More than Numbers on a Spreadsheet

My name is Ben Borgert, NHC Florida AmeriCorps Patient Navigator at the Sulzbacher Center; what does that mean? Well, it means I serve at a clinic that has more than 30,000 patient visits annually and provides access to health care to those who would otherwise go without it. In my service, I enroll approximately 700 patients annually in various Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs), and am responsible for helping patients collectively receive approximately one million dollars in free medications. For most of these patients, access to crucial drug therapy is limited or non-existent, as our patients have little or no insurance coverage.  Fortunately, the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture these necessary medications have set up these PAP programs which allow patients to apply for free medication.  My service is crucial because few of our patients have access to computers or and the computer literacy skills necessary to navigate what is an incredibly difficult application process.

The process of filling out applications, organizing an electronic medical record, and following up on applications for 1,500 patients can be challenging, frustrating, and at times defeating.  With all of this going on, it becomes easy to lose focus on the purpose of my service.  I found that once I started focusing on the patients that I serve and their stories, they became so much more than a number to be tracked on a spreadsheet.

 

I distinctly remember a homeless patient who suffered from schizophrenia who came to pick up medication one day.  He, like many other patients, began asking questions about the medications he was receiving.  The technician explained that Seroquel, a commonly prescribed anti-psychotic, would help with the voices he was hearing, and the Effexor would help manage his depression.  Following the discussion, he stopped to thank the pharmacy technician working with him for providing him with the medication that would help improve his life and health.  As the patient was leaving, he then turned around and said something I will never forget.  He said that thanks to this schizophrenia medication he was able to fall asleep at night in peace for the first time in years. His disease was so debilitating prior to receiving treatment that he was terrified of sleeping because of what he would have endure mentally before he finally was able to fall asleep. 

 

For me, this moment was a wakeup call. It brought the purpose of my service back into focus. The concerns about the number of applications or the value of medications received were gone, and were replaced with  thoughts of the patients whose lives I had improved through executing a few keystrokes, making some calls, and lending a thoughtful ear. The patients have continued to serve as a reminder of the opportunity that I have every day to directly impact the lives of people and serve my community. 

 

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This blog post was written by NHC Florida member Ben Borgert.

Ben serves at the I.M. Sulzbacher Medical Center as a Patient Navigator.