|
|
This is only a preview of the paper
Click here to register and get the full text.
Existing members click here to login
|
|
|
Statement of Purpose
Health care costs have continued to rise at double-digit rates in the past decade, severely impacting both public and private sectors in the United States (Modern Healthcare, 2003). Few organizations have escaped the deleterious effects of increased health care costs, and government-run prisons have not been immune to these mounting expenses. If health care costs pose a serious problem to penitentiaries, why continue do they continue to offer complete health service programs? ... prison population is the only group of citizens guaranteed health care under the constitution (Hofacre, 2003). ... These decreases coupled with increasing numbers of inmates, greater disease acuity in prisons and the aforementioned increase in costs of treating health problems have forced correctional facilities to reevaluate their approach to providing health care. ... For every dollar spent on these two million individuals, an average of eleven cents is spent on health care services (Montague, 2003). These services range from drug and disease testing to surgical procedures to dental care. ... As funds to provide health services have decreased and prison populations have swelled, another disturbing trend has developed; rates of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and hepatitis C have risen alarmingly since the mid-1980s (Berkman, 1995). ... Finally, the number of incarcerated women has dramatically grown, creating a need for additional specialized care directed toward this group. It is well documented that women utilize more health services than men, particularly psychological counseling (Strickland, 2002). The end result is that every year hundreds of thousands of inmates are released back into the public without having received adequate treatment for their illnesses, such as HIV, tuberculosis, or drug abuse problems, thereby representing a serious public health threat.
Approximate Word count = 1354
Approximate Pages = 5.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
|
|
|
|
|
|