Short Post 4/7/11
All three of these essays from Leading the Way showcased different problems and perspectives on the health care system in America. The Mendez article focused on the health care within Latina communities, which I found to be very informative. I liked this article because it made me think about issues that I would never have to encounter in my life and therefore are out of my focus. She discusses the importance of having translators present in healthcare situations. At one point she talked about how often the people who are translators are people just grabbed in passing who have only a basic understanding of the language. I never knew that there were classes to train people to be specifically medical translators, but I can understand how when faced with life and death decisions the translation and way it is presented would be very important. Being admitted to a hospital can be a scary situation even when one understands the language and it must become infinitely more so when one does not. Having required translators seems life a great and simple way to ensure that people get the health care they deserve.
I was also very touched by the article “Finding the Face in Public Health Policy” because it is a field of work I find very interesting. Turner is taking her degree in public health policy and doing work that many people in the field do not tackle. Making public health policy is an important job, but it can often leave out a marginalized portion of the population. By focusing on people through programs like the needle exchange it helps to see this marginalized population as real people. Turner will be able to help people that are usually only given attention by social workers. By coming at the same problem of drugs, HIV and poverty from a different angle hopefully new solutions will present themselves. These readings helped me to understand that the health care I get is a privilege and not a right given to all. I think many assume that denial of health care is something that happens in a land far away and not in the USA. That is far from true even though it should be and it is an issue that should be approach from multiple angle in order to find a functional solution.
I like the way Abby directly addressed her fears when it came to the subjects presented in Mendez's article. She brought up an interesting point that I had failed to notice in my first reading of Mendez's article. I had not really thought of the importance of a translator when it came to medical emergencies or diagnosis. I know from my own experiences, getting sick in foreign countries is scary because I do not know as much about their healthcare and also do not have the reassurance of going to a familiar doctor or hospital. Luckily I have never been sick in a foreign country where English is not the first language. I cannot imagine how that would feel and the possible problems the language barrier could propose (especially with medical issues).
ReplyDelete