What is considered an underserved community?
Underserved Populations. “Underserved,” by its literal definition, implies a decreased level of service or access to health care. Limitations in access to care extend beyond obvious causes, such as shortages of health care providers or lack of facilities.
How many counties in Texas are medically underserved?
Most of Texas’ 177 rural counties, home to more than 3 million people, are considered medically underserved.
How do you identify underserved populations?
Underserved populations include consumers who share one or more of the following characteristics. Receive fewer health care services. Encounter barriers to accessing primary health care services (e.g., economic, cultural, and/or linguistic). Have a lack of familiarity with the health care delivery system.
Is the RGV medically underserved?
The Rio Grande Valley is made up of four counties—Hidalgo, Cameron, Willacy, and Starr—all of which are designated medically underserved, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
What does underserved minority mean?
Underserved Populations means populations who face barriers in accessing and using victim services, and includes populations underserved because of geographic location, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, underserved racial and ethnic populations, populations underserved because of special needs (such as …
What qualifies as medically underserved?
Medically Underserved Areas/Populations are areas or populations designated by HRSA as having too few primary care providers, high infant mortality, high poverty or a high elderly population.
Is Los Angeles medically underserved?
South Los Angeles continues to be a community facing significant socioeconomic and health challenges. According to MLKCH officials, the area is federally designated as Medically Underserved and a Healthcare Professional Shortage Area.
What are healthcare issues in underserved communities?
Researchers and health care providers have found that lack of access to healthy food, adequate housing, transportation, and education account for 40% of what contributes to poor health within vulnerable populations .
Is Georgia medically underserved?
Georgia has 148 medically underserved areas or populations, which means that only 11 of Georgia’s 159 counties do not have one or the other. Fulton is Georgia’s most populated county and more than 200,000 people live in communities there designated as either an underserved area or as an underserved population.
Is Riverside medically underserved?
Navarro’s school, the UC Riverside School of Medicine, aims to bridge the gap between Inland immigrant communities and quality health care. The Inland Empire is a “medically-underserved region,” UCR officials said.
