#theVIPExperience Post #18: "Understanding Population Health" by Bailey Windell

Unlike many of the other interns who are a part of the VIP program, I do not wish to enter the medical field. I am a student at Xavier University studying Health Services Administration with minors in Business and Criminal Justice. Through my undergrad experience I have found that being in a health care setting is not for me, however I continue to find value in the experience of this internship.  Being someone who has grown up very privileged, it has been difficult for me to understand the barriers in many of our patient’s ways that I did not have to face.  

Population health is a hot topic I health care right now. It is, “the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within the group.” Basically, it is how healthy people are based on the factors of life including race, location, socio-economic status; ext. Medical care actually plays a small role in the health outcomes of individuals, excluding acute cases. By working at Crossroads I have been able to see first hand many of these discrepancies. Especially when working in the OTR office, I was able to see patients who did not understand the way the medical system worked. Frequently, I would get frustrated with the referral process, as I want to teach the patients to do the referrals, rather than do it for them. The flaw in this scheme is that many of them don’t want to put the time, money, or energy into their own health. One way I think we can combat this is through education. By teaching people the reasons behind the actions that they take, may help them to become more likely to do them themselves.

Understanding population health is important for everyone, not just those going into medicine, because our health affects everything we do. If there is a group of people who are automatically less likely to be healthy, how does that affect their quality of life? In a time where health care, especially insurance, is a heated debate, it is important to remember the individuals that we have all met. It is important to hear their stories and understand why they are in the position they are in. It is important to be empathetic and step into their shoes. Most importantly, to treat them as you would want to be treated. Crossroads is an organization that works hard to value to “whole person” who walking into the clinic, and not just their ailment. 

-- Bailey Windell