Overview

• SARS-CoV-2 has impacted everyone in the United States. However , here in Schenectady people are still struggling through its detrimental impacts. New York state was hit the hardest by the virus, with 541,000 cases and 33,000 deaths. Schenectady county alone had 1,700 cases and 54 deaths due to Covid-19. It’s clear to say this has had a huge impact on the overall community.

Resources

• Schenectady County Public Health Services (SCPHS) has been doing their best to ensure all citizens have access to the proper resources to protect themselves such as masks and sanitizer. The City Mission and other local homeless shelters have been giving out masks to some of their frequent visitors in order to ensure a safer overall community.
• Schenectady County offers no-cost community testing on Mondays and Thursdays. All you have to do is call (518) 419-0370 to register.
• They have a hotline at NYS Coronavirus: 1-888-364-3065 in order to encourage the spread of information and education into the community. You are encouraged to call if you have any questions about the general health and wellbeing of the community.
• You may also request a mask. All you have to do is call (518) 386-2824,  9am – 3pm, Monday – Friday.
• They also have a fully updated public health website which can be found here. This includes a lot of free information and education about the virus in order to ensure a safer overall community.

School During Covid-19

• Like many local schools in the area, Schenectady public schools are virtual until they can ensure a safe learning environment.
• The public school system update guidance can be found here.
• Union College has had an excellent system with mandatory weekly testing. The results are back the next day, giving students a positive and safe environment to learn in. All in person classes must be attended while wearing a face covering and contact tracing has been working to ensure the safety of faculty and staff.

Working During Covid-19

• For our essential workers who are putting their lives on the line and interacting with citizens on a day to day basis, it can be challenging. The community has put multiple efforts into place in order to show they care about their citizens and are looking forward to a safe and healthy environment in the future.
• People working are required to wear a face mask and stay six feet away from their coworkers when possible.
• If you start to develop symptoms of Covid-19 while working, you should immediately go home or to a testing center in order to ensure your own safety and those around you. Those who do test positive or those who were in direct contact with someone who tested positive must complete a two week quarantine before returning to their work setting.
• The photo pictured to the upper right is from (https://www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2020/07/29/study-how-americans-feel-about-returning-to-work-during-covid-19/?sh=3315a7785301)

Hospitals During Covid-19

• Ellis Hospital has a Covid tracking located on their website in order to keep the community aware and informed
• They offer testing for corona virus with an appointment
• In general, people exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms who have not been advised by a physician or public health professional to go to the hospital, should go into self-quarantine at home for 14 days, practice proper social distancing and preventive hygiene measures, and follow any prescribed treatment regimen.
• Whether or not a patient has been tested does not change the physician’s treatment options

The photo above shows doctors working hard to ensure the public’s safety. (https://www.jnj.com/personal-stories/meet-doctor-helping-treat-coronavirus-outbreak-in-wuhan)

Overall, Schenectady is trying their hardest to preserve during these tough times and we are working together as a community.

Sources

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/new-york/

https://www.schenectadycounty.com/publichealth

https://www.schenectadycounty.com/sites/default/files/Essential%20Personnel%20Return%20To%20work%204.1.20.pdf

http://www.ellismedicine.org/covid19/public-details.aspx?ListID=30

What is included when we talk about diverse patient population?

There are many different ways to look into the topic of diversity here in Schenectady, so first lets start with the basic demographics. According to World Population Review, Schenectady is home to 66,107 citizens. Within this population, 58.1% are white, 20.8% are African American and 6.6% are Asian. These demographics give us a well rounded idea of the environment within Schenectady. based off the race demographics, we can conclude Schenectady is a pretty diverse environment. However, we cannot base diversity solely off race. Age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and identity and disabilities are all factors that would diversify the patient population. Therefore, these are all factors we need to look into when we talk about diversity within a community.

How do these demographics play into healthcare?

Now lets try to think about how these demographics affect the healthcare for this diverse patient population. First, we will look into the topic of race. It’s no secret that minorities are less likely to have healthcare coverage than their white counterparts. We have talked about numerous different situations in class where we see minorities in lower economic status also in poorer health than the white neighborhood a few miles down the road. Simple things like access to fresh food and a park to exercise in are luxuries some minority communities do not have. There is statistically more fast food chains in poorer neighborhoods and may be less access to healthcare resources due to a lack of transportation. There is also much more added stress when living in a poorer neighborhood and having to worry about paying bills. All of these factors decrease the overall health of the patients living within them. Thankfully, Schenectady is taking some small measures to help alleviate this strain on minority communities. For example, Ellis Hospital has a Financial Assistance Program to help patients who are uninsured or underinsured pay for their medical bills. There is also a Planned Parenthood that offers a lot of free contraception, screening and education to the general public. There are also numerous free clinics for non emergent care. Schenectady offers a lot of advancements for the minorities and lower income citizens.

Developmental Disabilities

Disabilities can range from mental, physical and psychological. They can severely impact families and the individual and gaining the proper healthcare for these individuals is one of the most important steps. According to the CDC, there are approximately 61 million adults in the United States living with a disability. Receiving healthcare coverage as a person with a disability can be difficult due to stigma and miscommunication. Those living with disabilities are also statistically more likely to have difficulty financing for healthcare as well. On a national level, The Health Insurance Marketplace is a good program for those with disabilities. It offers those who have gone without coverage or have had limited access to needed health care to obtain health insurance in the individual market. Within Schenectady, Schenectady ARC is a wonderful organization on State Street. It offers both residential and day to day services to those with an array of different disabilities.

Mental Health

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Within the United States almost 1 in 4 people will struggle with a mental health issue at some point in their lives. Within Schenectady there are thousands of citizens struggling with some sort of mental illness, but there are many resources here to assist with them. Ellis Hospital provides psychological services and referrals. Mohawk Opportunities also offers mental health assistance to those who are homeless or financially unstable. Rehabilitation Support Services (RSS) provides rehabilitation and therapy to those struggling with a substance abuse disorder.

 

Overall, Schenectady has many options to offer for their diverse patient population. They cover a large array of resources to those who may have mental health issues, disabilities and socioeconomic restraints.

Sources 

https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/schenectady-ny-population

http://www.ellismedicine.org/financial-assistance/faqs.aspx

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/new-york/schenectady/12307/schenectady-center-4192-91180

https://www.arcschenectady.org/

https://www.schenectadycounty.com/node/278

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