Tarrant County Texas -- Health Trends, Madison Thorpe

By Madison Thorpe

I had the opportunity to interview Donald Fisher, the Workforce and Development Coordinator. He works at the Tarrant County Health Department, located in the Dallas-Forth Worth area of north Texas.

STDs

Sexually transmitted diseases are a definite concern for the entire nation; government funds are allocated according to the population and their specific needs. Tarrant County, located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, receives more funding because there are so many people located in the metroplex. These funds go towards helping clients prevent and treat sexually transmitted diseases. Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are the most prominent diseases in the area and are on the rise. The reason STDs are such a huge concern is because they can cause serious consequences for pregnant women and their babies, which affects the communities overall quality of health.

Diabetes and Obesity

Diabetes and obesity are also an important matter in the area. Texas as a state is one of the more obese states in the country, so it is extremely imperative to the people of Tarrant County. These concerns stem from lifestyle behaviors, such as high fat diets and lack of exercise. One major solution is simply to educate the people of healthy alternatives. New national initiatives such as Choose My Plate and Health People 2020 were developed to teach people better ways to live. This is to extend life expectancy and improve overall quality of life.

Cardiac Arrest and Stroke

Cardiac arrest and stroke are chronic diseases that obesity and poor lifestyle choices are the root of. People need to take preventative measures in order to avoid having cardiac problems. One extremely important thing is exercise; if we start exercising at a young age it becomes a habit and we will be more likely to continue exercising throughout adulthood. Another factor is smoking; by implementing new laws prohibiting smoking in public areas the community’s health will increase. These laws are part of a public health initiative to increase quality of life in Tarrant County.

Cancer

Cancer is a problem that affects people nationwide; in Tarrant County the health department does everything in its capacity to help cancer clients. Financial situation definitely influences the degree of how much the health department can help a client, but they are there to help everyone in the community. The health department provides services to care for a patient, but if they are unable to then they will refer the patient to other facilities in order to follow the patient through to the end of their necessary treatment. Their main goal is to make sure that every client that comes in is receiving the required treatments, no matter whom they are obtaining them from. One way they accomplish this is through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program; through this program, which works with other agencies, clients can get much-needed treatments. The public health department truly wants to improve the health of everyone in their stewardship.

Infant Mortality Rate

Infant mortality is an ongoing issue we are constantly trying to improve. In 2010 the state of Texas on average had a less infant deaths, or a lower infant mortality rate, than the national average. Tarrant County in particular consistently had more deaths though. There are many influences on this statistic, making it hard to improve. In order to better the infant mortality rate, overall health of the population must be bettered. This rate can be influenced by infections, premature birth, delivery complications, etc.