(The Stewp01ot) – Agency Serving a Vulnerable Population
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In this Discussion, you will select a clinic or community agency within the community. The organization you select must serve the needs of a vulnerable population group. (The Stewp01ot in Dallas, TX)Research the clinic or agency to obtain a clear idea of services provided and the specific population it serves.  It is not necessary for you to make an on-site visit.  However, you must cite the source(s) from which you obtained the information about the clinic or community agency.
Examples of clinical or community health agencies:
Parishes     Employee/Occupational Health
Infection Control in hospitals    Public Health Department
Refugee Centers    Child/Adult Protective Services
School Health Clinic    Hospice
Halfway House: Drug Abuse, Prison, etc.    Homeless Center
Public Clinics: Pediatric, Psychiatric, OB,  Geriatric, Migrant, etc.    Rehab Program: Cardiac, etc.
Shelters: Homeless, Women’s, etc.    HIV/AIDS programs/clinics
Veterans’ agencies    Adolescent Programs
Group homes for MHMR clients, etc.    Support groups for cancer, sexual abuse, etc. survivors

Directions:
Research the selected agency and using the APA format for the headings below, discuss:
1.    Name of agency and why you selected this agency
2.    Brief history and mission of the agency
3.    Target population the agency serves
4.    Services and programs offered
5.    What criteria (i.e. income, age, etc.) must clients meet in order to be served by the agency
6.    What you found interesting about this agency or helpful for you as a professional nurse.
7.    Cite and reference the information you report on, as appropriate

The Stewp01ot website:
http://www.thestewp01ot.org/who.asp

Example:
Agency Information
Prior to your physical visit, research the agency. Where is the agency located? What types of information about the agency are publicly available?
1.    Address: Mansfield Cares/The Caring Place
901 West Broad Street
Mansfield, Texas 76063
Phone Number:817-473-6611
Website Address: http://www.mansfieldcares.org/caring_place.html
2.    History of the agency:
Mansfield Cares began 1999 with a goal of providing vouchers for groceries to local people in need all through the local holiday season. This company is a non-profit organization formed to provide help to the economically challenged citizens of the Mansfield, Texas area. The program began a free medical free medical clinic in a small office in 2003 part-time. They were proficient enough in raising enough money to purchase land to build  Mansfield Cares. Mansfield Cares works with various local charities by providing monetary funding and health services to help meet the needs of the community for underserved people of the Mansfield area. Since then it has expanded to include the Linda Nix Family Caring Place Clinic to provide similar health care services. The Linda Nix Family Caring Place Clinic has been open since 2009. The generosity of the community made it possible for this clinic to open. The “Caring Place” offers the “Safety Net” program which is headed by Dr. Wendy Collini and other members of Mansfield Cares. They offer services like medical, dental, and vision care and serve a diverse crowd. Now, together with its close ties to Mansfield Cares they provide health care services for those in need on a full-time basis. The clinic itself was named after Linda Nix who was a well-known business teacher at Ben Barber Career Tech Academy for 11 years, and a resident of Mansfield for 23 years. Her legacy lives on after her loss in 2008 with ovarian cancer.

3.    Quote the mission statement of the agency:
“To provide assistance for the community challenged families of the Mansfield Independent School District area, with the help of the community agencies and a group of individuals with a common interest, by offering charitable events to our community’s greatest contributors, you”
4.    What are the goals of the agency? What are the future plans?
The goal of The Mansfield Cares Clinic is to provide free medical care, food and housing for battered women for the Mansfield in-need community . Currently, ground work is being done to build housing on three unused acres for a battered women’s shelter. They plan to partner with Women’s Shelter and Safe Haven of Tarrant County to provide a place for battered women in the Mansfield area to go to. The Linda Nix Family Caring Place, under the direction of Dr. Wendy Collini and Dr. Barry Cole will continue to provide medical, dental, and optical care and are currently working to be there on a full-time basis. Dr. Collini closed her private practice to spend more time at the Caring Place. Along with this, future plans include completing the build of a 15,000 square foot local food bank through a partnership with HIM (Harvesting International Ministry).

4.    List services/programs offered by the agency
Adult Medical Clinic, Children’s Clinic, Dental Clinic, Vision Clinic, and JPS(John Peter Smith) School-Based Health Center Mansfield. The children in the MISD (Mansfield Independent School District) have access to aide through Back to School Shoe Program and School Supplies Program. MISD currently sends uninsured students to Mansfield Cares for vaccinations and physical exams. They also partner with the church community to offer home repairs and help with living expenses. Other services offered are assistance to local food banks and free prescription drugs.
5.    What are the agency’s healthcare goals/priorities for this year? 5 years?
The clinic is working on expanding services currently offered. This year their goal is instead of operating only half a day the plan is to open all day. The clinic is looking for additional doctors, dentist and other healthcare providers to volunteer services. In five years, they goal is to have a full volunteer staff composed of multiple physicians, dentists, optometrists, and nurses to be available five days a week. Also, in partnering with Harvesting International Ministry (HIM) they will provide food for the needy on a daily basis at the new building which is under construction on Mansfield Care’s property. They plan to build a battered women’s shelter on three acres of unused land. Working in conjunction with Women’s Shelter and Safe Haven of Tarrant County to start providing these services for women in the Mansfield area. Currently, these women must go to Arlington or Fort Worth to find shelter.
Describe the people you see in the waiting area (i.e. sex, age, race, ethnicity). Estimate % based on observations
At first glance, there were multiple ethnic groups observed here. Ethnicity appears to be 70% Hispanic, 20% African American, 10% Caucasian. The gender difference was approximately 70% women and 30% men. The age groups varied from children age 3 and up to older adults 65+.

References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Summary of Diseases. In US, September 2012, 61, Retrieved on September 4, 2012 from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml5853al.htm?s_cid=mm5853al_w
Harvesting International Ministry. Retrieved on September 4, 2012 in http://www.harvestim.org/index.php?a=about&s=vision&ss=our-strategy.
Mansfield Cares. 2012. In About. Retrieved on September 4, 2012 from http://mansfieldcares.org/
The Caring Place. 2012. In History. Retrieved on September 4, 2012 from http://www.mansfieldcaringplace.org/