Funding Plan for Asthma Intervention in Bronx, New York
QUESTION
The purpose of this assignment is to create a plan for funding an intervention while applying financial planning and management best practices.
Write a 1,200-1,500 word plan for funding, including the following information:
1. Description of the data used to determine the targeted health disparity.
2. Description of the health disparity targeted through the intervention.
3. Description of intervention sustainability.
4. Description of possible cost savings resulting from intervention implementation.
5. Rationale for chosen sources of funding.
6. A proposed budget that includes total cost of implementation, expenses, and amount of funding received.
7. Description of adherence to financial planning and management best practices.
Include one or two resources in your paper.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
Benchmark Information
This benchmark assesses the following programmatic competency:
MSN Public Health Nursing
6.6: Apply financial planning and management best practices in the development and administration of public health nursing interventions.
Topic 7 Participation
Funding Plan for Asthma Intervention in Bronx, New York
ANSWER
Funding Plan for Asthma Intervention in Bronx, New York
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Funding Plan for Asthma Intervention in Bronx, New York
There are high incidences of chronic conditions, with reports indicating that these incidences are likely to rise in the coming years unless adequate measures are developed to address them. Often, these conditions require regular follow-up, some even for a lifetime. These are associated with physical and psychological impacts to the patients and their families and financial constraints since managing such conditions are costly. It is also essential to understand that most chronic conditions have more prevalence in some regions and some groups of individuals than others. This indicates that various factors come into play in developing some chronic conditions, therefore making some people or groups of individuals more vulnerable. The various social determinants of health (SDOH) influence health equity.
Various factors, for instance, poverty, environmental threats, inadequate access to health care, individual and behavioural factors and educational inequalities contribute to health disparities, thus increasing the vulnerability of specific individuals or groups of individuals to certain conditions and mortality due to those conditions (Adler et al., 2016). This paper focuses on a funding plan for asthma intervention in Bronx, New York, to eliminate the various health disparities and improve the quality of life of affected individuals in the region.
Data Used To Determine the Targeted Health Disparity
Asthma is a common condition globally. Like any other chronic condition, it is also more prevalent in other regions and groups of people as a result of various factors which lead to increased incidences. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports, the South Bronx, together with East New York, are the two most asthma-ridden neighbourhoods in New York. The reports further indicate that 10% of adults in New York are asthmatic. However, nationwide reports suggest that about 7.5% of adults are asthmatic, while 8.5% of children suffer persistent asthma.
Additionally, the New York state has consistently been above the national average for at least the past five years. South Bronx lies between three major highways, thus often referred to as the “island of pollution” (Sharma et al., 2019). This could be a significant factor for the increased asthma prevalence in the region. Furthermore, CDC reports indicate that there is a high prevalence of asthma-related hospitalizations.
Reports published by the New York City Department of Health in 2015 indicated that Mott Haven and Melrose, South Bronx neighbourhoods, were also hit by this condition. The rate of asthma-related hospitalizations was three times more than other regions in New York. Besides, the Bronx and the two neighbourhoods consisted of the highest percentage of children aged 5 to 14 and adults who were hospitalized for asthma in the entire New York (Lee et al., 2020). Further reports by The New York City Department of Health after conducting their research in schools indicated that the number of asthmatic children aged between 5 and 14 increased from 2.4% to 3.5% from 2010 to 2014, which is twice as high for neighbourhood cities with low prevalence. Dr Sunit Jariwala, asthma specialist and an allergist at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, while addressing the increased prevalence of asthma in the region, mentioned various factors that contributed to the high asthma incidence.
These were classified as genetic and environmental factors. Environmental factors which led to increased asthma prevalence include; pollution, high pollen concentration and changes in the weather (Witonsky et al., 2019). Together with the susceptible population in the region, these factors are majorly attributed to the increased prevalence. The African-American and Latino populations make up the majority of the population in Bronx, New York. For reasons not completely understood, these two groups are the most affected by asthma. Therefore, genetic and environmental factors together contribute to the high prevalence in the region. This data also reveals various health disparities that contribute to the high prevalence, thus requiring appropriate interventions that will address the various health disparities to improve the quality of life of this population.
Funding Plan for Asthma Intervention in Bronx, New York
The Health Disparity Targeted Through the Intervention
According to the Epi Data Brief, various disparities contribute to the high incidences of asthma among the population living in the Bronx. The major one targeted through the intervention is poverty, where a more significant percentage of Bronx residents, majorly people of colour, are of low socioeconomic status. These poor neighbourhoods often live in poorly maintained and substandard houses, where they are subjected to various environmental triggers for asthma, such as pests, dust, mould, and smoking (Perez & Coutinho, 2021). The various environmental triggers increase asthma frequency and exacerbations of symptoms.
Additionally, such low economic neighbourhoods are exposed to various forms of air pollution and social stressors such as crime, poverty and stress, contributing to increased risks of developing asthma. Besides, these regions have an inadequate healthcare system, coupled with ineffective doctor-patient relationships due to various factors such as language barriers, cultural differences, and limited health literacy, create barriers to quality care, which leads to poor health outcomes among asthmatic patients (Perez & Coutinho, 2021). The intervention aims to address this disparity and enhance access to healthcare services among this population and minimize the various environmental and socioeconomic factors that contribute to the development of this condition.
Intervention Sustainability
The intervention developed should help address the issue even when there is no longer external support. Educating the residents on the need to seek medical attention whenever they feel unwell should be prioritized, and educating the care providers on the need to offer quality health care services to all people regardless of their economic, racial or cultural backgrounds. By improving the living standards of this population, this intervention can offer continued protection against increased risks of developing asthma (Pappalardo & Martin, 2020). Additionally, through addressing the pollution, the intervention can develop measures that will help minimize the rates of air pollution in this region, thereby reducing the risks of developing asthma among its population (Pappalardo & Martin, 2020). The primary strength of the intervention is that once it is implemented and the various factors contributing to the development of asthma in the area are addressed, little external support will be required to sustain it. It is an intervention that will help in addressing the issue once and for all.
Possible Cost Savings Resulting From Intervention Implementation
Managing chronic health conditions is often expensive, requiring adequate resources. This forces the government to avail resources, both human resources and finances, to address these conditions. Affected families often spend a lot of resources while helping their member who is affected. Frequent hospitalizations and medications used to provide relief for asthmatic patients are also expensive, mainly when these symptoms frequently occur due to frequent exposure to triggers (Pappalardo & Martin, 2020). Besides, lack of timely access to quality healthcare services also results in developing asthma-related complications, which are more expensive to manage. With the increasing incidence of this condition in this population, more people are likely to be affected, with high numbers seeking healthcare services. This will subsequently result in high resources required to manage the condition and its associated complications.
The intervention will result in cost-effective ways of dealing with the condition, as it will help in reducing the incidence of this condition and improving access to quality healthcare services by eliminating the various health disparities which contribute to increased incidences of asthma in this population and removing the barriers which hinder access to quality healthcare services. Approximately $1.3 billion is used in managing asthma annually in New York, with approximately $660 million used in hospitalization cases (Pappalardo & Martin, 2020). The amount has been on a significant rise since 2002, emphasizing the need to develop interventions that will help address the high-cost issue. By addressing the root causes of the increased prevalence, the intervention will help minimize the rates of new cases, thus saving a significant amount of finances and other resources required to manage this condition.
The Rationale for Chosen Sources of Funding
The success of the intervention requires adequate funding that will ensure that all the proposals provided by the intervention are addressed adequately. Such funding requires reliable and willing sources to support and with the interest of people at heart. Additionally, the sources should not be biased and promote equity (Baker et al., 2015). Since this is an intervention aiming at helping the vulnerable population and improving their quality of life, the chosen sources of funding should mainly be offering grants to help achieve the aims of this intervention. The federal and the state government must provide quality and equal health services to their population regardless of the differences. Through their collaboration, they should avail the necessary funds and resources required to drive the success of this intervention in addressing this primary health concern. Partnerships with various bodies and well-wishers will also help avail the funds required to drive the intervention to success.
Proposed Budget
The proposed budget for promoting this intervention and enhancing its success in addressing the health issue was approximately $750 million for this financial year. The value is initially higher because there is a need to improve the living conditions of the people, which will be significantly costly. In the subsequent years, the cost is expected to reduce drastically, as the intervention is a long term project, and only a small maintenance fee will be required subsequently. The cost includes the cost of implementing the intervention and the various expenses incurred while driving the intervention to its success. So far, the amount of funding received is $565 million, which is three-quarters of the total amount. This shows the cooperation of different stakeholders and agencies in addressing this major health issue. More funds are yet to be received from various well-wishers who promised to be part of this great move.
Adherence to Financial Planning and Management Best Practices
This is an excellent program involving people’s lives and a significant sum of finances, with a tight budget. A slight mistake and deviation from the initial budget would cause significant impacts, which may hinder the intervention’s ability to achieve its intended purpose. Therefore, there is a need to establish a special financial committee that will be mainly responsible for coordinating expenditure and ensuring that all expenditures are made in strict adherence to the initial plan. There is a need for management of high integrity and financial transparency to ensure that every amount is spent appropriately and no corruption scandals impair the success of the intervention (Saver, 2017).
Conclusion
In summary, chronic health conditions have devastating impacts on the health of the population. With the various health disparities, more cases are likely to develop, with the associated impacts likely to hinder the population’s quality of life. Specific disparities make particular groups or individuals more vulnerable, as seen in incidences of asthma in Bronx, New York. It is essential to develop interventions to address the various health disparities that contribute to the increased incidence of this condition in the region. The success of such an intervention will depend on adequate funding to enhance the running of various operations required by the intervention. Determining the sources of funding is crucial to ensure that they are reliable and adequate. Lastly, it is essential to ensure transparency and strict adherence to the financial plan to ensure that the available funds achieve the intended purpose.
References
Adler, N. E., Glymour, M. M., & Fielding, J. (2016). Addressing social determinants of health and health inequalities. Jama, 316(16), 1641-1642. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2556011
Baker, R., Camosso‐Stefanovic, J., Gillies, C., Shaw, E. J., Cheater, F., Flottorp, S., … & Jaeger, C. (2015). Tailored interventions to address determinants of practice. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (4). https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005470.pub3/abstract
Lee, D. S., Gross, E., Hotz, A., & Rastogi, D. (2020). Comparison of severity of asthma hospitalization between African American and Hispanic children in the Bronx. Journal of Asthma, 57(7), 736-742. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02770903.2019.1609981
Pappalardo, A. A., & Martin, M. A. (2020). Asthma health disparities. In Health Disparities in Allergic Diseases (pp. 145-179). Springer, Cham. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-31222-0_7
Perez, M. F., & Coutinho, M. T. (2021). Focus: Health Equity: An Overview of Health Disparities in Asthma. The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, 94(3), 497. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc8461584/
Saver, R. S. (2017). Deciphering the Sunshine Act: transparency regulation and financial conflicts in health care. American journal of law & medicine, 43(4), 303-343. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-journal-of-law-and-medicine/article/deciphering-the-sunshine-act/0D357AC2CB03EC021F0B1ADEB87D8CCC
Sharma, K. I., Abraham, R., Mowrey, W., Toh, J., Rosenstreich, D., & Jariwala, S. (2019). The association between pollutant levels and asthma-related emergency department visits in the Bronx after the World Trade Center attacks. Journal of Asthma, 56(10), 1049-1055. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02770903.2018.1531989
Witonsky, J., Abraham, R., Toh, J., Desai, T., Shum, M., Rosenstreich, D., & Jariwala, S. P. (2019). The association of environmental, meteorological, and pollen count variables with asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations in the Bronx. Journal of Asthma, 56(9), 927-937. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935120300165