A framework commonly discussed in public health are health disparities. Health disparities are the differences in the health status of different groups of people. Groups of people that have health disparities might include people who are disabled, people who have low-income status, and people who live in poverty. When people think of Lancaster County, SC, they often think of a population including those who are unemployed (or underemployed), have low income, or are in poverty. In 2012, a Forbes magazine study took data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and census data on median income, poverty, education, and outstanding mortgage debt in 141 towns across the country. The lowest city on that list was Lancaster, SC with an unemployment rate of 12.2% (national rate of 6.1%) and 20% of residents at or below the poverty level (national rate of 13%) (Ruiz, 2012). Unless researching this specifically, someone like myself, a senior in college, would have no idea what kind of disparities surround me in my community. I did not know how many people were in poverty or unemployed, or even the troubles that disparities like these create until I began my journey in community service. These health disparities often lead to unforeseen vulnerabilities, or the inability of someone to take care of their health, which could lead to something as serious as death. 

Every town has health disparities which are often unseen by the general public.  My senior year in USC’s nursing program, I was required to take a course called Population Health Nursing (NURS 431). I had to complete a project that was a large portion of my grade for this course. I had to select a city in South Carolina to research. As part of the assignment, I had to decide what I believed were the top three health concerns in the city and theorize possible ways to improve the identified health concerns. One thing I learned by doing this project is that even though there are health disparities, there are community- or government-ran resources and programs available. The problem is that people do not know what is available to them. 

In the summer before my senior year, I did not want to get a retail job but instead find something that would give me experience in the field of health care. I decided to volunteer at the Community Medical Clinic (CMC), a primary care clinic in Kershaw, SC. CMC is a clinic that provides free health care to qualified Kershaw County residents that are uninsured. I worked as both a front desk attendant, checking clients in for their appointment and as a triage nurse, taking vital signs, updating medical records and showing patients to their exam rooms. A majority of the patients that I helped were in severe poverty, unemployed, and many were homeless. We had one gentleman that would come in almost daily. He would come from the homeless shelter. He had severe venous stasis wounds that were having difficulty healing due to his diagnosis of diabetes. He had already lost one leg that was amputated previously due to diabetic complications. The providers helped the man clean and re-bandage his wounds daily as they monitored his health status for any furthering complications. I have never met a person so grateful for a service. He could not thank us all enough for what we were doing for him. If it was not for the care provided by the clinic, he could have possibly lost his other limb or have even died due to infection. Another example is a patient that was living with such uncontrolled diabetes that he almost died. There was nothing he could do because he could not afford insulin or even doctor visits. The health care professionals at the clinic treated the patient to help him regain control over his diabetes and blood glucose. The clinic also provided him with his insulin free of cost. He is now a healthy young man that has taken control over his health and visits the clinic regularly. I have seen nurses get frustrated because people will walk into the ER with ‘simple issues’ such as sinus congestion. However, I have learned that many people are not privileged with insurance and the ability to go to providers when they are sick, much less pay for a doctor visit. This volunteer opportunity has helped me understand the importance of finding ways to serve everyone in communities, especially those who are underinsured and underemployed.  There are so many unforeseen health vulnerabilities in our communities that can create significant health concerns that people in the general public may never be aware exist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was able to see first-hand how many underprivileged people there are living in Lancaster, SC, and surrounding communities. These individuals were desperate for help and were so thankful to receive the services we had to offer at the clinic. I immediately found myself wanting to do something that could help others that might not be as fortunate as I am. I took the opportunity to speak with students that were in USC Lancaster’s Early Start summer program that same summer. USC Lancaster TRIO and Upward Bound co-sponsor a program called Early Start where first-generation students can experience two real college courses in the summer, The Student in the University (UNIV 101) and Personal Fitness and Weight Control (PEDU 104). Early Start strives to encourage students to come to college, helps students transition into college smoothly, and helps students succeed as they advance in their college journey. I was asked to present to these students how they could maintain a healthy lifestyle while transitioning into college. My presentation included how students could be physically fit by maintaining proper physical activity and diet, how students could support their social health with the help of a reliable support system, how they could maintain stable emotional health, and how they could maintain robust mental health. In my experience, college is a vulnerable transition. The transition could be notably harder for first-generation students, especially students who must work to help support themselves and their families. I wanted to use this opportunity to educate students on tips for maintaining overall health while transitioning into college. I primarily wanted to let these students know that it is ALWAYS okay to ask someone for help and to never be ashamed of who you are. 

Health disparities will never improve if community residents are not informed of community programs available to them. I have seen this firsthand through my volunteer work at the Women’s Enrichment Center in Lancaster, SC. We have a large binder with resources for our clients to assist with anything from housing, jobs, and food for their families. We are constantly updating the binder so we can provide clients with the most updated resources possible. The only issue is that the Women Enrichment Center is only able to assist a small base of clients. Until we can inform more people about what is available to them, health disparities will remain a significant concern in cities such as Lancaster, SC.