Advancing Systems of Care for the Disadvantaged

Advancing Systems of Care for the Disadvantaged

Vulnerable communities usually lack access to primary healthcare. Additionally, they do not have health insurance programs and literacy that may encourage them to pursue healthcare services. Their environment also predisposes them to a variety of infectious and non-infectious diseases like diarrhea and asthma respectively (Bhatt & Bathija, 2018). These factors call for the establishment of plans to safeguard the health of disadvantaged patients at the hospital and community levels. In line with the suggestions by St. Michael’s Hospital management staff, hospitals should develop strategic plans that accommodate the special needs of the homeless, unemployed, and racial minorities in the community.

Strategic planning is the method that healthcare organizations adopt to ensure success in the future by tapping into new market opportunities. While making these plans, therefore, the analysis of the organization's strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats (SWOT) is essential. A critical factor in conducting a SWOT analysis in healthcare marketing is the consideration of the consumers’ needs and preferences (Buchbinder, Shanks, & Kite, 2019). In healthcare management, strategic plans should be patient-centric.

Given the above, the suggested program will analyze the specific health needs of homeless people. The program will integrate research to map the morbidity pattern among this community to customize the care plans required for this population. According to Bhatt and Bathija (2018), upper respiratory tract conditions are common among this population due to traffic and air pollution in the streets. The program will work with charity groups and the government to fund outpatient nebulization services and offer free inhalers for homeless asthma patients.