Public hospitals are straining under the burden of having to care for many of the poorest and sickest people in America. The health care problems of the nation's most disadvantaged include infectious diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis, as well as problems related to violence and lack of access to primary care. Urban hospitals are struggling to address the needs of the indigent, and to find alternatives for those who often rely on emergency rooms for routine care.
公立医院在照顾美国许多最贫困和病得最重的人方面不堪重负。美国最弱势群体的医疗保健问题包括艾滋病和结核病等传染病,以及与暴力和缺乏初级保健服务相关的问题。城市医院正在努力满足贫困人口的需求,并为那些经常依赖急诊室进行常规治疗的人寻找替代方案。