Reference no: EM133398170

Case: A community hospital decides to open a rural clinic to provide health care to the underserved rural population 25 miles away. The proposed site is in a small town with several small surrounding communities. The primary occupation is farming, with some small shops and one medium-sized grocery store. Most of the population does not have health care coverage. The hospital has determined that providing primary care is one solution to the poor health status of the population. The clinic will be staffed with one physician and two nurse practitioners, Monday through Friday from 7 am to 4 pm.

1. Which factors should be considered before opening the health care clinic? 
2. How will the Affordable Care Act affect the clinic?
3. What services could the clinic provide to the community that might help determine the allocation of the hospital's health care resources? 
4. Over the summer, the community experienced a severe pest infestation leading to an increase in demand for insecticide. At the same time, the clinic experienced an unpredicted demand for prenatal care of teenagers. In both cases, the demand for services increased. Explore the differences in economics between the demand for insecticide and the demand for prenatal care. 
5. A community resident is seen at the clinic by a nurse practitioner for maintenance of diabetes. After the practitioner gives the patient a prescription, the patient states, "Thanks doc, I think this will help control my blood sugars." When the nurse explains that she is a nurse practitioner and not a physician, the patient becomes angry, tears up the prescription, and begins yelling about not receiving appropriate care. The patient tells all his friends about "the nurse who pretended to be a doctor." Subsequently, appointments are cancelled and the clinic experiences a sharp decline in income. How did consumer knowledge affect the viability of the clinic? What could the clinic do to rectify the situation? 
6. A community resident is seen at the clinic for asthma. The resident is a 22-year-old college student who helps his father on the farm during the summer. As the nurse educates the patient on the effects of asthma and how to use the inhaler, the patient states, "I hope this doesn't cost much. I don't have a lot of spare money and my insurance ran out when I was 21." How should the nurse respond?