Kristie Wyatt, MPH
UNC Greensboro School of Health and Human Sciences
Community Assessment
Community Assessments provide public health practitioners valuable information for problem or asset identification, policy development, implementation, and program evaluation.
Reflection
I have been conducting various forms of assessment for most of my career. What stands out the most to me in terms of my growth is my approach to formal interviewing. My preferred style of interviewing is casual and conversation based, building connections and encouraging people to be open with me, and ultimately providing a rich narrative of their experience. This process can require lengthy investment and needs the trust of the community member being interviewed. However, this less structured approach has a downside; it makes it more difficult to ensure that I am asking the same questions of each interviewee. Knowing this, I intentionally placed myself in situations where I would be forced to practice formal interviewing so that I could integrate this skill into my practice. One example of this is during Community Health Assessment (HEA 603). I worked with a team to conduct a community health assessment where I chose to conduct a formally structured interview with a partner. I asked my partner in advance if she would be willing to provide me feedback on how I conducted the interview, so that I could improve. I used this feedback to better prepare for the formal interviews I would later conduct during my internship.
Evidence of Competency
Background
In HEA 603 I worked with a team to conduct a multi-stage community health assessment of zip code 27263 in Guilford County, NC, also known as the Bakertown/Springfield community. Our three-month long project consisted of a windshield tour, walking audit, community interviews, socio-demographic profile, health profile, and resource mapping.
Methods
My team began the assessment process by organizing a windshield tour of the zip code to identify a community and note its borders. We carefully documented the natural borders, conditions, and important spaces in the neighborhood
We conducted an audit that included a detailed description of important resources and characteristics
We then compiled the information into an interactive map that would allow us to identify patterns within the community.
Each of us led personal interviews of community members and identified leaders. I personally interviewed (1) a local Quaker woman and long-time member of Springfield Friends Meeting, who provided a rich cultural history, and (2) the head of a local Community Recreation Center, who identified key health problems in the area
We prepared both a socio-demographic and health profile
We presented our findings in a presentation and final report
Results
After piecing together all of the narratives and data, we were able to identify several overarching themes such as the declining furniture market, low access to affordable food, increasing poverty, and a lack of transportation within the community. Many people who have lived here all their lives, do not want to leave the community, but they are struggling to find work. Throughout this process, we have repeatedly heard from residents that they experience a strong sense of community. We also found that there is a wealth of community resources available, but many were overlapping, underfunded, or poorly attended.
It was our recommendation that community leaders come together to increase knowledge of what other organizations are doing around them, and to form a coalition that will work towards their shared goals. In order to further this assessment and provide viable recommendations for the community, additional research and community involvement is needed.
One shortcoming of this assessment is that we did not have the opportunity to learn about the growing immigration population, even though we heard reference to it in several interviews, and the Asian population is experiencing an elevated rate of poverty. The presence of the “drug market” and the impact this has on the area is not fully developed either. Some interviewees referenced social issues that may be related to a “drug market” such as gun violence and prostitution. Our data do not support this relationship directly, but this information did prompt additional research into opioid use in the area, which showed a drastic increase in overdoses compared to other areas in North Carolina. Our team determined that this is a topic of concern that should be investigated further.