Short Answer Questions 

1. Imagine you are a student in healthcare administration who is doing an internship in a large primary care organization in an urban city in Florida. The organization has multiple locations and several types of services within a culturally diverse and underserved community. You are asked to prepare a brief about national issues related to eliminating healthcare disparities and improving wellness. Your brief will provide suggestions and initiatives that could improve patient outcomes in the organization and the community. 

Include the following: 

· A concise summary of the changes in patient population, patient demographics, and chronic disease within the United States (1 paragraph)

· An explanation of how health disparities, cultural competency, and health equality can impact health outcomes (1 paragraph)

· An explanation of how the National Standards on Cultural Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) can influence effective communication between patient, primary care physician (PCP), and organization (1 paragraph)

· A concise summary of how the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and the Joint Commission requirements on cultural competency impact the organization’s accreditation (1 paragraph)

2.  You have 15 minutes to speak to your state governor regarding the prevention of a specific chronic disease. This conversation needs to be clear, concise, convincing, and factual. Write out specific talking points for this conversation. (1 page)

They should include:

· Introduction of the specific chronic disease and the population it affects

· National and state trends for the chronic disease

· Financial impact of the chronic disease

· Legislation or policy changes required to improve health outcomes for patients with the chronic disease

3.  The United States is projected to experience a significant shortage of primary care physicians (PCPs) and registered nurses (RNs), which is expected to intensify with the aging baby-boomer population. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, 2013), it has been estimated that by 2020 the country could experience a shortage of 20,400 or more primary care physicians, which often affects those living in inner-city communities and rural America. These shortages will be alleviated by the increased number of physician assistants and nurse practitioners, which will grow by 30% (HHS). According to Shi and Singh (2015), by 2020 there could be a deficit of Registered Nurses of over 300,000. As the need for healthcare grows, the uneven distribution and growing deficit of resources and providers leaves a large percentage of Americans at risk. 

Reference:U.S. Department of Health & Human Services,Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. (2013). Projecting the supply and demand for primary care practitioners through 2020. Retrieved from http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/supplydemand/usworkforce/primarycare/

· Explain why there may be a shortage of PCPs in rural and inner-city communities. (1–2 paragraphs)

· How is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)addressing the shortage of PCPs and RNs? (1–2 paragraphs) 

· What other programs are available to address the shortage of primary care physicians and nurses? What action are the programs taking? (1–2 paragraphs)

· How is the shortage impacting healthcare delivery? Be specific by providing examples and support your response with academic resources. (1–2 paragraphs) 

4. Tuberculosis (TB), once the leading cause of death in the U.S., is still one of the most common and deadliest diseases worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are approximately 1.3 million TB-related deaths each year and one third of the world’s population is infected with TB. This disease remains an urgent public health problem in many countries, and globalization has created an environment in which TB can affect any population, including the U.S. Typically, the U.S. has fewer than 10,000 confirmed cases of TB per year. While significant progress has been made toward the elimination of TB in the U.S., the disease is still present and contagious. 

· Describe how the CDC tracks, determines prevalence, and promotes prevention of TB in the U.S. (1–2 paragraphs) 

· Describe how the CDC is addressing methods of transmission that impact the spread of TB globally. (1–2 paragraphs)

5. Each year up to 750,000 U.S. residents travel abroad to receive medical care. This phenomenon is called “medical tourism” and is a multi-billion dollar industry that is growing. The most common procedures performed on medical tourism trips are cosmetic surgery, dentistry, and heart surgery. 

· Describe why U.S. citizens are traveling abroad for medical treatment, including the potential benefits and risks involved. (1–2 paragraphs)

· Visit the following website and describe any differences you note related to medical tourism in different countries. (1–2 paragraphs) Website:Patients Beyond Borders. (2014). Medical tourism statistics & facts. Retrieved from http://www.patientsbeyondborders.com/medical-tourism-statistics-facts