At seven months pregnant, Shawna is a busy mother. She came to our clinic with her toddler who was having trouble breathing and the news wasn’t good – her daughter had bronchitis. For a child with a history of asthma, the bronchitis made breathing even more difficult.
In addition to being 7 months pregnant with a sick toddler, her insurance had just changed – the result of the drastic changes in the city’s overhaul of managed care organizations.
Sometimes a parent in these situations just needs a helping hand, and that is where Community of Hope’s Healthcorps volunteer, Sarah, stepped in. With Sarah’s persistence, the insurance company approved the needed nebulizer and one was located on the shelves of a specialty pharmacy across town.
As is often the case with the families who come through our doors, transportation is a major barrier. For a pregnant mom with a sick toddler, crossing town via two bus rides and a train ride would have been overwhelming. Again, Sarah’s advocacy for this young mother made a big difference. After sharing with the pharmacy that Shawna’s child urgently needed the nebulizer, the pharmacy agreed to waive their delivery policy, and the nebulizer was delivered that evening.
This glimpse into our proactive patient services is one nurses and doctors see every day. Transportation to appointments and to getting supplies is a HUGE barrier to healing for our patients. In the next few weeks and months, another barrier is rapidly unfolding. The change in the city’s managed care organizations will require thousands to figure out new insurance options with very little time. Our team is poised to help our patients in any way possible. We’ll keep you updated about stories like this where families come close to missing much needed care.
