It is difficult for me to understand the reasons for which our own country seemingly cannot help its own people. The United States has financially assisted numerous other nations. It is my position that our own government should be responsible to its own populace prior to assisting or interfering with others. Healthcare initiatives should be focused upon the special needs of the homeless population.

Many organizations and researchers have assessed the needs of this growing population. Much of the research available focuses

Healthcare professionals need to become active in their community. Through awareness and involvement, we become educated to the health needs of this and other populations. It is imperative that each of us have professional and political affiliations so that we can influence society. It is simply not enough to treat the ill. Today?s healthcare provider needs to focus their attention on preventative measures to make the largest impact.

Sobel and Healy (2001) found the following elements should be met in order to meet the needs of this special population: Healthcare initiatives need to be accessible, family centered, continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate and culturally competent. Weinreb et al. (1998) found in their study, ?homelessness is an independent predictor of poor health status and high service use among children. The present findings highlight the importance of preventative interventions and efforts to increase access to primary care among homeless children.? These particular studies focused upon the key needs, questions, abilities and available community resources.

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