Barriers to healthcare in the region

Reid Health is committed to eliminating health disparities and achieving health equity across the counties we serve in Indiana and Ohio.

As part of National Minority Health Month, Reid is sharing the top three barriers to healthcare residents face. Understanding the challenges of our friends and neighbors can bring change.

The 2022 Reid Health Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) identifies and prioritizes the most pressing health needs across its service area. The three-year report guides Reid’s community health improvement programs and community benefit activities, as well as its collaborative efforts with other organizations that share a mission to improve health.

Jess Przybysz, Director of Community Benefit & Engagement at Reid Health, said three barriers to care were identified in the report, adding there is a lot of work to do in each of the areas.

“The biggest barrier to care is awareness based on our focus group discussions,” Przybysz said. “The next two largest barriers to care identified were transportation and access.”

Rural communities and elderly populations in the service region were stressed as having barriers to access and transportation. Transportation challenges residents face include getting groceries, rides to medical appointments with providers or specialists, or commuting to work.

The population within the service area is 283,430 residents. According to the CHNA, 5.9% of households in the service area don’t have a vehicle. For those without a car, 0.2% use public transportation. Figures for residents walking to work vary by county with the lowest percentages in Fayette and Henry Counties at 1.5% up to 3.1% in Wayne County. For these rural communities those with a car commute an average of 24.7 minutes to work.

Awareness is affected by residents’ ability to access information, with barriers related to internet or broadband access. In the service area, 79.3% of households have an internet subscription compared to 83.5% in Indiana and 84.9% of Ohio households. Other barriers to awareness include language/culture, outreach, and providing information on the services and resources available within communities.

Community Benefit is working to address barriers to care. The most pressing needs are combined into three priority areas of focus: mental health and substance misuse; physical activity, nutrition, and weight; and maternal, infant, and children's health. The Community Benefit grant program provides funding for area nonprofit organizations with programs or services benefiting community health needs during three grant cycles.

Community Benefit also collaborates with organizations to bring change.

Przybysz said a new project that will help to address awareness barriers is a Community Resource Guide with Firefly Children & Family Alliance and the Wayne County Family Resource Center. The guide will connect residents to resources.

“By taking off our blinders and looking into these issues with a broad lens, we can eliminate some of the biggest barriers we face with health disparities,” Przybysz said. “We can do this by owning the areas we all need to work on and partnering with others to achieve goals. We need to meet people where they are and listen to their needs.”

More will be shared soon on the Wayne County Resource Guide during #NMHM2024.