Connecting Community Care
Connecting Community Care
Anne Draeger sensed something was off. A career staff nurse with extensive emergency room and patient care experience, something was missing – or, rather, someone. Week after week, Anne noticed that the patients seeking emergency health care represented only part of the local community.
Surely the typical concerns that bring people to the ER – like sick kids, broken bones, and allergic reactions – were common concerns for all people, regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic background. Yet the number of Latinx patients seeking care was remarkably lower than other community members. Anne started to ask around.
One Human Resources Director shared with Anne that less than 20% of their employees carried the company’s health insurance benefit – largely because they could not afford it. Cost is a significant barrier for anyone seeking medical help. While insurance might cover some of the expense, ongoing costs to carry that insurance and high deductibles associated with many plans, are burdensome for people struggling to make ends meet. For some, after covering basic needs like food, housing, clothing, and transportation, there’s not enough left from the paycheck for insurance, deductibles, co-pays, and medications.
The idea that a lack of money was a barrier for anyone to receive quality health care didn’t sit right with Anne. “These are our neighbors. They are people in our community. We can do a better job serving them.” So, she started a summer project: a free clinic for patients to get a check-up – a safe place for them to ask health questions.
Over time, as Anne and other healthcare partners gained trust of the community, patients came. Many of those patients have seen a long-term impact on their health. Consistent access to health providers increases patients’ success in managing chronic disease, regulating blood pressures and sugar levels, and scheduling preventative care screenings.
“Those early years were a learning curve,” Anne recalls. “Most people knew they had something wrong but could not afford to go to a clinic. They would tell me, ‘We just didn’t know anyone cared.’”
Now a volunteer at HealthFinders Collaborative, Anne continues to support people toward healthy lives. To serve as many people seeking help as possible, clinic visits are charged on a modest income scale and Spanish language barriers are eliminated through bilingual interpreters.
Anne is excited about welcoming the other partner agencies that will soon join HealthFinders in the newly renovated Oak Hill Community Connections building. “Service providers will learn so much more about how they can work together. There’s such a huge opportunity for agencies to be able to show their clients how to make an appointment with HealthFinders or to visit Community Pathways for nutritional needs. Knowing a service that your agency doesn’t provide but is available right down the hall will have a huge impact!”
Anne sees the difference this service has in the broader community, “I can’t stress enough about the profound gratitude of people who receive these services. It changes the way they see this place when they know people here care. Being able to do good in your own community, that’s about as good it gets.”