A Call for Change

          It is the end of the spring semester, which also means the end of my amazing internship.  I am both excited for my summer break to start, but I am a little sad, as well.  For the summer, my clients that I have been dealing with will be transferred to other Advocates, who will be working at Health Leads during the break.  When the Fall semester starts, I may be assigned new clients.  I feel like there was still work to be done with each of my clients, and I am upset that I was not able to see each case through till the end.  But I am confident that another Advocate will step up to the task and get the job done.

     My time spent at Health Leads really opened my eyes.  In many ways, I was a little sheltered before my arrival at the desk.  I seemed to ignore the many needs within my own community.  Many of my clients expressed needs for food, clothing, electricity and heating, and much more.  These necessities are basic resources.  Yet, lack of basic resources often can impact one's health tremendously.  I realized that the first thing that needs to be addressed is helping more people in our community obtain these simple commodities.  Without them, being healthy is incredibly difficult.  It seems obvious that if we can address this tremendous shortfall within the community, many other components along the healthcare continuum can be eliminated.  Many diseases and illnesses that stem from lack of these commodities can be prevented.  Although I am just one college student, I hope to see a change.  It is my hope that more individuals no longer have to worry about where to find the things that so many of us take for granted. 

     Healthcare inequality within the US is an incredibly complex issue.  Although this nation has made significant strides in medicine, many Americans have yet to benefit.  Particularly among the racial and ethnic minorities, there is a tremendous shortfall in the accessibility and quality of healthcare.  This matter cannot simply be overlooked.  With recent legislation, like the Affordable Care Act, it is my hope that this nation will continue to make strides for everyone.  I wish to see the healthcare gap closed.  My dream is to see a system that benefits every single American.  Regardless of the money one makes, the color of one's skin or the language one speaks, every single person is entitled to live a fulfilling, happy, and healthy life. 

http://sites.psu.edu/vedak202c/american-healthcare-a-broken-system/

“True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. ” 

- Martin Luther King Jr.