Beyond the office visit with Caring Together

Here’s just a few of our amazing Caring Together staff. From left, Tadd, Carrie, Shannon and Eartha.

Since I’ve started here as the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, I’ve heard so many stories that show not only how much our staff loves the work caring for you, but also how far many of them are willing to go to care beyond our walls.

Most of us only see our doctors during a visit — maybe 20-30 minutes at most. We call for prescriptions or emergency visits. But here at Family First Health, I’ve seen so many people go above and beyond.

Taking Caring Together for an amazing example that, yes, made me cry.

On a recent day, a Caring Together client — we’ll call her Sarah — came in for a visit to get her set up for HIV meds. Sarah was really feeling poorly and we had to call an ambulance to get her some additional care. As they wheeled her out, several of our staff stood in tears, and her case manager Carrie Prowell walked her to the elevator saying she’d be in touch soon.

A few days later, Sarah came back in for her appointment. They talked about her HIV status, and how none of her family knows. Her birthday was coming up, and Sarah said she would do anything for a king-sized bed to stretch out in. But she didn’t have the money. Sarah complained of being exhausted. Everything hurt. Even her bones.

So Carrie asked how the sleeping arrangements were at home. Turns out, Sarah sleeps on a love seat, and although she’s small, she can’t stretch out.

The wheels started turning in Carrie’s head. She reached out to others in the department and then got to make a great phone call.

Carrie called Sarah on her birthday to ask what she was doing. Nothing, Sarah replied. She just didn’t have the money.

“Well, I’m going to need you to check in around 3 p.m.,” Carrie told her, causing much confusion.

The Caring Together staff used some of its fundraising money to get her a room with a king bed for the night. Let’s just say there was a little screaming and many thank yous.

Sitting in her office that day, Carrie turned to me saying, “Just to be able to hear. Or to sleep. This is the stuff we take for granted.”

Sarah isn’t even on medication yet, she added. She’s a new client with only one appointment under her belt.

“But she already knows we love her,” Carrie said. “And that means the world.”