There are mechanisms in place that are used to improve population health, including (1) health statuses and outcomes, (2) determinant factors, and (3) interventions that address determinant factors and improve outcomes (Joshi et al., 2014 p. 549).

How health care is provided and how it can be improved is the focus of this assignment, which lends itself to a perfect opportunity for you to put your analysis skills into practice.

The Learning Resources section this week provides you with data from the patient experience of care that also sheds light on expectations that have and have not been met. The Healthy People 2020 data provides measurements and goals for health care into the future, along with reasons for achieving those goals.

For this Assignment, you will read a scenario, analyze an existing problem using the data/resources provided, and make recommendations to address the issues.

The community of Springfield (population approximately 100,000) is made up of hardworking, mostly older, factory laborers who contributed to both the city and county growth from the late 1950s through early 2005. Since the plant closed, many of the former workers have little to look forward to. There are few jobs available and they are now aging; most are 60 years of age or older.

The Memorial Hospital has been in existence since the mid-1950s and has several primary care physicians and nurse practitioners, a couple of general surgeons, and one cardiologist, but no cardiac surgeons.

Many nurses are recruited from the nearby community college, and the hospital serves as the facility for clinical rounds in their education.

The community is pretty sedentary, with the exception of an occasional game of horseshoes. Cigarette smoking is prominent.

Serious concerns surround the continued existence of the hospital because many residents seek and obtain health care services elsewhere.

Compare the population of this city to other problem areas using the Healthy People sources. The town's population is approximately 100,000, making the comparison fairly straightforward.

Using the information provided in the scenario and the. write a 2-page Letter to the Editor of the local paper that includes:

An evaluation of the issues that would be the focus on need for quality improvement

An analysis of existing problems/issues based on data/resources provided

2 or 3 recommended strategies to address each quality improvement issue

Part 2 Assignment

In the United States, the health care system emphasizes health promotion, wellness, and prevention as a strategy to improve population health and lower per capita spending.

Around the world, however, health care systems vary considerably in terms of cost, quality, and provisions. For this Assignment, you explore the World Health Organization website and research health care in the United States and another country of your choice.

To prepare for this Assignment:

Review the World Health Organization website in this week's Learning Resources. Research health care disparities between the United States and another country of your choice.

Compare economic policies for health promotion, wellness, and prevention programs in the United States and the country you selected. How are they different? What is the economic motivation for each?

Analyze implications of these economic policies and disparities. How does this relate to volume-based versus value-based health care?

Analyze how you might implement the policies from the country you selected in the United States (macro) and your own state (micro).

Evaluate the influence of U.S. market conditions on the provision of health care.

Note: If you are an international student, reflect on how you might implement the policies from the country you selected into your own country and/or region.

The Assignment

Resources

Getzen, T. (2015). Health economics for the healthcare administrator (Laureate custom edition). New York: Wiley.

Baicker, K., Chandra, A., & Skinner, J. S. (2012). Saving money or just saving lives? Improving the productivity of US health care spending. Annual Review of Economics, 4(1), 33-56

Blumenthal, D., Cutler, D. M., & Stremikis, K. (2013). Health care spending-A giant slain or sleeping? New England Journal of Medicine, 369(25), 2551-2557.

In a 4- to 6-page paper, address the following:

-Compare the economic policies for health promotion, wellness, and prevention programs in the United States and the country you selected. Include differences in approaches to wellness and prevention.

-Analyze how you might implement the policies from the country you selected in the United States and your own state. --Evaluate the influence of U.S. market conditions on the provision of health care.

-Analyze how you might implement the policies from the country you selected in the United States and your own state. --Evaluate the influence of U.S. market conditions on the provision of health care.

Note: The paper should be 4-6 pages, not including the title and reference pages. Your Assignment must be written in standard edited English. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this module's Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources, as appropriate.

Resources:

Joshi, M. S., Ransom, E. R., Nash, D. B., & Ransom, S. B. (Eds.). (2014). The healthcare quality book: Vision, strategy, and tools (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.