Helping Women Regain POWER Of Their Lives

As a Patient Support Specialist at the Squirrel Hill Health Center, I work largely with our Medical Mobile Unit, an RV outfitted with two patient rooms that travels around the city providing primary care services for patients who lack access to transportation. Three days each week, I serve a wide variety of marginalized or otherwise underserved patient populations all around the city, including refugees, immigrants, deaf and mute patients, homeless patients, those suffering from behavioral or mental health issues, and many many more.

One group of patients I find particularly rewarding to serve is the women who live at the POWER house. POWER, the Pennsylvania Organization for Women in Early Recovery, is an organization dedicated not only to helping women recover from drug or alcohol addiction, combating the public health issue of addiction, but also to reclaim their lives and rewrite their stories. Twice a month, the Medical Mobile Unit stations itself outside of the POWER house in Swissvale, and opens its doors to the residents of POWER to receive health care.

While the patients mainly come to the Medical Mobile Unit to see the doctor, I provide a different type of support. The recovery process can be an extremely difficult time for these women. As their bodies go through a number of physiological and emotional changes, they need support and guidance and that is exactly what I strive to provide for them. For many of these women, the United States health care system is confusing, frustrating, and often does not work in their favor. Whether I am comforting a patient who is having a rough day, or helping a patient schedule and appointment to get birth control, I am available at any point in the process to help patients navigate the complex system that dictates their access to care.

While at POWER this past week, a beautiful woman walked on to the mobile unit; her hair had been permed, she was grinning from cheek to cheek, and she looked very healthy. This woman was a graduate of the POWER program, and as she came running on to the Medical Mobile Unit to give me and our medical assistant hugs, you could see how well she is doing. I am glad to say, however small my role, that I was part of the recovery process for this woman and I was able to witness her write a new story and reclaim her life!