Think about a time when you were lost or confused on how to do something.
Whether it was, going through a pregnancy for the first time, learning
how to be a parent, or accessing resources to help meet your needs. How
did you overcome this challenge? Did someone help you along the way?
In the communities we serve, many families face different struggles like
these every day. They don’t have support or don’t know how
to access or navigate the different resources available to assist them
with the different challenges that life brings their way. They may think
they don’t have access to help or they don’t not know how
to ask for help.
In our Family Services Department, there are many types of services that
are offered to our patients. Our Community Health Workers (also known
as Case Managers) prioritize their day to helping and providing support
to patients in any way they can to help address the challenges they face.
Some examples of this are supporting a patient through their pregnancy,
providing families with resources they didn’t know were available
to them, or assisting patients to access medical coverage for them and
their family.
The majority of the patients our Community Health Workers see are pregnant
moms. Some of our patients often have limited or no support as they go
through their pregnancy, or they face other life challenges. Community
Health Workers go above and beyond to provide patients resources and support
necessary to meet their needs and improve their quality of life. Here
are a couple of examples of this type of work:
Daysi one of our Community Health Workers, had a pregnant mother as a patient,
who had recently moved to the area. This patient experienced medical complications
throughout her pregnancy and was told that her delivery would have to
be delivered through a C-section procedure. She shared with Daysi that
she did not have anyone available to help her and was nervous about having
this procedure done. Daysi, without thinking twice, offered to be her
support person and reassured her that she was not alone. On the day of
the C-section, Daysi, provided her patient with transportation to the
hospital, was present for the procedure and was in the hospital providing
support for this mom and her new born baby.
“Thank you very much Daysi for being with me in my most difficult
moments and providing me support when my life was in days of gray,” said the patient.
Araceli, another one of our Community Health Workers, had the opportunity
to work with a mom who had enrolled into our program who was homeless
and living in a hotel temporarily. This mom was medically high risk. She
had specialist appointments in Richland and did not have any form of transportation
since her partner had to work and they didn’t have a reliable car.
Araceli was able to link her to transportation services to be able to
get to her appointments. She worked with her patient, teaching her how
to access transportation services and was able to eventually get her to
feel comfortable calling those services when she needed a ride for her
ongoing medical care. Araceli also assisted her patient by connecting
her to housing resources through Committee Action Center, who were eventually
able to provide appropriate housing for her. This patient was very grateful
for the support provided, as this helped her access the medical care she
needed, as well as stabilize her living situation to create a safe environment
for her and her new baby.
Our Community Health Workers do not share these stories to receive a pat
on the back or a reward. They do it solely because they care for their
patients and they want to make a difference in their lives. They make
every effort to find the right resources and provide the support our patient’s
need. Our Community Health Workers help our patients work through the
challenges they face in life.
Our Community Health Workers are here to help and support you! Call or
text us today to schedule an appointment with someone in Family Services
at 509.488.5256.