The issue of access to healthcare in society has been the central focus of human services and healthcare in the United States over the last two decades. Access to healthcare is a human services issue as it involves social change and has a number of social impacts on people in society. Particularly amongst the lower classes of society, inaccessibility to sufficient healthcare services can increase the prevalence of disease and can have a number of welfare related issues for families as well as local, state and national governments, not only across the United States but globally (THF, 2015). Furthermore, continued issues concerning access to healthcare will further cause significant social, welfare and leadership problems for governments and society overall. Most significantly, extensive leadership and management is required to overcome this issue and provide a number of goals that can assist in rectifying the issue and allowing sufficient access to healthcare to some of society’s most vulnerable populations (THF, 2015).
This issue arouses my passion as I have always been a proponent of suitable access to healthcare and understand that the poorer classes of society need this service the most. With a continued and highly passionate interest in human services, I believe that I can make a difference and provide a number of recommendations that can aide local governments and private organizations in assisting these populations and improving their human services and healthcare processes. I have an extended vision to assist governments and organizations in achieving their goals and providing better human services to society not just in the realm of healthcare but all other necessary departments (Millman, 1993).
With respect to manageable goals, social change can include the intent to improve short-term accesses to healthcare and developing long term plans to establish more hospitals that are more widespread and provide suitable accesses to poorer classes. Leadership can include training that allows people of power to assume active roles with respect to rectifying this issue. Advocacy can involve appealing to local politicians through the development of sufficient communication pathways and providing examples and further information to support change in the area of human services and healthcare in particular (ODPHP, 2015).
Achieving each of these goals will impact human services and society in a number of ways. Firstly, they require significant effort and time on the part of people who are managers and leaders. Respective committees and groups need to be consulted in the process and this requires significant levels of advocacy and time. Short-term solutions should only focus on appealing to these respective groups before any significant change can occur. The goals also require significant funds that can only be provided by either governments or large organizations who are willing to back a proposed plan (ODPHP, 2015). When looking more closely at each goal, social change will impact societal norms and current trends in human services. It may also encourage the department to neglect particular areas in order to provide more attention towards access to healthcare. This also has an impact on other departments of government such as healthcare and also treasury, since it requires input from respective healthcare organizations and requires significant funds (THF, 2015). Leadership focuses on the roles of leaders and managers in society and the requirement for these roles to be changed to allow for a greater focus on human services and the issue at hand. Advocacy also falls in line with respective leadership and social change goals and the requirement to appeal to individuals who are in senior roles. This could potentially interfere with current policies and focuses and there may be members and leaders who become opposed to the idea.
- Millman, M. (1993). Access to Health Care in America. Institute of America,
Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog/2009/access-to-health-care-in-america
Accessed on 6th December 2015. - ODPHP. (2015). Access to Health Services. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,
Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/Access-to-Health-Services Accessed on 6th December 2015. - THF. (2015). Disparities in Access to Healthcare. News Medical, Retrieved from
http://www.news-medical.net/health/Disparities-in-Access-to-Health-Care.aspx
Accessed on 6th December 2015.
