Health is the most critical factor in the life of every human being. Unfortunately, unlike middle and high-income people, a significant number of low-income individuals are not able to access quality health care services. A substantial percentage of the American population is categorized under low-income individuals who mainly comprise of minority racial groups. As a result, a number of organizations have emerged to help in addressing health challenges facing low-income people in the communities ( Jones et al., 2016) . The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) is one such organization that is determined to improve the health and safety of low-income people.
Analysis of Health Risks and Health Care Needs of Low-Incomes and How CHCS is Impacting their Lives
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About 20% of Americans fell under the category of low-income earners as of 2015. Low-income earners are sometimes forced to work under unfavorable working environments that increase health risks, as well as disabilities ( Jones et al., 2016) . Besides, they live in places where they can hardly access clean water and sanitation. According to the United Nations (UN), 40% of the global population lacks basic population while another one billion cannot access safe drinking water ( Murray, 2016) . Unfortunately, the most affected are low-income earners. Consequently, they are likely to suffer from water-borne diseases and other environmental-related illnesses. Besides, low-income is associated with low health literacy, resulting in unhealthy diets and high mortality rate.
As a result, one of the primary goals of CHCS is to enhance the health of low-income Americans by collaborating with local communities, including state and local governments. CHCS impacts the health of low-income people in local communities in various ways ( CHCS, 2019) . First, CHCS ensures that low-income people with complex health needs are not only able to access integrated physical health but also other social services and supports that enhance their wellbeing. Secondly, the organization is determined to make sure those high-risk children from low-income households receive high-quality and cost-effective care services in the local communities ( CHCS, 2019) . Thirdly, CHCS is actively involved in leadership and capacity building to ensure that local leaders have the necessary knowledge and skills that they can use to improve to improve the health and wellbeing of low-income and disadvantaged persons.
Health Promotion Strategies
Health promotion is mainly intended to improve the health and wellbeing of the people in a given community. It does not only involve creating awareness and informing people to stay healthy but also addressing issues that directly or indirectly influence the health of individuals in society. Income is one of the major factors that influence the health and wellbeing of the people ( Thornton et al., 2016). Thus, I would propose income supplements as one of the major health promotion strategies for low-income persons. Specifically, I would propose income supplements like conditional cash transfers, tax credits, and universal basic income for low-income people. The second strategy would be enhancing health education of local people.
The mission and vision of CHCS enable it to contribute to the health and safety needs of low-income families, especially with regard to education. The mission of the organization is to improve the health of low-income people by facilitating problem-solving exchanges and peer learning among health professional and communities ( CHCS, 2019) . Consequently, it has managed to improve the health of local communities significantly. At the same time, CHCS has the vision of improving the health of all Americans by encouraging cost-effective care and reducing unnecessary expenses. The organization is using its vision to ensure affordable care for millions of Americans. Income and education play an important role in health promotion.
Evaluating Health Policies
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is one of the major health policies that are targeting the disadvantaged people in the communities. WIC has effectively helped in improving the health of women and children in America ( Thornton et al., 2016) . At the same time, health-related policies like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the Earned Income Tax Credit have enhanced the nutrition and health behaviors of many low-income and disadvantaged individuals ( Thornton et al., 2016) . Even though such policies and legislations have improved the health and wellbeing of many people, they have not impacted the ability of CHCS to provide services to people substantially. The enforcement of the policies is poor while at the same time, they cover a limited number of people. Besides, CHCS has limited funding sources because it is a private entity. CHCS need additional financial resources to improve the provision of its services.
Social Justice in Community Health Interventions
Health disparity is currently one of the major concerns in the USA, as a racial minority and low-income people are lagging in terms of accessing quality care services ( Thornton et al., 2016) . As a result, the minority groups and low-income persons are likely to suffer from chronic diseases and die prematurely, especially compared to high-income earners. Therefore, CHCS is one of the organizations that are promoting equal opportunity to the accessibility of quality health care services. The organization is focusing on low-income persons who are likely to come from racial minority groups ( CHCS, 2019) . As a result, by addressing the health needs of poor people, CHCS is improving the quality of life in local communities.
Conclusion
Every human being is entitled to quality health care services, regardless of his or her socio-economic backgrounds. Organizations like CHCS help in ensuring that low-income and disadvantaged people can meet their health and safety needs. National and state government should provide enough support to such organizations. Importantly, local people should be empowered and informed to engage in healthy behaviors.
References
CHCS. (2019). Who We Are. Retrieved from https://www.chcs.org/about-us/
Jones, D. J., Anton, M., Zachary, C., Pittman, S., Turner, P., Forehand, R., & Khavjou, O. (2016). A review of the key considerations in mental health services research: A focus on low-income children and families. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice , 5 (4).
Murray, S. (2016). Poverty and health. CMAJ , 174 (7), 923-923.
Thornton, R. L., Glover, C. M., Cené, C. W., Glik, D. C., Henderson, J. A., & Williams, D. R. (2016). Evaluating strategies for reducing health disparities by addressing the social determinants of health. Health Affairs , 35 (8), 1416-1423.
