Maximizing Outreach at 11th Street

As the Health and Benefits Advocate at the Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services Center, I primarily help people to obtain and navigate the complex system of health insurance.  I am fortunate that over the years, government and NHC changes have enabled me in my position to access and interact with more patients than ever before.
 
First and foremost, many more patients can access health insurance due to the expansion of Medicaid.  A large group of people who previously were not sick or injured could not afford health care.  With the expansion, the income limit for Medicaid increased and also healthy adults can now also receive assistance.  My host site mentor encourages me during direct service to maintain a positive outlook and make sure to reach as many patients as possible.  Many patients that previously thought they did not qualify for assistance simply deny my help because they assume the law has remained the same.  Through my host-site mentor and the other dedicated staff here at 11th Street, I have learned that every patient has a story and reason for denying help, but if you remain determined there is always a way to help someone and make their life easier.  You may find that they now qualify, or can help them receive other benefits they did not know even existed.  This is particularly true with Medicare patients.  Medicare is a tricky field, with so many various options and hidden costs, so patients become overwhelmed.  I have been able to use in-service trainings as well as direct service mentalities to reach many more patients and educate patients on what they may be eligible for.  One in-service training in particular on Medicare was extremely informative.  It left me with an incredible amount of knowledge concerning Medicare that I was previously not aware of.  I learned about Medi-Gap plans, opening my patients to an entire new world of opportunities concerning their health insurance.  The session also left me feeling curious to learn more about Medicare, so I continue to research different programs to help my patients become a part of the best plan to fit their needs.  As far as direct-service learning, I am lucky in that my host-site mentor is always available for questions and is willing to help me learn about every type of benefit.  In addition, at 11th Street we practice the Sanctuary Model.  Such a model of behavior includes themes of “nonviolence, emotional intelligence, social learning, democracy, open communication, social responsibility, and growth and change”.  These characteristics guide my everyday work and remind me to always keep an open mind to keep myself calm and ensure that I serve as well as possible for the benefit of the patients and the center.

In addition, changes in NHC Philadelphia positions have allowed me to reach more patients and help clients increase the use of specialty services in addition to the primary care we offer.  I am lucky to be a part of a facility that offers not only primary care, gynecology, psychology and psychiatry, but also art-therapy, dance-movement therapy, music therapy, fitness solutions, yoga, reiki, and nutritional education, just to name a few.  It is hard to remember everything we offer, when and where the classes are held, and how to find out about these things.  This year is the first year that 11th Street has another NHC Philadelphia member, specifically in Integrated Services, encompassing all of those services that we offer.  I not only have a comrade in the workplace, but also we can refer patients to each other.  Her survey’s allow me to find patients who need a multitude of social services, whom I otherwise would not have had the knowledge to speak to.  Also, when a patient asks me about the services we provide, I immediately refer them to the other AmeriCorps member.  It allows both of us to show off the tight knit community here at 11th Street while also increasing our reach of services.

http://drexel.edu/cnhp/news/current/archive/2012/November/2012-11-1-Staf...
 

This blog post was written by NHC Philadelphia member Jen Newman.
Jen serves as the Health & Benefits Advocate at FPCN-Stephen and Sandra Seller 11th Street Family Health Services.