Respond to at least three of your classmates.

· Introduce yourself to your classmate, noting any similarities between yourself and him/her.

· Describe what you found interesting about his/her introduction

· Provide a substantive response to your classmate's discussion about health equity: Based on what your classmate identified as a key issue to address health disparities,
·
o Describe what you think would best help achieve health equity.
o Identify other factors, if any, that could affect health disparities
o Identify at least one type of intervention that might eliminate health disparities for this health issue.
Amanda's Intro Amanda Rishton Email this Author 3/14/2017 9:22:08 PM
Hello Classmates and Instructor,
My name is Amanda and I live in Zachary, Louisiana it is right outside of Baton Rouge. I am in my last year at Ashford and will be graduating with a bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration. I first got introduced to Ashford University was through my sister and she spoke very highly of the school while she attended. I knew that I would need to do online school rather then being in a classroom setting due to having 2 jobs and a 3yr old boy toddler. My goals after graduating is to take on a clinic or two as being a health care administrator and develop great leadership skill. An interesting fact about myself is that I may not look like a leader or have the full confidence of being one but I know I can be a respectable leader with more knowledge and practice.
The health topic that interests me from the list of Health People 2020 topics is Sexually Transmitted Diseases. I have been working at an OB/GYN clinic and STD's seem to be a common issue and most people are not knowledgeable about the diseases. Certain racial and ethnic groups (mainly African American, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native populations) have high rates of STDs, compared with rates for whites (Krieger, Waterman, Chen, etc., 2003, para.6). Race and ethnicity in the United States are correlated with other determinants of health status, such as poverty, limited access to health care, fewer attempts to get medical treatment, and living in communities with high rates of STDs (Krieger, Waterman, Chen, etc., 2003, para.6). I also think that some people regardless of race find it best to not know the truth even if they have concern. I think that most people think that it would not happen to them or they trust the partner they are with but it never hurts to be on the safe side.
References
Krieger N, Waterman PD, Chen JT, et al. Monitoring socioeconomic inequalities in sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis and violence: Geocoding and choice of area-based socioeconomic measures. Public Health Rep. 2003 May-Jun;118(3):240-60.
Introduction/Reflection on Health Equity Elizabeth Mahan Email this Author 3/15/2017 12:55:17 AM
Introduction/Reflection on Health Equity
Hello classmates and instructor,

My name is Elizabeth Mahan however, I prefer to be called Liz. I am from the small town of Banning California where I reside with my three beautiful yet challenging children and my wonderful husband. I have two girls one who is turning 15 tomorrow and the other is 5. I also have a three-year-old son who is into everything and likes to climb on the top of my furniture and pretend he can fly. In addition, I am also a full-time medication technician at a local assisted living, in which I work full time. I began my studies with Ashford in October of 2014 in hopes of obtaining my BA in Healthcare Administration. I have over 14 years of experience in the healthcare field and I am extremely passionate about the elderly and disabled however, my goal is to become an administrator for an assisted living or home health agency. While I already have a busy lifestyle, I enjoy going to church and singing in the choir. Singing, and praising brings me peace and rejuvenates my heart and mind to continue and push hard to achieve my goals.
Health Disparities
A disparity is a health outcome that is lesser or greater between populations whether it be racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic status (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014a). For this discussion, we will review the disparities to the access of healthcare between populations. Under the Obama administration, there were many discussions as well as healthcare reforms that took place regarding access to healthcare. Thus, The Affordable Care Act better known as Obama Care was born. Due to the Affordable Care Act, many more Americans had access to healthcare however, coverage was still limited.
The Healthy People 2020 by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 201b, suggests that access to healthcare requires the ability to gain entry to the healthcare system, accessing a location where services are provided, and finding a trustworthy healthcare provider. These impact the overall physical, mental, social, and emotional health which can dictate life expectancy. A low-income family may not have the same coverage as someone with a higher socioeconomic status (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014b). This may also raise the concern regarding many Americans who have just enough to pay their basic bills yet have a high enough income not to qualify for certain benefits administered by the government (my family falls in this bracket) which hinders financial progress because this family may pay a high premium yet still live paycheck to paycheck.
Access to healthcare, or the lack there of, causes many factors that cause a disparity amongst populations. For an example, uninsured persons are less likely to receive medical care, more likely to have an early mortality rate, and have a poor health status. In addition, coverage between providers are different. Lack of adequate coverage makes it more difficult for people to get the necessary care for a given diagnosis.
References
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2014a). Disparities. Healthy People 2020. RU.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. (2014b). 2020 topics and objectives - Objectives A-Z. Healthy People 2020. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/defaultetrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Disparities
Introduction Kiesha Moreira Email this Author 3/14/2017 8:20:05 PM
Hello,
My name is Kiesha I presently live in New Orleans, Louisiana by way of Los Angeles, California. I am presently pursuing a degree in Healthcare Administration after obtaining my BS I would like to continue my education and obtain my Masters. I would like to secure a career as a CEO of a 20-40 bed hospital. I am on target to graduate in November of this year, and I am so excited!!! Ashford chose me, an app just popped up on my phone and I call and it was so easy to get in and it has been one of the best decisions of my life.
Oral Health

American does not see oral hygiene has a big health issue but the neglect of good oral care can have a drastic effect on a person life, it can lead to major health issues such as cancer, heart disease, and lung conditions. I never knew how important oral care was until I got older and started to notice whenever a person became famous one of the first things that they fixed was their teeth, and what a difference it made in their total appearance. Children are not taken to dentist every year for checkups compared to being taken to the doctor annually. It is not until we become older that we learn the impotence of oral care. "There are also social determinants that affect oral health. In general, people with lower levels of education and income, and people from specific racial/ethnic groups have high rates of poor oral health"(Health People, 2010). "In year 2011-2012 White non-Hispanic ages 13-15 rate of dental caries was 9.7% while Mexican American in the same year and same age group had a rate of 18.5% of dental caries"(Dept. of Health and Human Services, 2014). I think the disparities between the two populations is caused by the lack of dental insurance by Mexican American and also by the Mexican American population being more focused of physical health issues and not oral health issues within this age group. Whereas the White non-population has dental insurance and there is a higher focuses on dental needs, this age group is concern about appearance- braces are usually applied at this time. I believe that education is the key to closing the disparity gap between these two populations.