2021 FL-DSSG Summer Internship

Barnabas provides health services, crisis assistance, and food programs to qualifying residents of Nassau County. Barnabas Center’s strategic plan includes helping people beyond their crisis through case management and programs focused on returning clients to self-sufficiency with hope and happiness in their future. Barnabas Center offers medical and dental services, including primary, preventative, and behavioral healthcare. Health services are offered to patients who are at 200% or below the Federal Poverty Level income guidelines. The center also operates the largest food pantry in Nassau County, provides subsidies to cover rent and utilities, and runs a resale store for clothing and household goods.

The wicked social problem tackled in this project is healthcare overspending due to emergency department (ED) over-utilization. The majority of the emergency visits are avoidable and could have taken place in a lower-cost primary care setting, like the health services provided by Barnabas Center. Sadly, the cost of ED visits is more than a financial issue. When patients seek preventative care in an acute care setting, there are qualitative drawbacks as well. When patients utilize the ED, the relationship built with a provider, continuity of care, and routine service delivery is impeded. The United States spends dramatically more than any other Nation on healthcare; however, the outcomes are far worse. These striking facts underscore the pervasiveness and pressing nature of the social problem. Barnabas is determined to combat this problem by ensuring that Nassau residents have access to affordable primary care as an alternative to visiting the ED or being hospitalized unnecessarily.

This DSSG project assists Barnabas with analyzing the impacts of medical and dental services. The important questions Barnabas seeking answers to are: what is the percentage change in ED visits/admissions of established Barnabas patients over one year, what is the estimated cost savings with avoidance of ED visits by Barnabas patients, what percentage of established patients (with an office visit within one year) were visited the ED or were admitted to the hospital, how do Barnabas percentages compare with national averages, and what percentage of current patients (seen within the last year) fall into the category of high ED users. Answers to these questions would help in determining the effectiveness of health services offered by the Barnabas Center. The project findings would help Barnabas develop a more targeted intervention for keeping Nassau residents out of the hospital for preventable causes.

The League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVFL) encourages informed and active participation in government, increases understanding of major policy issues, and advocates for legislative changes and policies for the public good. The League is strictly nonpartisan and never endorses candidates or political parties. The League is open to both men and women, with over 29 active local Leagues statewide.

The League of Women Voters of Florida’s mission is to empower voters and defend democracy. The core activities of the League focuses on ensuring voting rights and education. In 2020, the League increased Vote-By-Mail requests and usage of early voting sites and ballot drop boxes. The League produced 250,000+ printed voter guides and made 308,000+ Get Out The Vote phone calls and texts. All of this increased voter turnout statewide, working through 29 chapters.

The League is seeking assistance from FL-DSSG to analyze voter participation and turnout in Florida. The League would like to know the following: which areas of the state had the lowest voter turnout and why, why did register voters not vote, what would make Florida citizens feel compelled to register to vote and also vote, and what is the best way to reach non-voters.