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Healthcare

and Public

Transport

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YOUR PRESENTERS

Finance and Marketing

Biology and Business Administration

Angeline Pham

Catalina Vasquez

Honors Biomedical Sciences

Nabeeha Hasan

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INTRODUCTION

OBJECTIVES

METHODOLOGY

A FUTURE LOOK

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Research Question, Key Terms, & Related Content

Importance & �Research Objectives

Research Methods & Sample Procedure

Applications & �Further Research

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INTRODUCTION

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OUR INSPIRATION: DR. SUSAN ROGERS

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Day 1 - Inequality in Houston: Challenges and Opportunities

  • Her message about traveling all the way from her neighborhood in Northeast to the West side of Houston for quality healthcare resonated with us
    • Highlighted the issue of an inequitable healthcare distribution in our city

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How efficient are the public transportation routes between minority-populated cancer clusters and quality healthcare centers?

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CANCER CLUSTER

QUALITY HEALTHCARE CENTER

Based on the guidelines set by the US News and World Report (“Best Hospitals”, 2021)

“Greater-than-expected number of cancer cases that occurs within a group of people in a geographic area over a period of time” (CDC, 2019)

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  1. Downtown
  2. Second Ward
  3. Greater Fifth Ward
  4. Houston Gardens
  5. Kashmere Gardens
  1. UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
  2. Houston Methodist
  3. Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor St Luke's Medical Center
  4. Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center

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KEY TERMS

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CURRENT EVENTS

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(Douglas, December 2019)

(Douglas, July 2020)

(Walker, December 2019)

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Starbird et al. 2019

RELEVANT STUDIES

Zullig et al. 2012

  • Outlines the impact of having access to public transportation and highlights the lack of support for African-American communities.
  • Compiled findings from multiple studies to determine that access to public transportation is pertinent to good health outcomes.
  • Recognized that most users of these services are African-American.
  • Explores the link between owning vehicles and proper access to cancer healthcare for Veterans
  • Concludes in support of finding more equitable access to public healthcare
  • Highlights the impact that transportation has on cancer outcomes in disadvantaged communities.

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IMPORTANCE & OBJECTIVES

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IMPORTANCE

  • Cancer clusters are dominated by minority and low-income communities relying on public transportation to access quality healthcare centers.
  • Emphasizes the need to consider marginalized communities when making financing decisions regarding transit and healthcare.
  • Findings can influence government bodies and leaders to reevaluate whether current public transportation availability caters to the medical needs of cancer patients in these communities.

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RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

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Identify major cancer clusters in the Houston Metropolitan area

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Trace METRO routes from cancer cluster neighborhoods to quality healthcare centers

Evaluate the accessibility and efficiency of routes for minority communities seeking cancer care

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METHODOLOGY

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RESEARCH METHODS

  • Overlaying maps indicating cancer cluster areas with METRO maps showing transportation routes
  • Analyze bus route accessibility, variability, and efficiency using three parameters:
  • Number of routes
  • Walking distance to bus stops
  • Total travel time

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Sample Procedure: Kashmere Gardens

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(Texas Department of State Health Services, 2020)

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A FUTURE LOOK

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APPLICATIONS & FUTURE DIRECTIONS

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Public transport vs. Private transport

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Route durations at different departure times

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Are there more cancer clusters in Houston?

Ethnic disparities in cancer occurrences

Other reasons behind �cancer clusters

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Possible Causes

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  • Water pollution
  • Air pollution
  • Poor nutrition - food insecurity �& food deserts
  • Low income - lack of access to luxuries
  • Unemployment
  • Lack of education

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Recent Reports

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“...contain the creosote beneath the site that is already in the groundwater…”

“...airborne vapors and contaminated dust could be responsible for some incidents of cancer.”

(Dougherty, 2021)

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RESOURCES

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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Questions?

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Thank you to Dr. Bettinger, Dr. Long, Professor Becker, and seminar group members for their support, guidance, and feedback

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