Health Systems Administration

MHM506 – Health Systems Administration – MOD 5 SLP

I used the articles on ‘How will the Affordable Care Act Help Diversify the Health Care Workforce?’ and ‘How does the Affordable Care Act Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care?’

The article on diversification of the health care workforce states that a diverse work force is vital to dealing with barriers in language and cultural hindrances; they block patients from acquiring the much needed care. It brings about an improved cultural and capability to serving patients of varied languages, limit medical experts in underserved places, limit the contrast in academics and handling aspects that make it hard for patient’s motion in the health care system (National Association of Community Health Centers 2004). The Affordable Care Act aims to grow the health care programs in underserved regions hence bringing about opportunities for experts. The Act will similarly engage in operations with the government so as to bring about innovation and offer recommendations on the objectives of the workforce.

The article on, Affordable Care Act handling racial and ethnic disparities in health care, aims to apply the Act to resolve disparities in the health care sector. The Act looks into elevating the standards of data collection and reporting processes. This would be vital to tracing and minimizing health disparities using the REL in addition to other demographic features with levels set by the health and human services as relevant in minimizing disparities. The Act also aims to improve the federal ability so as to insist on equal care to every patient with no basis being placed on race. Research on the disparities will be increased, diversity encouraged, uphold cultural competency activities for the health practitioners, handle the disparities in the care and insurance areas.

The author’s perspective concerning the diversification of the health care workforce is that a health care workforce is able to offer quality care and handle disparities in the sector. This is in regard to doing away with the language barriers and cultural hindrances which hinder patients from acquiring a better form of care. This perspective of the author is very possible in the developed urban areas. However, this may not go down well in certain African cultures that have strong cultural beliefs and vary with others in the same region. This is highly prevalent in the under developed regions which the Affordable Care Act aims to expand its services.

The improvement of a diversified health care sector would elevate the health workforce’s capability and expertise to helping patients with varied language barriers, limiting the lack of medical practitioners in undeveloped regions, limiting variations in academic medicine and handle aspects that make it hard for patients to traverse the system (Center for American Progress, 2010). The bringing in of a diversified workforce would be able to serve the vast communities that other a limited number of workforces may handle. The patients would hence get the much needed care in the best way possible.

The author notes that it is vital to trace each and every patient’s race, ethnicity and language so as to note a do away with the disparities in the sector and elevate the quality of care. The system however is not consistent or even fact based. This may hence do little to do away with the disparities of race and ethnicity.

Information on these two articles is vital to those who develop health policies in varied ways (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2011). Putting in place policies that allow for a diversified staff would present chances for doctors, nurses and other workers from groups that are not recognized. The information would help them to stimulate innovation and offer recommendations to the administration on objectives of the system as well as matters on demand and training. The health care act on disparities would assist policies developers in putting in place a consistent race, ethnicity and language program which would be vital in noting and elevating the quality of health care.

References

Center for American Progress (2010). Mental Health Care Services in Primary Care: Tackling the Issues in the Context of Health Care Reform. Retrieved 04/27/2012 from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/10/pdf/mentalhealth.pdf

National Association of Community Health Centers (2004). Health Centers’ Role in Addressing the Behavioral Health Needs of the Medically Underserved. Retrieved 04/27/2012 from http://www.nachc.org/client/documents/publications-resources/ib_8_04.pdf

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2011). Health Policy Connection. Daily news digest. Retrieved 04/27/2012 from http://rwjf.org/healthpolicy/