I live in the Midwood section of Flatbush. One observation that struck me as I surveyed my neighborhood, is the dichotomy of the population. I made my observation based on the quality of housing, transportation, individual dress and apparent daily activities. Housing: There are very rich people who live on the side streets in multimillion dollar homes, and there are lower income residents who live in rental apartments on the busy streets. Transportation: There are many late model luxury cars parked and traveling in the neighborhood, as well as some clunkers and busy bus stops. Dress: There are individuals who are dressed in high end clothing and there are others who dress more casually(euphemism). Daily activities: There are some who are strolling in and out of clothing boutiques and cafes holding their lattes and others who are hanging out by the laundromat and outside their apartment building. The limitations of my conclusions are that they were based on observation and internet data, I did not interview individuals nor did I check their tax returns.
One of the public health concerns that this dichotomy poses is that there is a local privately funded emergency response service that responds faster than city emergency response units. This service is supported by the wealthier segment of the local population. One issue is that this service is not accessible by dialing 911. Many of the lower income residents might not know about this service or how to reach them at a time when every second is crucial. Another issue which directly affects the lower income population is that the overall need for emergency services might not be reported properly, which can affect public funding for healthcare in the neighborhood. As a nurse I would educate my clients as to all the health services available in their community, even privately funded ones, and I would make sure they knew how to access these services.
