The under/uninsured, working poor, and indigent population I
served at the St Vincent de Paul Free Clinic, have their basic and some
preventative healthcare needs met. The services provided by the clinic
addressed urgent needs such as wound care (suturing and monitoring for
complications), cold and flu treatment, hypertension management, diabetes
management, and well child care. Unfortunately, the healthcare needs of these
populations require more than the clinic has to offer. For example,
hypertensive or diabetic crises require more in-depth resources in an
in-patient setting for treatment and management which in turn require hospital
admission. Without health insurance, many of the patients served by the clinic
will put off admissions due to lack of money and insurance until they are
physically overcome by the disease or illness progression. In fact, one of my
most challenging things happened when I encountered a 23-year old male patient
who was experiencing left-sided abdominal pain for two weeks without relief
from over-the-counter medications. Subsequently, a CT-scan revealed intestinal
cancer but the patient initially refused more diagnostic testing and treatment
because he could not afford the cost of treatment. Although I counseled him
about the gravity of non-treatment, he still refused. I involved the social
worker and the clinic physician in a discussion about this case and fortunately
the social worker was able to enroll this patient in an emergency temporarily
funded state health insurance program for just these types of patients. After
several attempts to contact the patient, we were able to secure a referral to
oncologist who managed the patient as an outpatient through his initial phase
of treatment. At this writing, I have lost contact with this patient for
follow-up.
Services such as the St Vincent de Paul Free Clinic (SVDPFC)
is a necessary fixture for this community as well as communities across the
nation. This facility acts as a safety net for those who cannot afford
insurance and those who are deemed ineligible for insurance. Additionally,
services like the SVDPFC extend their human caring to undocumented immigrants
who are suspicious and cautious about seeking health care (especially
preventative care). In these uncertain times and decreasing financial support
for charities, the SVDPFC needs more facilities like themselves to accommodate
an increasing number of people requiring their services. In fact, Maricopa
Health System (a county-run agency) has decreased the number of clinics
county-wide and has started to require residency documentation in order to use
their services. The means to provide more services such as the SVDPFC and
diminishing rapidly without an alternative solution therefore I fear the Free
Clinic will be overwhelmed if the Affordable Healthcare Act of 2010 (AHA) is
repealed by the Supreme Court. With this in mind, I am obligated as a member of
my community, as a professional nurse, and as a Christian to continue my
services with SVDPFC in order to promote the common good, care of the less
fortunate, and the infirmed.
Throughout my service learning at the SVDPFC, I have learned
that I have deep inspiration for political and social advocacy. I have attended
several community action boards with State legislators concerning cuts in
Medicare funding and have worked diligently to provide quality nursing care to
the underserved and vulnerable populations within my community. Additionally, I have gained insight to
fragmentation of community resources for the under/uninsured, the working poor,
and the indigent populations within society. Furthermore, I have gained compassion,
sympathy, and empathy for those who are less fortunate and fear for their
safety.
Last Words for the Semester: "When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take
care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give
that person what he or she needed." --Mother Teresa
