Funding Proposal for Public Health Nursing: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

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Dear Sir/Madam 

I take this opportunity to humbly request for funding for the Prevention of Chronic diseases in Hudson County, New Jersey. I developed an interest in chronic diseases after I came across information about how a large population of Hudson County has been affected by chronic illness. Chronic infections such as cancer, diabetes, asthma and much more have claimed the lives of many people in Hudson County. Additionally, they have also robbed many families of their loved ones and breadwinners, thereby putting many families in a financial precipice. This has led to poverty in many households, especially those that did not have appropriate insurance cover. Taking into consideration that not so many people have taken a keen interest in combating the issues. I took it upon myself to secure funding so that I could assist a majority of Hudson County residents who have fallen victim to chronic diseases. 

I am a student who has a deep passion for health. Indeed, it is the lack of resources that has been a major impediment to my focus on fighting many ailments. This is the reason why I have taken it upon myself to secure funding from you in my quest to fight chronic diseases. This issue is particularly of interest to me, taking into consideration that I have lost a number of my loved ones to persistent infections. In my capacity as a student who would be joining the medical fraternity in a matter of years, it of utmost prudence to me to ensure that I do whatever I can in my power to fight the menace. 

I shall ensure that I utilize the resources that you will provide at my disposal with utmost prudence. Not a single coin will be wasted. I shall undertake this program with the assistance of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. They will indeed provide me with a good ground for learning since it is packed with professionals who have been in the health fraternity for a long time. Their wealth of experience shall, therefore, be invaluable to my quest. In my mission of fighting chronic illnesses, I shall find out the number of people who have suffered from chronic diseases in the past and the kind of treatment that they received. Additionally, I will take even keener look at the section of the population that is most vulnerable to chronic diseases. 

I believe that my quest is of utmost importance. This is because it will not only reduce the number of people suffering from chronic infections in Hudson County but will also alleviate the suffering that many families face in the wake of the death of a breadwinner. Your assistance will be highly appreciated. 

Community Health Improvement Plan for Hudson County 

Health is one of the most vital sectors of society that if not given priority, the people in that community can suffer greatly. All governments should ensure that they provide the prerequisite resources that will be used to fight diseases. Over the past few years, Hudson county has been one of the counties in the United States that have had a significant number of its population suffer from chronic diseases. This has adversely affected the country since the death of the workforce has deprived the society of people who can use their energy as well as intellect in driving the economy of the county. Quality and affordable healthcare should be a fundamental need for every member of Hudson County. 

In my plan for combating chronic diseases in Hudson County, I have listed the people that will be my priority. These are local public health officials, community organizations and most importantly the residents of Hudson County. This is because I aspire to improve the quality of life and the overall health status of the people of Hudson County. I will ensure that I achieve a healthier Hudson County by partnering with the right authorities and mobilizing action through effective planning and execution of the plans. 

In my plan for fighting chronic diseases, I have come up with a three-year plan that utilizes sub-committees to tackle every underlying issue related to chronic illness. These subcommittees will actively engage in evaluating and improving each issue to strengthen the health system in Hudson County. I encourage all the residents of Hudson County to join me in my quest to fight chronic infections in the county since the involvement of many people in the project will ensure that may endeavor bear fruit. This will, in turn, make Hudson County a better and healthier place to live, work and play. 

Community-based organization leaders, health professionals and the residents of Hudson County are all going to be focal points in my quest since my mission of fighting chronic diseases revolves around them. Mobilizing the inhabitants of the county as well as other health practitioners in the county proved to be a valuable tool. This is because it helps the members of the community to improve their health as well as their quality of life through community tactical planning. For the plan to be entirely capable, all the people who have an interest in the health of the community and share a joint commitment to fighting for a change in the healthcare system, as well as the overall well being of the community, need to be taken into consideration. 

In essence, a healthy community is one where all the members of the community, both private and public organizations and agencies partner together in gathering data and provide services. As more people become aware of the need to fight chronic diseases, they gradually develop practices that ensure that this purpose is achieved. This eventually drives many of them to participate in any endeavor to improve the lives of the community through favorable health measures. Indeed, the vision of Hudson County also serves as an important factor in driving and establishing a system whereby few members of the county will suffer from chronic illnesses. The vision guides Hudson County through a creative and collaborative process that leads to the development of a vision that is shared by all members of the community. 

A deep assessment of the chronic health issues that are supposed to be looked into is of great importance. In my assessment, I gave each resident of the 12 municipalities in Hudson County a questionnaire (Jersey, 2017) . This survey was titled ‘Chronic Diseases in Hudson County.' It contained 35 questions that revolved around chronic illnesses. 

It also included questions regarding the quality of life as well as other health-related issues and was available in two languages, Spanish and English. This is because I took into consideration the rich ethnic and cultural diversity of Hudson County. 626 residents of the county participated in the study. 58.8 percent of the responses came from females while 32.4 % were from males (CDC, 2017) . Those that were in the age group of 26-54 constituted 50%(Jersey, 2017). In my survey, 45% of those who participated were White, 33% were Hispanic, 13% were African American and 95 Asian (Action, 2013) . 

One of the most important questions that were asked regarded the most common chronic diseases in Hudson County. Out of the responses that I received, most people confirmed that the most common chronic infections in the county were diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure. Indeed, the lifestyles that have been adopted by most residents of the county have bordered on junk foods, most of which is unhealthy. This has made many people suffer from diseases such as diabetes and cancer due to the high sugar content of these foods (State, 2016) . 

Another approach that I used in my assessment was the one that focused on the local public health system. Those that were included in this evaluation were individuals, free associations, voluntary entities, private and public organizations. I used the ten essential public health services as the fundamental framework for assessing the local public health system. I also did the community health status assessment. In this particular one, I gathered vital information regarding the quality of life, health status and the risk factors in the community. I collected and analyzed all of them. This data served as the foundation that I used in identifying and investigating the chronic health issues and the perception that the community had regarding them. 

Analysis of the Demographics of Hudson County 

Hudson is a relatively small and densely populated urban area that measures 46.7 square miles. It is located in central new Jersey. It is among the most populated counties in New Jersey, with a population density of 13,044 people per square mile. The 200 census indicates that New Jersey is also the most populated state in the United States, with an average of 1,134 people per square mile. 

This is because many people, majorly young professionals, Hispanics and people of Asian origin have immigrated into the country. The number of immigrants surpasses those of people who have left the country. This is one of the factors that have led to Hudson County is among the most populated counties in the United States have a majority of its population suffering from chronic illnesses. Furthermore, it has been quite a tall order to estimate the actual number of people in the county, taking into consideration that there may be a high number of undocumented people who may be residing in the county. Undocumented people may not have participated in the Census. 

In my analysis, I also took into consideration the number of individuals who had access to health care. It was shocking to find out that a majority of the kids in Hudson County live below the poverty line. It also has the largest population of women who do not get access to prenatal care. For the past four years, the county has had the highest number of children who live below the poverty line statewide. 22% of kids in the county hailed from low-income families in 2006. Their families earned an average income of below $19,000 on an annual basis. 

This makes the children vulnerable to the adverse effects of poverty. Studies have proven that kids who live in low-income families are more likely to drop out of school, suffer from chronic health problems and may at times suffer alcohol and substance addictions. Apart from hurting the children in the county, it also hurts the taxpayers adversely. This is because a majority of the kids would not go ahead and live productive lives without the intervention of the county officials and resources. Most of them cannot lead productive lives without assistance. 

The location and status of Hudson as an urban center has its good share of advantages and disadvantages. It is an area with little potential for elevated Radon levels. Indeed, the quality of air of the country is significantly affected by the geography of the county as well as its population density. In general, the county is considered to be on par with the expected standards regarding the quality of their environment. It is of great importance to pinpoint that the rate and intensity of air pollution can be one of the contributors of chronic infections like lung cancer, bronchitis, and asthma. 

In my demographic analysis, I found out that heart disease and stroke are some of the leading causes of death in the county. For instance, there were 1,371 deaths in 2003 as a result of heat-related illnesses. However, more blacks died from heart-related conditions in 2003 as compared to any other ethnicity. The 2003 statistics showed that stroke was the second leading factor in the cause of deaths in the county. There were 208 cases of death related to stroke in the county. Some of the chronic diseases that also proved to be prevalent in the county are discussed below 

Diabetes and Cancer 

Research indicated that the number of people dying from diabetes was uniform across all ethnicities in Hudson County. However, statistics show that more blacks died from diabetes than any other ethnicity in the county. It was almost three times the rate of all races combined in the county. On the other hand, cancer has also proven to be a leading cause of death in Hudson county. This has placed it among the chronic illnesses of the county. Its prevalence has been attributed to the lifestyle of the residents of the county. The average annual deaths were 181.6 for women and 176.6 for men. The lack of access to cancer screening and oncology services has led to escalating preventable cancer deaths in the county. 

My plan will mainly target the members of the population that are aged between 18-65. This is because they are the most affected by chronic diseases. On an early age, most people adopt unhealthy practices that make them vulnerable to chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes. However, research has proven that if intercepted first, these conditions can be controlled efficiently and reduce their overall impact on the members of society. 

If successful, I shall come up with a full timetable that will be utilized in combating chronic infections. This will detail the number of days that will be taken to visit some of the most vulnerable areas of the country that have the most number of people that suffer from chronic infections. This is because factors like chronic diseases are prevalent in most of states and counties and may be similar in a way. Other counties may, therefore, adopt the same strategies that will be applied in Hudson in combating the menace. A proper budget will forthwith be drawn that will ensure that all the resources are used prudently and in a manner that will achieve the cause of the plan and strategy. 

Indeed, health is one of the most critical sectors of society that should never be relegated for any reason whatsoever. History has proven that a nation that ignores its healthcare systems have suffered significant blows. This means that a majority of the population will not get access to the core health necessities. This will, in turn, lead to a society that is vulnerable to many diseases. Having a populace that is not healthy directly translated to a weak economy. This is because an unhealthy population will not be able to work efficiently and drive the economy to prosperity. 

Indeed, chronic diseases have been a thorn in the flesh for the majority of the residents of Hudson County. That is why I have embarked on a mission to prevent further deaths that might arise from chronic diseases in the county. Infections such as cancer, diabetes, and asthma have robbed the country the much-needed workforce that could have been used to drive the economy and make the country prosperous. This has placed Hudsoncountyamong the counties that are most vulnerable regarding chronic diseases. When compared to other states in the United States of America, it ranks high in poverty. This may be because a majority of the children in the county hail from low-income families that live below the poverty lines. This is very unfortunate since most of these kids cannot develop into valuable members of society if they do not get assistance from the state. My quest to improve the health of the county will ensure that the county becomes among the ones in the U.S. with the best health facilities that can manage chronic diseases. 

References  

Action, N. H. (2013). Better Health, A Better Life. North Hudson Community Action , 76-87. 

CDC. (2017). Chronic Diseases: The Leading Causes of Death and Disability in the United States. CDC Prevention , 98-112. 

Jersey, S. o. (2017). Complete Health Indicator Report of Leading Causes of Death. New Jersey State Health Assessment Data , 23-34. 

Jersey, S. o. (2017). NJ Violent Death Reporting System (NJVDRS). NJ Health , 112-121. 

State, N. Y. (2016). Chronic Diseases and Conditions. Department of Health , 23-35.