Discussion 7

Discussion 1

Health equity effects everyone. As the book states,  "inequities in the healthcare
system, especially those relating to underuse of recommended or necessary services,
resulting in the use of more costly services at a later stage of illness, poorer outcomes,
and lost productivity"  (Nash et al., 2019). Providing equity in health is complicated in
that aside from socioeconomic status, insurance coverage, patient preferences, etc.,
there are factors like culture, patient-provide communication (Nash et al., 2019) Thus,
overcoming health disparities requires dedication from all health care parties and
stakeholders.
COVID-19
From a public health point of view, we failed in health equity when we decided that
states would make decisions on closures, mask requirements, and etc. This was
ineffective because many states, some bordering each other, had different guidelines
that hindered slowing the spread of the virus.  One of the IOM fundamentals is
timeliness. We were ineffective in timeliness when the CDC decided to wait 3 weeks to
use their own test kits as opposed to using ones offered by the WHO just to find out
they did not work.  We were effective in preventing from our healthcare system from
failing, although not as fast as we would like, most hospitals were provided with the
resources they needed. Also, from an economic standpoint, the stimulus and
unemployment packages helped many to stabilize their incomes and wages.
APA (American Psychological Assoc.)
Nash, D. B., Joshi, M., Ransom, E. R., & Ransom, S. B. (2019). The Healthcare Quality
Book : Vision, Strategy, and Tools: Vol. Fourth edition. Health Administration Press.

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Discussion 2

Health starts in our houses, schools, workplaces, and communities. We know that
taking care of ourselves by eating well and exercise, not smoking, and seeing a
physician when we are not feeling well all impact our health. Our health is also
determined in part by access to social and economic opportunities; the resources and
support available in our homes and communities; the quality of our school; the safety of
our workplaces; and the nature of our social connections and relationships. The
conditions in which we live explain in part why some Americans are healthier than
others and why Americans more generally are not as healthy as they could be.
Healthy People 2020 emphasizes the significance of addressing the social determinants
of health by including “Create social and physical environments that promote good
health for all” as one of the four overarching goals for the decade (Nash et al., 2019).
The Social Determinants of Health topic is meant to recognize ways to create social and
physical environments that promote good health for all. All Americans deserve an equal
opportunity to make the choices that lead to good health. To make sure that all
Americans can have that opportunity, improvements are needed not only in healthcare
but also in fields such as education, childcare, housing, business, law, media, culture,
and transportation.
Due to COVID-19, the healthcare system is facing multiple challenges to keep people
safe and healthy. I believe one of the main challenges in how to stop the virus from
spreading. Most countries are ordering people to stay home and do not go outside
unless it is an emergency; however, in America, it depends on the state to see what
beneficial for the people. For example, Florida started to open only after only two
months of quarantine. On the other hand, other states like New York and California
stayed closed for a least four months. There is no coordination between the states’
policies, and that leads to a higher number of COVID cases in the United States.
There are criteria for people who want to get the COVID test. Individuals with signs or
symptoms consistent with COVID-19, asymptomatic individuals with recent known or
suspected exposure to the virus, and individuals being tested to determine the
resolution of infection. The government provided free testing centers for COVID for
anyone who fits one of these conditions which could help many people who cannot
afford to pay for the test or people who do not have insurance.
The American population needs to know everything related to this virus which includes
new symptoms, treatment, and how to stay healthy. I think that both the government
and healthcare organizations are doing their best to provide this information to the
public. Everywhere we look, we see signs telling us to wear masks, watch our hands,
and stay at least six feet apart. Most of the stores are requiring people to wear masks
while they are shopping to prevent spreading the virus. These new policies and
regulations show the public that it is everyone’s responsibility to not only protect
themselves but also protecting others.
To address health outcomes linked with social determinants of health, physicians,
policymakers, communities, and individuals should comprehend the role these aspects

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play in individual and community health and strive to implement