Running head: WINDSHIELD SURVEY 1

Windshield Survey - Sentinel City

Sarah White

Florida Gateway College

WINDSHIELD SURVEY 2

Sentinel City is an urban city consisting of four neighborhood communities: Industrial

Heights, Nightingale Square, Acer Tech Center and Casper Park District with a total reported

population of 663,862. I explored Sentinel City both by bus and on foot and I discovered that as I

traveled through the neighborhoods, there was no official distinction of leaving one community

and entering the next community as there are no visual signs announcing the names of each area

or neighborhood. However, you could differentiate the neighborhoods based on upkeep and

cleanliness, as the more affluent communities of Nightingale Square and Acer Tech Center

appeared to be better kept and more attractive. These higher-income neighborhoods also had

access to parks, grocery stores, fruit and vegetable stands, the senior living center, the

community center, restaurants, the Healthcare system facility, museums and city government

buildings.

Most of the housing structures I encountered in Sentinel City appeared to be older, multi-

level buildings made of concrete or brick. I did not observe any single-family residence homes

with yards. Some of the apartment buildings had storefronts attached, while others were solely

utilized for housing. I did see a large building under construction with signage for a

Redevelopment Housing Project site in Industrial Heights, the neighborhood with the lowest

median household income. I observed areas in this neighborhood with considerable graffiti on

the buildings, boarded windows, broken-down cars on the street, and garbage piled near

buildings. These areas also seemed to have more animal activity, such as dogs and cats roaming

freely and rats running around the garbage piles.

In the most densely populated neighborhood of Casper Park District, where the median

income is $80,134, there is currently an affordable housing project site which appears to be well-

maintained and with minimal crime occurring on the premises. Casper Park District also has one
WINDSHIELD SURVEY 3

of the only grassy areas I encountered in Sentinel City, however it appears to have been used for

a dump site as there is a prison work crew on the premises cleaning the trash, building supplies,

and old barrels from the area. The only other landmark in Casper Park District is the ABC

Daycare.

During my windshield survey of Sentinel City, I observed the following areas of concern.

Firstly, the number of garbage piles around the different areas of the city was alarming. While

most prevalent in the lower socio-economic areas of Industrial Heights and Casper Park District,

garbage piles were also found in a few areas in Nightingale Square. Rats, along with unleashed

dogs and cats, were often found around the garbage piles, which pose a public health risk for the

transmission of diseases such as rabies, salmonella, and flea-borne typhus (Centers for Disease

Control, 2017).

Another health concern I identified in Sentinel City was the lack of outdoor areas for

exercise and recreation. Only one park was encountered in the city, located in Nightingale

Square, but there are many complaints that the park is unclean and overrun by homeless persons.

According to the CDC, only half of all adults get the physical activity they need to help reduce

and prevent chronic diseases (Centers for Disease Control, 2019). Building active and walkable

communities in areas like Industrial Heights and Casper Park District could potentially improve

the health and benefit these neighborhoods by helping to increase levels of retail economic

activity and employment, increase property values, support neighborhood revitalization, and

reduce health care costs for residents in the area (Centers for Disease Control, 2019).

The third health concern I encountered was the increased percentages of uninsured

persons living in Industrial Heights and Casper Park District. These neighborhoods also have the

highest percentage of children under 18 years of age. The Better Health Clinic located in
WINDSHIELD SURVEY 4

Industrial Heights does not appear to provide medical care for children in this underserved area.

Children who are uninsured or underinsured, are often unwell and undernourished, or miss too

many school days because of chronic illnesses like asthma which could be controlled by

medication (Edelman, 2017). Wellness affects a child’s ability to grow, learn, play and succeed.

Children who cannot focus due to a painful cavity or those who don’t have glasses they need to

see the chalkboard or hearing aids to hear their teachers’ lessons are less likely succeed in the

classroom and in the world (Edelman, 2017).

The uninsured population in Sentinel City, specifically in Industrial Heights and Casper

Park District, are at risk for facing barriers to access to quality health care, increased incidence of

preventable conditions, and poorer health outcomes than those who have health insurance

(Orgera & Artiga, 2018). Lack of insurance is one of the primary barriers to health care access in

our society due to the fact that healthcare costs are extremely high in our country (Orgera &

Artiga, 2018). Areas with higher uninsured populations would likely benefit from educational

outreach events by the community health nurse regarding wellness promotion topics such as

exercise, nutrition, and infection control measures (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014). Help with

accessing medical assistance or insurance such as Medicaid or the Health Insurance Marketplace,

transportation to medical facilities, and access to preventative care, including oral health would

benefit this population and the community health nurse could facilitate referrals to the

appropriate agencies to provide this assistance (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014). The community

health nurse could also provide no-cost immunizations to the uninsured adult and child

population to decrease their risk for contracting communicable diseases (Stanhope & Lancaster,

2014). Finally, the community health nurse could conduct screening clinics to assess for

conditions such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and tuberculosis and provide referrals to
WINDSHIELD SURVEY 5

free/affordable health clinics for patients who are in need of treatment or follow-up (Stanhope &

Lancaster, 2014).
WINDSHIELD SURVEY 6

References

Centers for Disease Control. (2017). Diseases from rodents. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/rodents/diseases/

Centers for Disease Control. (2019). Why It Matters - Physical Activity. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/about-physical-activity/why-it-matters.html

Edelman, M. W. (2017). Vision. Retrieved from http://www.insureallchildren.org/vision/

Orgera, K., & Artiga, S. (2018, August 08). Disparities in Health and Health Care: Five Key

Questions and Answers. Retrieved from https://www.kff.org/disparities-policy/issue-

brief/disparities-in-health-and-health-care-five-key-questions-and-answers/

Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2014). Foundations of Nursing in the Community: Community-

Oriented Practice (4th ed.). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier.