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Role of Health Care Organizations in Assisting Those in Poverty

Introduction

Henrietta Lacks, a poor, black woman, got diagnosed with cervical cancer at John Hopkins Hospital in 1951. During her examination, her cells got taken for development of an immortal cell line, that too without her knowledge. The cell line created a medical boom and came to be known as HeLa, after its first victim. The cells became a crucial medical tool for research not just limited to polio vaccine, cloning and gene mapping. The victim, who was the reason that this hype occurred, was still infamous. She and her family never got informed about the medical achievements from her cells. Billions got cashed from the trade of these cells, yet the original victim and her family lacked even the budget for basic medical facilities. The book 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' narrates the story of Henreitta Lacks, her illness, her family and of her daughter who knew nothing that happened to her mother. The book also discusses the past of cell research and raises legal and ethical points generated by the research. It also emphasizes on how poverty caused a family to abstain from health care basics. This paper discusses the roles of health care organizations in working to assist those, in poverty, in the Los Angeles area.

Thesis

The Los Angeles County, being populous, extensive and diverse gets exposed to broad possibilities of both natural and unnatural ventures. As a result, emergency and health care organizations face multiple prominent challenges in providing services. The demand for synchronous planning is underlined, as policies and resources from various organizations get united together as a constituent of disaster readiness efforts.

The rate of homelessness in Los Angeles is significantly greater than the average of US because of high housing costs and higher rate of poverty. The number of homeless in Los Angeles is hard to track, but the figure is expected to be around 24,000 individuals. A large portion of the homeless, live on the streets of Los Angeles as compared to living in shelters or temporary housing. This is disproportionality, when compared, to the rest of US. Federal or state public assistance is available to individuals, to some extent, but it is not satisfactory to transit one from being homeless.

Percentage of Population Below Poverty Level

Neighborhood Census tract grouping

Population for which

poverty was determined

People below poverty level

Percent

Census tract A

4000

2500

62.5%

Census tract B

3000

1200

40%

Totals

7000

3700

52.25% (averaged)

(Source: Red Cross Strategy Report, 2012)

Due to rising poverty levels, increased health care costs and a lack of affordable housing, the proportion of homeless women and children is on the peak. People with substance abuse issues no longer fit into homeless. Black Americans are exaggerated in Los Angeles's homeless population, and thoughtful reforms are required to address the issue of homelessness among these people. Due to unforeseen circumstances, many veterans, elderly individuals, and students find themselves without homes. While outwardly overwhelming, homelessness is a problem that can quite easily initiate to be relieved through combined reactive and ...