Running head: LAKE COUNTY GROUP SCHOLARLY PAPER 1

Lake County Group Scholarly Paper

Leora Bain, Amanda Guy, Maria Hall, Brandy Huss, JB Kagabo, Kristen Osip. Amanda Serio,
Shannon Vandenberg
Ferris State University




LAKE COUNTY GROUP SCHOLARLY PAPER 2
Lake County Group Scholarly Paper
The purpose of this paper is to analyze statistical data from one Michigan County and
identify areas that need improvement by comparing and contrasting information with the
benchmark. This paper will analyze the issues related to poverty in Lake County as well as the
inadequacies related to the availability of health care services. The state of Michigan will serve
as the benchmark for comparison.
Analysis
Poverty is a measurement of income, or lack thereof; it is defined as the state or
condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; the condition of being poor
(dictionary.com). According to the summary provided by the District 10 Health Department
(2013), Lake County demographically rates lower than the average county, in nearly all areas. It
states that the demographics that fall short when compared to Michigan include appropriate
education, employment opportunities, income level, health care access, and health status.
In 2012 poverty rates for all ages in Lake County was 26.9% compared to 17.5% for the
state of Michigan. Children between 0-17 years old rate 48.3% compared to the benchmark at
24.6%, and for 5-17 years of age the poverty rate was at 44.5% compared to 22.4%.
Furthermore, 83.5% of families with children 0-4 years old received Women Infants & Children
benefits in Lake County, as opposed to 51.2% statewide. 94% of children in school came from
families with income lower than 185% of poverty line compared to 48.2% only for Michigan.
Also in 2011, Medicaid paid for 68% of all births in Lake County compared to 45.1% statewide
(District 10 Health Department, 2013).
According to Kesleman and Thomson (2009), factors that may contribute to poverty
include high unemployment rates and lack of adequate education. The rate of high school
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completion is 7.9% lower and the rate of obtaining a bachelors degree at 17.3% lower than that
of the state as a whole (District 10 Health Department, 2013). Having such low levels of
education can put a population at risk for limited job opportunities. Lake Countys
unemployment rates are ranking at 12.7 % higher compared to Michigan's rate at 8.7% (District
#10 Profile, 2013).
The web of causation is an epidemiologic model which focuses on multiple factors
relating to an illness or chronic disease (Harkness and DeMarco 2012). This model helps to
understand there are many reasons leading to high poverty rates and low education levels in Lake
County. Contributing factors may include: lack of resources such as public transportation, food
assistance, health care services, financial assistance programs, geographic location to
employment, as well as social and community factors.
The statistics addressed earlier are sufficient evidence that there is a dire need for
community nursing intervention in Lake County. Education and poverty are the identified
problems and would benefit the most from the implementation of a plan of change. In addition,
many of the other Lake county statistics are worse than those compared to the benchmark
(District 10 Health Department, 2013). This further reinforces the importance, appropriateness,
and necessity of intervention within Lake County.
Resources available for the Lake County area are available at Michigans 2-1-1 call
center and website that can be utilized (Michigan 2-1-1, n.d.). The services include food, shelter,
and utility assistance as well as multiple resources for job training, interview readiness, and
countless others (Michigan 2-1-1, n.d.). Unfortunately, while there are many services available to
residents of Lake County, the majority of those are provided where extensive travel would be
required. Therefore, these resources are not reasonable and are inadequate.
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There are also many other well-known resources that are available in the area for those
who are living in poverty such as the Department of Human Services (DHS) and Michigan
Works. Community services available include food pantries, churches, and commodities
(Michigan 2-1-1, n.d.). While there are a large number of services available for those living in
poverty, it is concerning that the majority of those services provide only short term help for those
in need. One might say that the services available to assist those in poverty are adequate;
however services aimed at decreasing poverty are inadequate and nearly non-existent.
Since education or lack thereof is a major indicator for poverty, it can be presumed that
disciplines involving education at every level would be involved in addressing the issue of
poverty in Lake County. Social work involved with DHS would also be involved, along with
those disciplines involving community services like pastoral, secretarial, and of course health
care. With such a heavy population of those living in poverty, community programs involving
topics of health care are of vital importance. Currently, there is only one physician per 5,758
people, which equals two physicians for the entire county (District #10, 2013). This is evidence
that an increase in health care providers is needed.
Problem Statement
Risk of poverty among Lake County residents related to low levels of education as
demonstrated by District 10 health department statistical data. Causative factors of poverty
include: low levels of education, high unemployment rates, low household income, as well as
living in a rural area due to limited access to community resources. For change to occur, the
community must have easier access to available resources, as well as opportunities to better their
levels of education.
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According to the Lake County Master Plan (2012) the goal is to ensure that all students
receive an opportunity to further education by attending college (p.27). To achieve this goal,
Lake County will continue the scholarship program put forth by the Baldwin promise report. The
scholarship funds provide four years of tuition at an accredited Michigan college. Lake County
will also, expand and emphasize a college-going culture throughout the county, partner with
the Baldwin Rotary Club, Luther Lions Club, various veterans groups and other organizations
(Lake County Master Plan, 2012, p. 27). By the 2020 census, the goal is to double the number of
college graduates which will close the educational gap between Lake County and Michigans
benchmark.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Lake Countys demographics fall short when compared to Michigan as a
whole. A lack of education and employment tend to be leading causes of poverty. Moving
forward Lake Countys master plan involves developing educational opportunities that may
decrease future poverty rates. However, there remains a need for immediate interdisciplinary
collaboration to be successful.
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References
Camann, M. A., & Long, J. (2014). Health promotion with vulnerable population groups. Online
Journal of Cultural Competence in Nursing and Healthcare, 4, 29-37.
http://dx.doi.org/10.9730/ojccnh.org/v4n1a3
District Health Department #10. (2013). Health profile chart book 2013: Lake county (dhd10).
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
District Health Department 10. (2013). Lake county health profile summary 2013. Retrieved
from http://dhd10.org/images/Summary__Lake_Chartbook_Feb_25_2014.pdf
Harkness, G. A., & Demarco, R. (2012). Community and public health nursing: Evidence for
practice. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Kesleman, D., & Thomson, S. (2009). Poverty and health from the health system perspective.
Israeli Journal of Emergency Medicine, 9, 42-46. Retrieved from
http://isrjem.org/dec09_kesselman-poverty-postprod.pdf
Lake County Board of Commissioners (2012). Lake county master plan. Retrieved from
http://lakecounty-michigan.com/Portals/50/Lake%20County%20Master%20Plan%20-
%20WEB.pdf.
Michigan 2-1-1. (n.d.). http://www.referweb.net/call/