Going The Extra Mile

Service at La Salle’s Neighborhood Nursing Center is unique because it involves traveling throughout North Philadelphia. My time spent as their Community Health Case Manager is split up into three programs: Health Intervention Program for Families, Mature Health Connections (MHC), and the Racetrack at PARX Casino. The Health Intervention Program for Families caters to families whose children have special needs. We help them in any way we can, which includes dropping off bus tokens, attending doctor’s appointments, and advocating on behalf of them. The Racetrack at PARX Casino program is comprised of two nurses and myself. We provide free health screenings, blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol readings, to the employees who work with the horses. We also offer health education on topics that range from tobacco cessation, nutrition, and tips on staying hydrated. The Mature Health Connections program provides free health screenings, which includes blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol readings, as well as health education classes to older adults. I spend the majority of my time performing outreach to local libraries, senior centers, shelters, and recreation centers to see if these organizations are interested in our staff providing either the health screenings or education classes for their visitors. If organizations are interested, I schedule dates for our nurses to visit these sites. I have gained a wealth of knowledge from attending the events and hearing about what health issues our clients face. 

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Most of our clients have comorbidities that range from high blood pressure and diabetes to kidney disease and lung disease. Not only do these health screenings offer older adults who might be uninsured or underinsured the chance to monitor and record their results, but they also provide our clients the opportunity to converse with the nurses about any problems they face. They talk about their families, friends, their medical issues, and ask about our lives.  These meaningful interactions can last anywhere between five to 25 minutes.

While there are many benefits to our healthcare system, one common downside that is mentioned is patients feeling rushed during their primary care doctor appointments. The three programs that the La Salle Neighborhood Nursing Center is involved in address this gap in the healthcare system by offering the option of utilizing local resources at no cost. I really enjoy meeting with our clients at outreach sites to discuss whatever is bothering them because we have the time to troubleshoot problems and give them tips such as how to lower sodium consumption or quick exercises they can do at home. I believe that is crucial to help patients be successful in changing their habits for healthier lifestyles.
 

This blog post was written by NHC Philadelphia member Paige Wegener.
Paige serves as a Community Health Case Manager at LaSalle Neighborhood Nursing Center.