Modern Healthcare sought to map the regions of the United States with the worst access to healthcare and the most social vulnerabilities.with support from University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Modern Health Care uses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index and the Access Score from the Department of Health Resources and Services Administration to find common problems in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, the Bronx, New York, and Navajo County. We have identified regions with unique situations. , Arizona.
In a city address in January, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, promised to provide “free and comprehensive” medical care to homeless residents who stay in shelters for more than seven days. It will redirect them from the emergency department to primary care providers, benefiting their health and the city’s budget, he said.
However, in the city’s Bronx Borough, health care providers are often overwhelmed and it can be difficult to get an appointment. You can go decades without getting a medical checkup.
“This is a very different reality in terms of service demand and service supply,” said Paulette Spencer, community engagement specialist and policy analyst at the Bronx Community Health Network, a federally accredited health center.
There is also the complicated housing crisis. The Bronx is facing one of the highest eviction rates in the country since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and housing is extremely expensive. Albert Chambers, director of family and social medicine research at the Einstein College of Medicine, said low-income Bronx people contribute to a myriad of uncontrolled chronic illnesses and disease epidemics. They say they are exposed to social vulnerability.
Even in the largest cities, where resources and programs are abundant, the areas most in need are being left behind. Social service agencies operate in silos, often with long wait times, difficult to navigate, and can leave residents with unmet needs. A lack of trust in the health system keeps people out of care. So is the cost.
