members/ Bates, L. J., & Santerre, R. E. (2013). Does regionalization of local public health services influence public spending levels and allocative efficiency?. Regional Science & Urban Economics, 43(2), 209-219 Bodenheimer, T., & Grumbach, K. (2009). Understanding health policy: A clinical approach. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical. Brunt, C. S., & Bowblis, J. R. (2014). Health IT adoption, productivity and quality in primary care. Applied Economics, 46(15), 1716-1727. Chassin, M. R. (2013). Improving The Quality Of Health Care: Whats Taking So Long?. Health Affairs, 32(10), 1761-1765. Infoplease. (2014). Phoenix, Ariz. Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108583.html Kang, R., & Hasnain-Wynia, R. (2013). Hospital Commitment to Community Orientation and Its Association with Quality of Care and Patient Experience. Journal of Healthcare Management, 58(4), 277-289. Suburban Stats. (2014). Current Phoenix, Arizona Population, Demographics and stats in 2014, 2013. Retrieved from http://suburbanstats.org/population/arizona/how-many-people-live-in-phoenix Read More