Native Americans in southwest Oregon are a heterogenous
group comprising one-quarter of the state's total Indian
population. Despite their notable size, Native Americans in
this six county area are either ineligible for, or inaccessible
to, federally sponsored Indian health facilities available
to Native peoples elsewhere. Research was conducted
over an...
Cultural competence is a topic that concerns social scientists and medical anthropologists who pay attention to demographic changes and health disparities. This study demonstrates practical approaches to developing cultural competence in medical education by using factors from the social environment to develop protocols for action. With current concerns in domestic...
Several states, including Oregon, Massachusetts and California, have been the focus of major health reform efforts in recent years. Oregon utilized a citizen-led commission to generate policy recommendations that led to the enactment of health reform legislation in 2009. This commission helped to create momentum and provide political cover for...
Background: Prenatal care (PNC) is an important preventive health service that can influence the health of the four million women who give birth annually in the United States, and the health their infants. Despite efforts to increase women’s access to PNC services, significant disparities in PNC utilization and maternal/child health...
This thesis examines how changes made to the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) in 2003 impacts those now utilizing the emergency room (ER) for primary health care. This thesis also examines how these changes impact staff members working in the ER of Salem Hospital. Through the utilization of qualitative research methods,...
Low-income women in an Oregon city of approximately 35,000 inhabitants have limited access to prenatal care services during their pregnancies. The purpose of this study was to uncover the impacts of several factors on the experiences of twenty-seven health department clients with public health department prenatal care practitioners and with...
From February to September of 2001, a significant body of qualitive data was collected to investigate barriers for Hispanic participation in Oregon's managed care Medicaid program. As a means to investigate this topic, comments were solicited from physicians, hospital administrators, social service agencies, and low-income Hispanics through semi-structured focus groups...
The United States population continues to increase and diversify. The cultural composition within the United States embodies a multitude of people from a variety of belief systems, religious backgrounds, and ethnicities. Within current biomedical practice, many of these differences are often marginalized, leaving populations with unsatisfactory experiences in seeking health...
Hispanics in Hood River County, Oregon account for roughly 25% of the population, with many employed in agriculture. A community health survey was carried out in Hood River County during the winter months of 2001 with the purpose of evaluating the health conditions, needs, and barriers to access of needed...