mckinneybyork
A windshield assessment is a very simple process for gathering…
A windshield assessment is a very simple process for gathering information about a neighborhood/community or region and can be the preliminary step to a community needs assessment. For healthcare administrators to be effective leaders, they must know and understand the community they serve. Often times, healthcare administrators must conduct community needs assessments for funding purposes therefore, this assignment involves surveying a neighborhood. Submit a narrative and provide with name, date and assignment title. One-inch margins, running head and pages numbered. You may include the pictures and map within the narrative or you may submit the pictures and map using PowerPoint slides.
Please follow the process described below to conduct the windshield assessment:
Process:
Select a rural or underserved neighborhood/community.
Do not select the neighborhood/community where live or one that is familiar to you. The objective is to explore a new area.
Allow an hour to an hour and a half and if possible, ask someone to drive you so that you can take notes and pictures. If you are unable to find someone to drive you, you may record your findings on your cell phone instead of writing it down and transcribe later. (Safety first)
It is recommended that you complete this during daylight hours especially in neighborhoods that you are not familiar to you.
Drive slowly from street to street and take notes or record the following:
Number of Churches
Are there grocery stores available to the community or only convenience stores?
Are there schools in the neighborhood and are they in good condition?
Are there business, social service offices available?
Is there a bus route through the neighborhood? If so, are the bus stops safe?
What health care facilities are available?
What government facilities are available? (Post offices, fire stations)
Are there walking trails or parks for the children? If so, are they in good condition? Do they appear to be safe?
What are some other areas of interest?
Take photos of the area and make note of the lay out. Make sure to include captions of the photos you take.
Once you are back home while the information about the neighborhood is still fresh on your mind:
Make a map of the area and place the sites that you found within the map. (you may use the pictures you gathered). You may also include these pictures in a powerpoint presentation. (Not a requirement)
Research the health care facilities, government facilities and other resource agencies on the internet and learn as much as you can about them. Discuss the services and facilities (or the lack of these services, facilities and resources) within your written assessment (narrative) of your findings.
In a narrative format answer the following questions:
What did you learn about the neighborhood that you didn’t know before?
Were there plenty of grocery stores?
Were there green areas/parks?
Were there sidewalks?
Did the neighborhood appear safe, i.e. unattended dogs, dilapidated buildings?
What resource service agencies are available in that neighborhood?
What services do these agencies provide based on your internet search?
Were there any health care facilities?
What can you deduce about health care access in that neighborhood based on your internet search?
What other interesting facts did you notice?
How can you utilize the information you discovered as a healthcare administrator?
Remember to include a map
Remember to include pictures with captions
