Health Policy Management from a nurse practitioner perspective 4

Health Policy Management from a nurse practitioner perspective 4

Respond to each classmate’s post with 100 words APA format and in cite text. Use at least 1 peer reviewed journal as references.

Patricia’s response

The cost of health care coverage is at an all time high and consumers are battling health care disparities which can be prevented and controlled. Large companies, especially hospitals and nursing facilities should provide low cost or free health care screening initiatives. For example, these organization should encourage on line or in person nutritional support for healthy food options; local gym membership; and relaxation and massage therapy. These supportive measures would encourage employees to take better care of themselves while saving money on insurance premiums for taking part of the healthy initiatives through their employer. The government can also play a role in this initiative by offering tax breaks for utilizing a healthier choice and promoting a healthier nation. The facility where I currently work provide freshly cut fruits and a large garden salad daily for lunch option for patients and staff to choose as an alternate choice.

The Certificate of Need (CON) program is a regulatory process that requires certain health care providers to obtain state approval before offering certain new or expanded services (Certificate of need (CON) program overview, 2018). In the state of Florida, a letter of intent must be filed before an application is filed; a public hearing may be held; and affected parties may appeal a decision (Certificate of need (CON) program overview, 2018). The CON program is regulated heavily, in order to keep all parties on a level field. The smaller company have the same chance of approval criteria. With CON laws and the Hospital and Medical Facilities Act of 1946, better known as the Hill-Burton Program, an extensive literature has focused on capacity management and location-allocation decisions in the health-care sector (Kesercioglu, Roberts, & Uzsoy, 2016, p 99).

References

Certificate of need (CON) program overview. (2018). Retrieved from Florida Agency for Health Care Administration: http://www.fdhc.state.fl.us/MCHQ/CON_FA/

Kesercioglu, M. G., Roberts, S. D., & Uzsoy, R. (2016). Computing the number of acute-care beds within NC certificate of need. Health Systems, 5(2), 98-108. doi:10.1057/hs.2015.8

Kevin response

My hospital sits in the middle of town with 30 thousand residents and employ roughly four thousand people spread out through three health care facilities. Two of the three hospitals has an emergency department but there is a 40 mile gap in between. The hospital sitting in the middle of town is the main campus and over the last year, an epidemic has swept through our town. Not only in our down but all over the United States. This epidemic is drugs and the amount of overdoses.

On June 29th, 2017 in a span of 24 hours, the town of 30 thousand residents had 37 overdoses in the emergency department (Krize, 2017). I was working those days and witnessed the insanity that was going on in the emergency department. The article cited at the bottom doesn’t paint the entire picture. At the 32 hour mark, we hit 60+ overdoses. The town has come together and trying to put an end to this epidemic and Governor Wolf has made significant changes that would help lower the overdose rates. Every EMT and police officer carries Narcan, which is used to counter an overdose. Lycoming county has extended the funds to police departments to create a new drug task force that has put a huge dent with the amount of dealers in the area. My town sits in the middle of two large cities and drug dealers come here because there isn’t as much of a police presence.

The hospital and the community has done a good job of spreading awareness throughout the community. However, we still see a good amount of overdoses every day and recently the county coroner has made a request for a larger morgue because of the overdoses. Lycoming County made Narcan an over the counter drug so anyone can get buy it. This can either save lives because now everyone has access to it or encourage more drug use. The results are still unknown but as of right now, there isn’t much change.

Health Policy Management from a nurse practitioner perspective 4