Succeeding Together

When I started my service term as a Patient Advocate at Health Center #10 in Northeast Philadelphia, I was told that I would be alone. Not that harshly, of course – it was simply the first time that only one Patient Advocate would be serving at this Health Center, as opposed to the team of two that had served there in previous years. Needless to say, I was a little daunted. Although I did get an entire office to myself, I was worried about starting a new position where I would be the only one managing the program. I was used to working on teams, and the prospect of this kind of solitude left me anxious about my ability to serve the patients well.

Now, almost three months into my service term, I realize how far from the truth that feeling was. Everything about my position encourages and in many cases requires teamwork. I’m lucky to be part of a group of Patient Advocates who are placed at health centers around the city. We reach out to each other when we have questions and support each other through the challenges of our positions. In addition, the nature of the position itself requires me to be in constant communication with the incredible team of doctors, nurses, benefits counselors, and interpreters that my health center provides. 

The necessity of this kind of communication is best illustrated by a patient I recently had whose case presented complications. My primary duty as a Patient Advocate is to help patients apply to Prescription Assistance Programs (PAPs), which provide free or low-cost medications to uninsured or underinsured patients. This particular patient didn’t speak English, which is very common at my health center given that we serve a diverse and immigrant-heavy region of Philadelphia. I called one of the ten professional interpreters we have on staff to help me explain PAPs to the patient before starting his application. Right away, I ran into a problem. The medication the patient requested was no longer being provided by the company. Informing him of this development, I then proceeded to discuss alternatives with his doctor. After agreeing on a different medication, I began filling out another application. Then, another issue arose. The patient was listed as having insurance, which meant that I had to talk to the managed care nurse to figure out the details of his plan and whether or not he could still apply. The four of us (myself, the nurse, the interpreter, and the patient) went over his case file, and found that his deductible and out of pocket maximums were almost as high as his yearly income, and I was able to include this information in his application. Though his application was initially denied, I was then able to discuss his case with an advocate at the pharmaceutical company, and we were able to appeal the decision and get him approved. Finally, I referred him to one of our many incredible benefits counselors, so that they could discuss better insurance plans and find out if there were any other assistance programs he could apply for.

I’ve had several cases like this one since my service term began. Such complex situations require creativity, persistence, and most of all, teamwork. Although not every application is successful, and I’ve had to learn to deal with situations where I can’t offer patients significant assistance, experiences like this one give me hope. What I love about this position is that not only do I have a team of people I can rely on to help me navigate the intricacies and frustrations of our healthcare system, but that this means the patients I serve have access to this team as well. I feel proud that every patient I see can be guaranteed comprehensive support through the myriad challenges that obtaining affordable healthcare entails, and I’m honored to play a part in this process. My program wouldn’t be nearly as effective without the assistance of the team that I have the privilege of serving with, both within National Health Corps and at my health center.

Photo source: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56e87434c6fc08cfe9c1836b/t/5832ea...

This blog post was written by NHC Philadelphia member Menaka Dhingra.
Menaka serves as the Patient Advocate at Philadelphia Department of Public Health Health Center 10.