Introduction
Conducting a community needs assessment is an important step for a number of actions, in particular, for developing and promoting a strategy which could be used in order to improve the standard of living in the community. This paper supplies a needs assessment for the community of Miami, Florida; the focus of the current paper is individuals of the pediatric age. Some of the key characteristics of the community are discussed, and a number of conclusions pertaining to its needs are provided.
Description of the Community
The city of Miami is one of the largest cities of the state of Florida, and its important economic, cultural, and commercial center. It is highly urbanized, and, in spite of the fact that the population of the city itself is lower than half a million people, its metro area is one of the largest and most populous urban areas in the United States.
The community of the city is rather heterogeneous; to a considerable extent, it is comprised of individuals of foreign origins.
The Target Population
In the state of Florida, the pediatric population can include individuals aged from 0 through 18, or sometimes 21 years; see, for instance, Pediatric Associates (2009). According to the United States Census Bureau (n.d.b), on April 1, 2010, the total population of the city was comprised of 399,457 people, whereas on July 1, 2015 it was estimated to have been 441,003 individuals. Therefore, the population of the city is growing; the estimated growth over the period of 5 years was 10.4% (United States Census Bureau, n.d.b). Out of this population, the percent of babies aged 5 or lower was 6.0%, whereas the percent of individuals under 18 was 18.4%, according to the April 1, 2010 estimate (United States Census Bureau, n.d.b). Therefore, in 2010, there were roughly 24,000 babies aged less than 5, whereas the number of individuals aged 18 or lower approximated 73,500.
Simultaneously, over the period of 2010-2014, the percentage of foreign born individuals in the city was 57.6% (United States Census Bureau, n.d.b), which is important when assessing the needs of the target population.
The Environment and Conditions
The climate in the city is the tropical monsoon, which means that the summers are hot (75-90 F) and humid, while the winters are warm (60-70 F) and short, and without snow. However, natural disasters may strike the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau (n.d.a), most people in Miami do not live in houses or apartments that they own; only 31.6% of housing is occupied by the owners. The city is known to have some of the highest rates of unemployment in the United States; in addition, it is stated that the percentage of persons who are poor is 29.9% of the city’s population (United States Census Bureau, n.d.a). It is also noteworthy that, even though the city has some of the best high schools in the country (U.S. News,n.d.), the percent of people who at least have high school education is as low as 72.0%, whereas only 23.5% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to 2010-2014 estimate (United States Census Bureau, n.d.a). In addition, the proportion of people who had no health insurance and were aged less than 65 in 2010-2014 was 38.2% (United States Census Bureau, n.d.a).
Safety
The city of Miami is not a safe place to live. According to Tribune Media Wire (2015), Miami occupies the 20th position among the American cities which have the highest crime rates in the country; it has 1,213.4 violent crimes per every 100,000 of people living there.
Hospitals and Medical Aid
On the whole, the city lacks hospitals and health care institution that could provide medical services in the volumes which would be sufficient for the local population. In addition, certain legal barriers exist which make it even more difficult for children to obtain medical care in case of need. However, certain programs are implemented by local authorities which are aimed at collaboration between health care providers and parents of children, and allow for increased access to the medical care for young individuals (Knapp et al., 2008).
Conclusion
Therefore, it is possible to see that, in spite of the fact that Miami is undoubtedly the center of culture and economy, it has numerous issues which result in additional problems for the population, in particular, to the pediatric one. For instance, even thought the climate is warm, it might be assumed that disease is rather common in the city, for disease often accompanies those who are poor and needy. In addition, the city has a rather serious safety concern.
Furthermore, the city’s population is rather mixed, and certain racial tensions might emerge because of this. Children of the numerous immigrants might also be in unsafe conditions, especially due to the prevalence of social problems among the people of color. Thus, it is possible to state that the children also experience safety issues inside the city. Low overall levels of education might also mean that it is hard for people to take care of themselves if a physician is unavailable due to the lack of insurance, for instance.
Therefore, it should be stressed that the community of Florida, and its pediatric residents in particular, generally require the simple access to the pediatric care.
References
Knapp, C. A., Madden, V. L., Curtis, C. M., Sloyer, P. J., Huang, I., Thompson, L. A., & Shenkman, E. A. (2008). Partners in care: Together for kids: Florida’s model of pediatric palliative care. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 11(9), 1212-1220.
Pediatric Associates. (n.d.). Welcome to Pediatric Associates. Web.
Tribune Media Wire. (2015). By the numbers: Here are the 20 ‘most dangerous’ cities in America. Web.
United States Census Bureau. (n.d.a). Quick facts: Miami city, Florida. Web.
U.S. News. (n.d.). National rankings: Best high schools. Web.