| Course | HCS 245 Introduction to Health and Disease (HCS/245) |
|---|---|
| Week | 3 |
| Paper type | Prevention case study memo |
| Length | about 1,032 words, 4 double-spaced pages plus title page and references |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | University of Phoenix |
| Program | BS in Health Administration |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for HCS 245 Week 3
A Memo to the Executive Director: Recommending an On-Site Shingles Vaccination Program for the 410 Residents of a Retirement Community
[Student Name]
University of Phoenix
HCS/245: Introduction to Health and Disease
Week 3 Assignment
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The retirement community, its residents and costs are composites written for a model paper; vaccine evidence and recommendations come from the sources listed.
To: Executive Director
From: Director of Wellness Services
Date: August 12
Subject: Recommendation for an on-site shingles vaccination program this fall
Recommendation
I recommend that we hold an on-site shingles vaccination clinic for all interested residents this fall, offering the recombinant zoster vaccine in two doses two to six months apart, in partnership with our contracted pharmacy. The program would cost our community about $4,200 in staff time and supplies, with vaccine costs billed to residents' Medicare prescription plans.
The Problem
Our wellness nurse recorded 11 cases of shingles among our 410 residents in the past year. Three residents developed nerve pain lasting more than three months, and one required hospitalization. A survey of resident records found that only 31% had documented shingles vaccination.
What Shingles Is
Shingles is caused by reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox, which remains dormant in nerve tissue after childhood infection. As immunity declines with age, the virus can reactivate as a painful rash along one side of the body. Its most feared complication is postherpetic neuralgia, nerve pain that can last months or years.
Why Our Residents Are at Risk
Risk rises sharply with age and with conditions or medicines that weaken the immune system. Our residents' average age is 81. A review of the medication list kept by our wellness office shows 38 residents taking steroids, chemotherapy, biologic drugs for arthritis or transplant medicines, all of which blunt the immune response that normally keeps the virus quiet. Residents in our assisted living wing also have more chronic illness than those in independent apartments, and a painful rash with weeks of poor sleep can tip a frail resident into a fall.
The Evidence for the Vaccine
Lal et al. (2015) conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the recombinant, adjuvanted zoster subunit vaccine in more than 15,000 adults aged 50 and older and found an efficacy against shingles of 97.2%, with efficacy similar across age groups, including those 70 and older. Reactions at the injection site and short-term symptoms such as fatigue and muscle pain were more common with the vaccine than with placebo.
The National Recommendation
Dooling et al. (2018) reported the recommendations of the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices: a two-dose series of the recombinant vaccine for adults 50 and over whose immune systems work normally, including those who previously had shingles or received the older live vaccine, and a preference for the recombinant vaccine over the live vaccine. Anderson et al. (2022) reported a later committee vote extending the two-dose series to adults 19 and older whose immunity is weakened by disease or therapy, which covers several of our residents on cancer or anti-rejection medicines.
Level of Prevention
Vaccination is primary prevention: it prevents the disease from occurring. Preventing a case of shingles in an 81-year-old resident prevents weeks of pain, possible months of nerve pain and, for some, the loss of independence that follows a hospital stay.
What Shingles Costs Us Now
Shingles does not stay a private medical matter in a community like ours. Last year the 11 cases generated extra wellness nurse visits, meal delivery to apartments for residents too uncomfortable to reach the dining room, two temporary moves into assisted living and one hospital discharge that required a skilled nursing stay before the resident could return. Residents with an active rash also had to avoid contact with neighbors who had never had chickenpox or who had weakened immunity, which disrupted group activities for weeks. Families called to ask why nothing was being done. These costs fall on our staff and our reputation even though the vaccine itself is billed to insurance.
Option One: Do Nothing
Residents could seek vaccination on their own. This has kept our rate at 31%, and residents with limited mobility rarely go.
Option Two: Refer to Pharmacies
We could give residents a letter recommending vaccination at a pharmacy. This costs little but relies on transportation and follow-through for two doses.
Option Three: On-Site Clinic
Our contracted pharmacy would vaccinate residents on site on two scheduled days, with the second dose two to six months later. Convenience should raise uptake and second-dose completion.
Costs and Billing
Under Medicare Part D, recommended adult vaccines such as the shingles vaccine are now covered without cost sharing, so most residents would pay nothing out of pocket. The pharmacy bills plans directly. Our costs: nurse time for education and consent, about $2,600; space and supplies, $600; communication materials, $1,000.
Consent and Education
Residents will receive a plain-language information sheet and the federal Vaccine Information Statement. The wellness nurse will hold two information sessions. Consent will be documented by the pharmacy, with a copy in our wellness records. Residents with dementia will be vaccinated only with consent from their legal representative.
Side Effects and Safety
Residents will be told to expect a sore arm and possibly a day of fatigue or aches. Vaccination will be scheduled so no resident receives it just before a major event. Staff will observe residents for 15 minutes afterward.
Staff Vaccination
We will also offer information to staff aged 50 and older, who can be vaccinated through their own coverage.
Timeline
September: information sessions and consent. October: first-dose clinic. March: second-dose clinic. April: report to you on results.
Measures
Share of residents vaccinated with the first dose, target 70%. Share completing both doses, target 90% of those starting. Shingles cases over the next two years compared with the 11 last year.
Risks
Some residents may decline. Some may miss the second dose if hospitalized; the pharmacy will offer catch-up visits.
Why Now
Fall is a natural time to add this to our existing influenza clinic planning, and residents already expect vaccination events in October.
Next Steps for Your Approval
Approve the program and the $4,200 budget. Authorize me to finalize dates with the pharmacy. Approve the information letter to residents and families.
Conclusion
An on-site two-dose clinic offers our residents strong protection against a painful disease common at their age, at modest cost to us and little or none to them.
References
Anderson, T. C., Masters, N. B., Guo, A., Shepersky, L., Leidner, A. J., Lee, G. M., Kotton, C. N., & Dooling, K. L. (2022). Use of recombinant zoster vaccine in immunocompromised adults aged ≥19 years: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, United States, 2022. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 71(3), 80-84. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7103a2
Dooling, K. L., Guo, A., Patel, M., Lee, G. M., Moore, K., Belongia, E. A., & Harpaz, R. (2018). Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for use of herpes zoster vaccines. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 67(3), 103-108. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6703a5
Lal, H., Cunningham, A. L., Godeaux, O., Chlibek, R., Diez-Domingo, J., Hwang, S.-J., Levin, M. J., McElhaney, J. E., Poder, A., Puig-Barberà , J., Vesikari, T., Watanabe, D., Weckx, L., Zahaf, T., & Heineman, T. C. (2015). Efficacy of an adjuvanted herpes zoster subunit vaccine in older adults. The New England Journal of Medicine, 372(22), 2087-2096. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1501184
What the HCS 245 Week 3 instructions ask
HCS 245 Week 3 often asks students to analyze a disease prevention case and communicate a recommendation, and many sections have used a case study memo format. Prompts may ask students to describe the disease, its risk factors and burden, the prevention strategy and its evidence, the level of prevention, costs and a recommendation for an organization. Memos are usually one to three pages plus references, and some instructors supply the scenario while others let students choose a disease and setting. Either way the reader is a nonclinical manager, so the tone is practical rather than academic. Strong memos state the recommendation first, explain the disease and evidence accurately in plain language, cite authoritative sources, address practical issues such as cost, consent and logistics and end with clear next steps.
How this HCS 245 Week 3 example is built
The memo leads with its recommendation in the first paragraph, as busy executives expect. A background section describes shingles, its link to the chickenpox virus and its most feared complication, long-lasting nerve pain. The evidence section summarizes a large randomized trial of the recombinant vaccine in adults 50 and older and the federal advisory committee's recommendation. Prevention level is identified as primary. The options section compares doing nothing, referring residents to pharmacies and holding an on-site clinic. Costs and billing under Medicare prescription coverage are estimated. Consent, side effects and logistics are addressed. A timeline and measures close the memo, followed by references.
HCS 245 Week 3 grading rubric: where the points go
The memo week is typically graded on accuracy, persuasiveness and format. Faculty look for correct information about the disease and the prevention measure, evidence from authoritative sources, identification of the level of prevention, attention to practical and financial issues and a clear recommendation. Proper memo format, with To, From, Date and Subject lines and headings, is expected. Writing for a nonclinical executive in plain language earns credit. APA citations complete the grade. Instructors also notice whether figures in the memo add up, so a budget whose lines do not match its total costs points. Memos that bury the recommendation, present clinical detail without implications or omit costs and logistics generally earn less than memos an executive could approve after one reading.
HCS 245 Week 3 help: mistakes to avoid
A common weakness in HCS 245 Week 3 is writing a research paper in memo clothing. Put the recommendation in the first paragraph and keep sections short. Another is overstating or misstating evidence; report what trials and recommendations actually say, including side effects. Students also forget the reader: an executive director needs costs, staffing, consent and risk, not virology. Identify the level of prevention correctly; vaccination is primary prevention. Address how residents will be informed and how consent will be documented. Consider billing, since vaccines have costs. Cite national recommendations. Finally, end with specific next steps and dates the reader can approve.
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HCS 245 Week 3 questions, answered
What does HCS/245 Week 3 usually ask for?
Many sections ask students to analyze a disease prevention case, often in a memo, describing the disease, the prevention measure and its evidence, costs and a recommendation.
Where can I find a free HCS 245 Week 3 sample paper?
The retirement community shingles memo above can be read in full at no cost, with side comments on why each section sits where it does. We will draft a first memo on your own case free.
What level of prevention is vaccination?
Vaccination is primary prevention, because it prevents disease before it occurs; screening is secondary prevention, and treatment to limit complications is tertiary prevention.
Who should get the shingles vaccine?
National recommendations call for two doses of recombinant zoster vaccine for adults 50 and older, and for adults 19 and older with weakened immune systems, regardless of past shingles or earlier vaccination.
How should a case study memo be formatted?
With To, From, Date and Subject lines, the recommendation stated first, short headed sections for background, analysis, options and costs and a clear list of next steps.
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