City of Hartford

According to FBI Uniform Crime Report of 2013, Hartford has a murder rate of 18 per 100,000 residents and rate of violent crimes is 1,254 per 100,000 residents (FBI, 2013). A community health need assessment, a joint venture of all major area hospitals, showed that safety is a major concern for Hartford residents. This concern is justified as one third of all murder arrests in Connecticut actually happen in Hartford (HH, 2015). In addition to that, 10% of all crimes in Connecticut are committed in Hartford (HH, 2015).

Protection through Awareness

Volunerable Population

Crime & Violence

According to population estimates of 2014, city of Hartford has a population of 124,705 (DPH, 2015). According to the census of 2010, Hispanic and Latino make 43.4% of Hartford’s population while African Americans, Whites and Asians make 38.7%, 15.8% and 2.8% respectively (USCB, 2015). Interestingly enough, 47.5% of total population speaks a language other than English at home. Majority of the population, 69.5% to be exact, is high school graduate and only 15.2% individuals hold a bachelor degree (USCB, 2015). Median household income of Hartford residents is $29,430 and 33.6% of residents live below poverty line (USCB, 2015). About 34% of residents are younger than 19 years old and 57% are between 20 and 64 years. Only 10% of the population is 65 years or older (USCB, 2015).The one community health problem I decided to focus on is violence and high crime rate in the city of Hartford.

References

City of Hartford

Exposure to direct or indirect violence leads to sever mental and physical health problems (Leiner et al, 2015). These problems may include depression, anxiety, academic failure and isolation (Leiner et al, 2015). Living in a clean and safe environment allows individuals and families to grow according to their potential. Crime and violence in an area, unfortunately, create an environment that is not conducive to economic and social activities that in turn lead to poverty and even more crime. This vicious circle limits community members’ access to quality healthcare and exposes them to health risk factors that are nonexistent for more affluent communities. People with higher income and education are proven to live longer and healthier lives.1.As a community health nurse, I would work with the local police department and arrange community meetings in churches, mosques and schools to make Hartford residents become more aware of crimes that are destabilizing their community and health.2.I will educate people, especially children, women and elderly, on how to recognize an unsafe situation and how to get to safety and ask for help.3.I will also reach out to community clinics, area hospitals and school administrators to form a coalition that would advocate on behalf of the community to request increase policing around these areas to instill increased sense of security in kids and patients and families who need access to health care.4.I will also reach out to mayor’s office and police department to setup a community screening clinic where basic health screening will be provided and people will be encouraged to trust their police department and reach out to them if they see something questionable in the neighborhood.

Clark, M. J. (2008). Community health nursing: Advocacy for population health (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson.Department of Public Health. (2015). Annual population estimates. Retrieved from: http://www.ct.gov/dph/site/default.aspDepartment of Public Health. (2015). Health Disparities. Retrieved from: http://www.ct.govFederal Bureau of Investigation. (2015). Uniform Crime Reports. Retrieved from: https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/nibrs/2013Hartford Hospital. (2015). Community Health Needs Assessment. Retrieved from: http://www.harthosp.org/Leiner, M., Theresa Villanos, M., Puertas, H., Peinado, J., Ávila, C., & Dwivedi, A. (2015). The emotional and behavioral problems of children exposed to poverty and/or collective violence in communities at the Mexico-United States border: A comparative study. Salud Mental, 38(2), 95. Retrieved from: http://www.redalyc.orgUnited States Census Bureau. (2015). State & County Quick Facts. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/en.html

In Hartford, unborn children of minorities are a vulnerable population group as rate of low birth weight among this population group is significantly higher when compared to white children (DPH, 2015). Racial and ethnic minorities are also more likely to be poor and have worse access to healthcare services (DPH, 2015). Both of these factors decrease the chances of a pregnant mother getting prenatal care and poor or no prenatal care is associated with negative birth outcomes. State of Connecticut is trying to meet the healthcare needs of this vulnerable group through the implementing of federally funded Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program. During 2014, more than 13,000 home visits were made under this program. Home visits are advantageous in the sense that they allow visiting nurse get a complete picture of household and formulate a realistic plan of care for the patient (Clark, 2008). The program allows expecting parents to receive prenatal care, education, information about child care and early childhood care. In addition to that, St. Francis Hospital also offers a free walk in clinic for expecting mothers and provides these services regardless to patients’ ability to pay.