Cataracts are eye lens clouding, which in most situations is highly normal due to ageing. Some of the cases are not that important, so no medication is required, whilst others need clouding to be eliminated by surgery. With the final effects of better vision, the removal of cataracts by surgery is usually successful and healthy. That is typically achieved where vision deprivation has a major effect on the lives of patients (NIE, 2010). Only New York Community Hospital performs Marine Park cataract surgery.
The Community Problem:
Accessing Cataracts Treatment
Data from the National Eye Institute suggest that the eye stops at the age of 40 years with cataracts (NEI, 2010). Statistics at the Marine Park county level indicate that 15,991 out of 33, 845 persons are vulnerable to this disorder (Weichert, 2015). The informants acknowledged in the interview segment that accessibility to the care of cataracts is an issue (Refer to Interview Section). New York Community Hospital is the only health centre in the region available for cataract surgery. The human resources of the facility is not adequate for cataracts to be scanned and handled. As it is hereditary and at the same time induced by sunlight penetration, the increase in cases of cataracts could be large in the immediate future.
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Target Population
The goal demographic is people aged 40 years of age, taking into account the younger population that might have been injured by the illness. The goal population is about 15, 9911, according to the Marine Park county population estimates (Weichert, 2015). The target population stipulated is the number of the Marine Park population that is above 40 years of age (NIE, 2010).
Goals of the Project
The project’s primary aim is to guarantee that people with cataracts have access to care (Healthy People 2020, 2012). The project’s first target is to ensure the production of benchmark evidence in relation to the community suffering from cataracts. The second goal is to see that institutions are developed in the area and qualified human resource put in place so as to ensure effectiveness. The third goal of the project will be to see that this population has the access to the facilities and services that will ensure that the cataracts are treated. The project aims to put forth information to the public in relation to cataracts with the aim to ensure prevention of some of the preventable cases. The project also aims to put measures through which accountability and effectiveness will be ensured in all the project processes (Healthy People 2020, 2012).
Healthy People Leading Health Indicators to be Addressed
The Healthy People Health Indicators to be addressed are Access to Health Services and Environmental Quality. The project aims to improve access on the cataracts health services. It also aims to create awareness creation on how the sun rays (Environmental Issue) impacts on the eyes (NYCPedia, 2013). The project will achieve the goal through development of additional health centers that specializes in the cataracts treatment. In return, costs in relation to treatment are will be reduced and the same time the geographical distance will be reduced. The project will improve the number of qualified physicians in the area (Healthy People 2020, 2012). The implementation of the project will improve access to health services (Leading Indicator 1).
Partners
The partners for the project will be the local community, the county government, the state and the federal government. Interested professional, more so in the health field will also be considered for partnership. The already existing health centers and bodies that have been working in the field of health will be approached too for partnership. The partnership will be done at all levels of the community with both the locals and the community leaders being involved. The major aim of this will be to ensure sustainability of the project such that it may exist even after the exit project is conducted (County of Marin, 2014).
Potential Funding
The potential funders will be in the global, regional and local levels. The global level will include approaching the intergovernmental bodies like the World Health Organization, UNESCO among others. Another potential funder will be the federal government of the United States. We hope for contributions and grants from the U.S. federal government as the initiative seeks to help its people. This can be provided through the platforms like the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality funding and grants (AHRO, 2015). This will also apply to the state and county government. Additional funds will be expected through donation from the locals who will be willing.
Evaluation Process
The effectiveness of the project will be determined by first the production of the baseline data. The baseline data will be the first and the most important milestone that should be achieved. The relation of this data to the already existing data will determine the eligibility of the data. In general, the project success will be determined by the number of people that visit the health centers. It will also be evaluated by the reduction of the cataracts cases in the Marine park community (National Association of Realtors, 2015).
Future Plans
There will be additional funding that will be expected to support the day to day running of the program for a given period of time. The funding can be from donations, well wishers and through the government giving the necessary equipments. The future plan for the project is that it be owned by the government and the community in the near future. The project’s feasibility can be assured by including the public in all decision-making activities. The government will also be forced to bring in human resource and pay them as an exit program as it is passed to the government. There will be some charges that are charged for the services, but the charges will be relatively little compared to those charged from the other health centers (Silvius & Tharp, 2013).
List of Activities Timetable
| Activities/ Timetable | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Awareness Creation | * | |||||||||||
| Baseline Data Collection | * | |||||||||||
| Development of Temporary Health Centers | * | * | * | |||||||||
| Start of Cataracts Treatment | * | * | ||||||||||
| Monitoring and Evaluation | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| Project Adjustment | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * |
Outcomes
As a result, project participants will enable the impact of the project to be felt in the community. The cases of cataracts will be reduced through prevention and treatment thus making Marine Park a cataract free community.
Evaluation
| Activities | Anticipated Outcome | Quantitative Measure |
| Awareness Creation | Marine Park population of age 40 years and above to be aware of the proposed project. | The number of people that will participate in activities. |
| Baseline Data Collection | All the community members at age 40 and above will participate.
|
The number of community members who participates in the baseline data collection. |
| Development of Temporary Health Centers | There will be six health centers developed in different areas of Marine Park community. | The number of health centers built in the Marine Park community by the project. |
| Start of Cataracts Treatment | From the interview conducted 43 out of 50 households have cataracts patients. Total number of households is 11, 544.
Therefore; 43/ 50 x 11, 544 Anticipated number= 9,927 people |
The number of people that come for cataract treatment. |
| Monitoring and Evaluation | The projects will be monitored and evaluated throughout the project. | The number of M&E forms filled. |
| Correction on the Project | That there will be changes in the project to make it suitable in the real situation. | The number of times that changes has occurred on the project’s master plan. |
Budget
| Item | Number | Total Amount |
| Six ophthalmologists | 8 hours x $ 30 x 225 days | $54, 000 |
| Four Awareness Creators | 8 hours x $ 40x 30 days | $ 9,600 |
| Six Data Collectors | 8 hours x $ 30 x 27 days | $6, 480 |
| Six Temporary Health Centers Construction | 6x $ 10, 000 | $ 60,000 |
| M&E Activities | 10 specialists x $40 x 360 | $ 144,000 |
| Treatment Instruments | 6 x $ 200, 000 | $ 1, 200,000 |
| Total | US$ 1,474,080 | |
References
- AHRO (2015). Funding and Grants. Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/funding/
- County of Marin (2014). Health and Wellness Services. Retrieved from http://www.marincounty.org/residents/health-wellness
- Healthy People 2020 (2012). Helping Improve Access to Health Services. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/healthy-people-in-action/story/helping-improve- access-to-health-services
- National Association of Realtors (2015).Lifestyle and Demographics. Retrieved from http://www.realtor.com/local/Marine-Park_New-York_NY/lifestyle
- NIE (2010). Cataracts. https://www.nei.nih.gov/eyedata/cataract#1
- NYC Pedia (2013) Education in Marine Park. Retrieved from http://nyc.pediacities.com/Resource/Education/Marine_Park
- Silvius, G., & Tharp, J. (2013). Sustainability integration for effective project management. Hershey: IGI Global.
- Weichert (2015). Marine Park Brooklyn, NY overview. Retrieved from http://www.weichert.com/search/community/neighborhood.aspx?hood=5373
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