Describing Barriers to Healthcare Access in the Homer Area, Alaska

Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Anchorage in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCEData on healthcare access barriers are lacking for any location in the state of Alaska. The current project set out to describe the barriers to healthcare access experienced by people living in the rural Homer Area of southcentral Alaska. Of the 124 surveys returned 50 (46%) of the respondents identified cost, lack of specialists, transportation, time, and mistrust/dislike of providers as barriers that had kept them from accessing local heathcare in the previous 12 months. Improving healthcare access for this rural population will require a paradigm shift in how we think about healthcare. Novel approaches to when, where, and how healthcare is delivered will need to be considered if healthcare access is to be improved in the region.Title Page / Abstract / Table of Contents / List of Figures / List of Appendices / Introduction / Literature Review / Framework / Methods / Results / Discussion / References / Appendice

Ordinary Hours by Karen Enns and Lake of Two Mountains by Arleen Paré

A \u27double\u27 review of two new poetry publications from Brick Books: Ordinary Hours by Karen Enns and Lake of Two Mountains by Arleen Pare

COLLEGE STUDENT ALCOHOL USE: USING CURRENT RESEARCH TO GUIDE PRACTICE

Alcohol abuse has been described as the biggest health problem on college campuses today.This single statement illustrates the public health relevance of addressing college student alcohol use. College student alcohol use affects everyone on a college campus, not only the student who uses or abuses alcohol. The author of this paper is currently an employee of the University of Pittsburgh's Student Health Services. As a graduate student assistant, she has facilitated the Personal Education Assistance and Referral (PEAR) program to over 250 students. The goals of this paper are to provide an understanding of background information surrounding college student alcohol use, to critically examine three major reports and two ongoing studies and to specifically elaborate on the goals created by the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. This paper concludes with recommendations consisting of prevention and intervention strategies as well as environmental changes that are evidence-based

Attempting to Close the Food Gap: An Evaluation of the 2011 Fair Share Program in Gettysburg, PA

Background: Families in Adams County with an income between 160% and 250% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines and ineligible for federal food assistance programs were determined to be in the “food gap.” In collaboration with Adams County Farm Fresh Markets and the Center for Public Service at Gettysburg College, the Adams County Food Policy Council developed the Fair Share Program to provide monthly food vouchers and educational sessions to a group of families in the food gap to use at farmers markets in Gettysburg, PA. The goals of the program were to provide families not eligible for federal food assistance with an increased ability to purchase healthy foods, increase fruit and vegetable consumption, support local farms the local economy, and provide nutrition education and support. Purpose: We sought to identify the effectiveness of the pilot Fair Share Program in reaching its goals and to determine ways to improve the program in the future. Methods: 25 families who participated in the Fair Share Program during the summer of 2011 were given surveys at the start of the program, and interviews were conducted with participants at the end of the program. Surveys were given to the participating vendors at the farmers markets at the conclusion of the program. A bivariate analysis of the participant survey was done comparing results from Hispanic and non-Hispanic participants using SPSS Statistics 17.0, while the vendor surveys and interviews were evaluated qualitatively. Results: There were several noteworthy differences between the habits and perceptions of the Hispanic and non-Hispanic participants, including fruit and vegetable consumption patterns, reasons for not shopping at the farmer’s markets, and where food is typically obtained from. Interviews indicated that both participants and vendors had overall positive experiences with the program even though challenges including price and language differences were experienced. Conclusion: The Fair Share Project reached its goals and had a positive impact on the community. Improvements should be made if the program is to be continued in the future to address the challenges participants faced while participating, and there is strong support for continuation and extension of the program

Book Review

Review of: STUART M. SPEISER, LAWYERS AND THE AMERICAN DREAM. (Evans 1993) [430 pp.] Endnotes with full citations, index, and lexicon (lay definitions of legal terms). LC 93-35272; ISBN 0-87131-724-9. [$16.95 paper. 216 E. 49th Street, New York NY 10017.

Latino Adolescents and Acculturation

Latino youth are a growing, dynamic presence within most U.S. communities. Over the past decade, the number of Latino children has increased at a higher rate than any other ethnic group, and it is projected that by 2035, one in three children will be of Latino descent (National Council of La Raza, 2011). Many of these youth thrive and experience well-being, while others are faced with challenges imposed by discrimination and limited opportunities and access to resources. While adolescence is a unique developmental period of identity exploration and discovery for all youth, Latino adolescents in particular may face additional challenges as a result of their ethnic minority status and how they are viewed by others in U.S. society (Edwards & Lopez, 2006; Vazquez Garcia, Garcia Coll, Erkut, Alarcón, & Tropp, 2000). To support Latino youth in light of the challenges they may face, mental health professionals must understand their unique cultural contexts and identities. One aspect of identity, acculturation, has been identified as a prominent variable that is related to mental health outcomes and behaviors among Latino youth. In this chapter, definitions and models of acculturation are described, as well as research about the relationship between acculturation orientation and well-being. Finally, a case study is provided to illustrate some of the concerns that a Latino adolescent might present in therapy based on his level of acculturation and life experiences