No one looks forward to being diagnosed with a chronic health concern. However, some people live for quite a while without managing their condition or seeing a flair up of symptoms. For many of the patients we see who are uninsured, the cost of paying for treatment to manage the condition is enough to keep them from seeking medical attention for as long as the symptoms are discrete. The issue is that sometimes our bodies are being compromised even if we do not have any significant outward signs. Then one day, all that can change.
Two patients have come to His Hands in the last month facing just this scenario. They knew that they had been given a diagnosis previously, but they “didn’t feel that bad.” So life went on, time slipped by, and then one day their health was in a serious state. Each of these patients actually had to significantly reduce work hours and even take several weeks off of work just to manage their health crisis. Without some quick intervention, these women could have faced irreversible damage and even death. While the scope of their concerns is beyond the treatment of our clinic, their healthcare journey started here. Our providers quickly identified the urgency. One patient struggles with blood clots while the other faces kidney complications. Because of their need to cut back on work hours, both women qualified for insurance through the state, which we were able to connect them with. One patient will transfer for care down to the University while the other is under care with a local nephrologist.
Each of these women were overwhelmed as they learned their current health status. What had once been something pushed to the back of their minds, now was at the forefront and causing life altering circumstances. With little savings, the ladies needed to choose between taking pay cuts from reduced hours at work or taking the chance that their health could deteriorate to the point they would never be able to work again. Thankfully both of our patients have understanding employers who were willing to work with them and honor their physical limitations.
Some patients see us just a couple of times each year for things like sinus infections or strep throat. For others we are only a stop on the way to more specialty care. But for those whose health needs are more significant than the scope of our clinic, we are thankful to be able to be a point of access that connects them with insurance, financial resources, and the necessary treatment for their condition.
Amy DeLay, Patient Advocate
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