Frequently Asked Questions

What is a medically underserved community, i.e. medically needy, vulnerable population, the disenfranchised?

What is a health disparity?

What are community/migrant health centers?

Who are community health workers?

What defines a minority and/or disadvantaged youth?

What health professions training programs does the USF AHEC Program work with?

What is a medically underserved community, i.e. medically needy, vulnerable population, the disenfranchised?

A medically underserved community is a community in which a majority of the population is either uninsured or underinsured without access or very limited access to quality health care in terms of the number of health professionals or the number of sites providing quality health care to the population. The medically underserved are often referred to as medically needy, a vulnerable population, the disenfranchised. A medically underserved population may also lack access to quality health care due to its location; isolated, rural and inner-city community members often lack access due to barriers such as lack of public transportation, travel time, distance to a health site or poverty. Many communities struggle to cover the cost of providing health care to the medically needy, who are less likely to have a primary source of health care and frequently rely on hospital emergency rooms for routine care. The combination of poor living conditions, lack of transportation and affordable daycare, language and cultural barriers and other complexities can make caring for the medically needy a daunting task for health care providers.

What is a health disparity?

The word “disparity” is defined in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary as “markedly distinct in quality or character.” Synonyms for disparity include disproportion, difference, gap, imbalance, inequality, unlikeness and variation. A health disparity refers to an imbalance in the quality of and access to health and health care across racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define health disparities as systemic, avoidable, unfair and unjust differences in health status and mortality rates and in the distribution of disease and illness across population groups. They are sustained over time and generations and are beyond the control of individuals. Health disparities are differences that exist in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of disease and other adverse health conditions among specific population groups. They are specific kinds of health differences between more and less privileged social groups. The term ‘health disparity’ refers to differences that are amenable to social intervention. The groups being compared are differentiated by their underlying social position or hierarchy (gender, race/ethnicity, education or income, disability or sexual orientation). Research suggests that race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status are among the most important predictors.

For more information, visit: National Healthcare Disparities Report.

What are community/migrant health centers?

According to the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), community health centers are local, non-profit, community-owned health care providers serving low income and medically underserved communities. Also known as Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), they are located in areas where care is needed but scarce, and improve access to care for millions of Americans regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Currently, over 1,000 community, migrant, and homeless health centers serve 3,600 urban and rural communities in every state and territory. The USF AHEC Program partners with a number of community health centers throughout its nine-county area as can be seen on this map.

Who are community health workers?

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are community members who work almost exclusively in community settings and promote health among groups that have traditionally lacked access to adequate care. CHWs come from the same neighborhoods and share the same cultural experiences as the people they serve, thus bridging the gap between healthcare agencies and local communities (W.K. Kellogg Foundation). Our community health worker (CHW) training program, based on national models and in collaboration with community organizations, trains and supports community health workers (CHWs) who provide health promotion and disease prevention education for at-risk populations in medically underserved areas. CHWs are lay people that are trained to help individuals and groups take greater control over their health and their lives. They promote healthy living by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate education on disease prevention and by helping community members understand and access health and human service systems. CHWs are uniquely qualified to motivate others in their community because they are respected members of these communities, understand what is meaningful to those communities, communicate in the language of the people and recognize and incorporate cultural practices (e.g., cultural identity, spiritual coping, traditional health practices) when appropriate to help community members cope with stress and promote better health outcomes.

What defines a minority and/or disadvantaged youth?

African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and Native Americans are the most severely underrepresented minorities in health professions. Disadvantaged youth are defined as those living in poverty (indexed by participation in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program), and those who are members of groups that have been historically discriminated against in U.S. society (African Americans, Hispanics, and immigrants groups for whom English is not their native language).

While African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos are among the fastest growing segments of the population, they are also the most severely underrepresented minorities in health professions. Today, African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and Native Americans together make up more than 25 percent of the U.S. population; however, only nine percent of the nation’s nurses, six percent of its physicians, and five percent of dentists come from these groups. Similar differences show up in the faculties of health professional schools. For example, minorities make up less than 10 percent of baccalaureate nursing faculties, 8.6 percent of dental school faculties, and only 4.2 percent of medical school faculties, according to Missing Persons: Minorities in the Health Professions, a report of the Sullivan Commission on Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce.

For more information, visit the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) section on diversity, aspiringdocs.org and Missing Persons: Minorities in the Health Professions.

What health professions training programs does the USF AHEC Program work with?

The USF AHEC Program/GNAHEC/GSAHEC and its centers coordinate clinical training opportunities at community-based sites for students who are enrolled in a health professions training program. We partner with a number of academic institutions throughout the state of Florida to train students at our community-based sites in a nine-county area. We partner with health professions training programs that train students in medicine, nursing, public health, physical therapy, dentistry, pharmacy, social work and more. The AHEC sites bring health disparities to life for students, who see first-hand the needs of uninsured and underinsured patients.

All third-year USF medical students rotate through an AHEC-sponsored community health site as part of their primary care clerkship. USF nursing and public health students also elect to do field experiences at the community health sites. In addition, Gulfcoast North AHEC partners with other academic institutions such as Barry University, Florida A&M University, St. Petersburg College and the University of Florida to coordinate training for health professions students in its community-based and medically underserved sites in a five-county area. Gulfcoast South AHEC partners with Edison College, Florida A&M University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Manatee Community College, Manatee Technical Institute and the University of Florida to coordinate training in a four-county area.