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MCP Thesis

Geographic Access to Primary Healthcare

Access to Primary Health Care is associated with overall better individual and community health outcomes.​ Understanding what barriers impede access, is important in implementing more effective interventions.  One barrier often listed is transportation.  However, when measuring the level of access in a community, assessments typically only base their measurements on what is accessible by car.

 

In this project,  potential access to primary healthcare is measured and compared by car and by bus.  This comparison can help provide a more holistic view on geographic access and can also help with identifying disparities that could have otherwise been overlooked. 

Laura Mendez Ortiz 
Dr. Na Chen | Committee Chair 
Dr. Farrah Jacquez | Committee Member
 

Maps are an essential tool for Planners to be able to decipher through complex data and identify the underlying problems and trends in a community.  Maps help them take a complicated issue and convey it in a clear, logical, and relatable way.

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Through the interactive platform ArcGIS Story Map, users are immersed in this process through this project.  Users are walked through a series of maps, where they are given the ability to explore the maps and reflect on what the data means to them.  

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Instruction:

  • Scroll down until the top of the black page aligns with the top, then click on the smaller scroll bar and the page should stick. It will then allow you to scroll through the StoryMap. If the content does not fit on the screen,  press [ctrl -] and that should allow the screen to zoom out. 

  • Scroll slowly, as the maps may lag.

  • Additional instructions will be given throughout, but here are the basic buttons on each map:

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  •               Legend/Key

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  •               Zoom in (+) Zoom out (-)

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  •                Return to Default Map Extent

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  •                Navigate to an address or place 

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Laura Mendez Ortiz

Laura will be graduating this summer with her Master of Community Planning. Her background is in Environmental Studies and International Affairs. She is currently working for OKI Regional Council of Governments as an Intern in their Transportation Modeling Team. She has previously worked for the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission and the City of Cincinnati Department of Economic Inclusion.  

University of Cincinnati

School of Planning

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5470 Aronoff
University of Cincinnati
PO Box 210016
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0016

P 513-556-4943
F 513-556-1274

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