Our orders are delivered strictly on time without delay
Our orders are delivered strictly on time without delay
Access the Healthy People in Action section of the Healthy People 2020 website. Select State Plans and choose a state (or territory) which has not been selected by a classmate, and access that state's 2020 Healthy People Plans. Summarize one area in the plan you selected that pertains to allied health care delivery in that state, such as medical sonography, respiratory therapy, radiography, speech pathology, etc. What does the state plan do well? What could be done better, and how so?
The Colorado plan identifies Health Care Access and Coverage as a critical area for improving public health outcomes, explicitly recognizing that health factors include Provider Availability.
The strategy emphasizes system-level reform, aiming to advance population health through coordinated, accountable, and integrated systems of care. This focus is vital for allied health fields, such as speech pathology, respiratory therapy, and medical sonography, as these services often face barriers related to specialist access, particularly in rural settings. The plan leverages funding from initiatives like the State Innovation Model (SIM) grant to facilitate this transition toward integrated care. By promoting system integration, the state plan tacitly creates a greater demand for a diverse, well-distributed allied health workforce to staff community-based health centers, expanded primary care teams, and specialty referral networks.
1. What the State Plan Does Well
The Colorado plan excels at addressing the structural foundation required for allied health professionals to function effectively.
Focus on Integration: By prioritizing a coordinated and integrated system of care, the plan moves beyond simply tracking hospital metrics and aims to weave specialty and ancillary services (many of which are provided by allied health professionals) into the broader primary care framework. This is crucial for disciplines like speech pathology and respiratory therapy, where early intervention and integration with primary care lead to significantly better outcomes.
Systemic Approach: It correctly identifies provider availability and access to care as fundamental social determinants of health. This systemic recognition helps to justify future policy changes, such as incentivizing allied health providers to work in high-need areas.
2. What Could Be Done Better, and How So
The plan could be strengthened by incorporating specific, measurable objectives (targets) for the allied health workforce.
Improvement: While the plan mentions "provider availability," it lacks explicit targets or strategies dedicated to the recruitment and retention of non-physician/non-nursing specialists (allied health).