Health Care Disparities: Nurses Need to CareThe U.S. government spent $2.3 billion in 2010 on initiatives and federally funded health programs according to a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Sanitation. Human Services (2008). Despite this astronomical amount of money, health disparities continue to plague underserved populations in the United States. A health disparity is defined as differences in incidence, mortality, prevalence, disease burden, and adverse health conditions that occur in specific population groups in the United States (National Institutes of Health, 2010). These differences occur as a result of culture, race, and geographic location, as well as socioeconomic status (Andrews and Boyle, 2008). Health disparities affect racial and ethnic minorities, low-income groups, women, children, older adults, rural residents, and individuals with disabilities and special care needs (National Institutes of Health, 2010). Health disparities result in inadequate health care for affected populations with significant medical problems. Inadequate health care delivered prematurely ultimately requires increased interventions to address worsening problems and also increases health care costs for individuals, families, and communities (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). One way to decrease the prevalence of health deterioration for any population is by using preventative care measures (Andrews and Boyle, 2008). The use of preventive care allows significant problems to be identified early and addressed while they are still minor (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). This strategy is often more cost-effective and requires...... middle of paper......lth Assessment of the Status and Needs of Native Americans in Maine: Final Report Augusta, Maine: Department of Health and of Maine Human Services. Retrieved from http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/phdata/Non%20DHP%20Pdf%20Doc/Health_Status_Needs_Assessment_Native_Americans_2000.pdfNational Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. (2010). Health disparities defined in Washington, DC: US ​​Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://crchd.cancer.gov/disparities/fined.htmlProviders Guide to Quality and Culture. (2005). Techniques for making a story: The Spirit takes you and you fall. http://erc.msh.org/aapi/tt4.html.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2008). National Health Disparities Report Washington, DC: US ​​Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr08/nhdr08.pdf