2006 Brazos Valley Health Status Assessment

2006 Key Findings

Report by County
Brazos
Burleson
Grimes
Leon
Madison
Robertson
Washington

 

The Brazos Valley Health Partnership

The Brazos Valley (BV) is a seven-county region in Central Texas consisting of the urban center of Brazos County and the six surrounding rural counties of Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson, and Washington.

Characteristics of the rural county residents of the Brazos Valley are consistent with profiles of residents of other rural areas - a significantly older population, less education, lower socio-economic status, higher rates of chronic disease and mortality, less insurance coverage and less access to healthcare services. This project targets all low-income residents in the six rural counties of the region, most of whom are uninsured or underinsured. This population demonstrates extensive need for a variety of services related to the social determinants of health (i.e. education, employment, housing, transportation, literacy), as well as direct health care.

The health service delivery system, as it currently exists, is fragmented and inefficient, which results in poor utilization of resources, high cost to provide services, and poor quality of care and outcomes for uninsured/underinsured residents. Many residents are eligible for public insurance and assistance, but do not know how to access these resources. Organizations that provide health and human services do not share information or coordinate the delivery of their services, resulting in gaps in service delivery in some areas and duplication of effort in others. When residents do seek health care, many fail to fill their prescriptions because no Medication Assistance Program exists in the rural areas, and most prescriptions are cost-prohibitive for those who are uninsured, thus resulting in poor health outcomes, return visits, and progression of treatable conditions that could be prevented. In addition, rural residents report transportation as a significant barrier. While there are volunteers to drive, the capital resources to establish a transportation program do not exist.

The Brazos Valley Health Partnership has established significant momentum and community support, having concentrating their collective efforts on addressing the health needs of our community over the past two years. From putting together a comprehensive health status assessment and developing recommendations based on the findings to planning implementation, mobilizing a county-level partnership, and co-locating their services in health resource centers, this group has clearly demonstrated its commitment to continued collaboration.

Our project focuses on centralized coordination of services and case management for the uninsured and underinsured living in the six rural counties, including those with chronic conditions. Centralized service coordination and case management, combined with increased access points and transportation, will increase cost-effectiveness of health service providers, decrease poor utilization of resources, and leverage the resources available in each county instead of forcing Brazos County to attempt to bear the burden of health needs for the entire community. The ultimate purpose of these activities is to improve access to quality care, overall health status, and quality of life for low-income residents in the rural counties of the Brazos Valley community.

For more information on the BVHP
Click here

 

 

 
 
Center for Community Health Development

LOG IN

 

DESIGNED BY WIREDRANCH.COM

The Center for Community Health Development is a member of the Prevention Research Centers Program,
supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement Number 5U48 DP000045.