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2003 Healthy Hall Focus
Group Report -
Community
Priorities
A review of the eight focus
groups reveals some common priorities that stretch across demographic
and geographic differences.
Safe and structured activities for youth and children are a priority.
Multiple groups expressed concern about youth on the streets and too
little access to recreation or after-school activities.
Access to clean, safe parks for Hall Countians of all ages is a
priority. There seems to be a special desire for parks that can be
accessed from lower-income areas by walking. Inexpensive places for
family reunions are also an apparent need in the African American and
Latino communities.
Transportation is a growing need, especially for the elderly and those
in rural areas.
Worries about pollution, be it air quality, water quality, sewage runoff
or industrial discharges, surfaced in virtually every group. Many in the
groups also worry about losses of green spaces.
The need for churches to be greater resources for community action came
up in multiple groups. Those in the groups would like to see churches
provide more social services to youth and elderly and work to break down
cultural barriers.
Older Hall Countians are most concerned about traffic. Worries about the
growth of traffic were a priority in every group dominated by older
participants.
Health Care Issues
Access to essential health care services does not seem to be a major
issue in any group. Though some reported difficulty finding a doctor, no
one in the groups reported being denied care or being unable to find
care when needed. Whether by private physician, emergency department or
free clinic, meeting basic health care needs seems a low priority.
The cost of care, however, especially the cost of prescription
medications and the cost of insurance premiums, is a high priority. A
significant number in these groups feel priced out of the opportunity
for health insurance.
There seem to be continued opportunities to improve access to health
care among Latinos and immigrants by providing better education and
information on services and benefits. Confusion or lack of awareness
could be keeping many Hispanic Hall Countians away from available
resources.
Language and cultural differences remain a significant issue in Latino
interaction with health care services. Many Latinos may not understand
health care instructions. Others feel intimidated by the health care
system and stay away until problems become acute.
Physician office employees, perhaps more than physicians themselves,
influence satisfaction with physicians. The elderly, Latinos and African
Americans all described encountering perceived bias in the doctor’s
office, not from the doctors, but from their staffs.
Youth know the basics of healthy living, but do not necessarily practice
them. There seems to be little emphasis on physical fitness for youth
once they reach a certain age.
Marijuana is no longer defined as a drug and its use does not seem to
carry a social stigma among many youth.
Safety & Security Issues
Dealing with gang activity is a part of everyday life. Some fear it,
while others merely observe it as a symptom of the times. Youth seem to
view gangs as part of the fabric of youth culture-as normal as the
school baseball team. Many youth are quick to defend the “so-called
gangs” as mere clubs or associations. Fear of gangs seems most
pronounced among Latinos.
It appears that male youth are most likely to express fear of getting
beaten by gangs or being bullied at school. All such problems in the
groups were voiced by male youth.
There are mixed views of the role and reliability of police depending on
who you are and where you live. Those in South Hall are most likely to
praise the police. Latinos are most likely to express distrust of
police. Most youth express mixed views. There appear to be some basic
issues of trust and fairness that influence attitudes toward law
enforcement.
Most feel safe in their homes and in the community. Those least likely
to feel safe seem to be immigrants who have lived in Hall County only a
few years or less.
Community Connections
While virtually every group sees racism in the county, few see it as a
major current issue. Those who are older, who lived through the era of
Black struggle for civil rights have a different view, however. They are
more likely to see the cause and effects of “hidden racism” in the
community.
There seems to be little interaction between the races in social
settings. At school, at the Boys Club/Girls Club, and even at the
programs for seniors, separation by races seems to be the natural and
accepted order. This seems especially true for Latino youths.
Those living in South Hall who have moved to the county in recent years
are more likely to see themselves as residents of metro Atlanta, not
Hall County. Health care services, schools and churches help provide
essential connections to the community for these newcomers.
Views Of The Future
Based on the focus groups, Hall Countians appear to be optimistic about
the future. They see the county growing and have hopes for a brighter
future.
Worries over the war in Iraq were on the minds of most focus group
participants. Yet they expressed a great deal of optimism about their
community locally.
There are concerns about management of growth, especially in the
affluent South Hall area and in the lower-income areas like South
Gainesville. South Hall wants to protect their property values and fund
infrastructure. Those in South Gainesville want to see the development
of grocery stores and drug stores and single-family housing. Similarly,
those in Latino communities want to see the development of safe, quality
housing with sidewalks and play areas.
There is common concern about youth and a perceived loss of respect for
traditions and elders, and what this might mean for the future.
For More Information Contact:
Bill Stiles, President
Stiles Healthcare Strategy, Inc.
119 Hilldale Drive · Chattanooga, TN 37411
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Focus Group Table of Contents |
