A Reflection of Service

Hello, this is Beth Leonard again with the Michigan Primary Care Association, or MPCA. I am currently serving my second year as a Health Advocate at a homeless and domestic violence shelter. I am happy to be sharing my experience as an AmeriCorps member; however I must admit that witty, anecdotal story-telling produces anxiety in me.

Having the deadline for this blog posting written in my calendar weeks prior to now, I prepared in advance to obtain some inspiration; well, not exactly inspiration, as the families and children I work with daily gives me plenty of inspiration, but here I am referring to help with the writing, and stories of service from my MPCA members across the state! During our last program’s quarterly training (motivating networking opportunities held with fellow MPCA members from all over our great state), I asked if each member could send me a short bit of what meaningful service they are providing to individuals at their service sites.

Reading through the stories I received back from our members, it struck me as to how similar the healthcare needs are of individuals, families, and children all across our state. Even though no two life situations are ever the same, every person deserves the right to have decent, affordable health care in our country. And even with the increase in gaining access to services, there are those that may need a little extra help with all the required steps in actually obtaining those services.

It goes without saying that we are experiencing a very difficult time financially in Michigan right now. It seems everywhere I go I hear from someone who is without (or knows of someone without) medical insurance and is in need of assistance to be able to afford quality health care. Although the federal government did recently pass the Healthcare Reform Bill, there is still much to be done in our cities and towns across the country in increasing access to quality care and advocacy for our most vulnerable citizens.

Whether the need involves an 18-year-old whose parents have given up on her, a former restaurateur who recently depleted his life savings with two children needing health coverage, or fixed-income seniors needing help paying for expensive, life or death medications, it is only decent for all people to be treated with dignity concerning their health.

Here are some excerpts of what I received from my fellow MPCA AmeriCorps members:

I was able to direct the client to other resources, as she has the ambition to further her education, and assist her with healthcare benefits and food assistance.

Teresa Baker
Oakland Primary Health Services
Pontiac

I have helped hundreds of members of this community get their medications. It’s good to know I have given peace of mind to people who find themselves in a frightening place in their lives.

Ila Coltas
Family Medical Center of Michigan
Adrian

This family was ready to do whatever necessary to get the help they needed and I was willing to and able to guide them in that direction. About a week later I received the cutest thank you card, and I quote, “Thanks a lot for all you did for this family and for being so professional and nice to us.”

Mia Puryear
Detroit Wayne County Health Authority
Detroit

Other AmeriCorps members and I realized that the crying woman’s child in the lobby of our health center qualified for health coverage, and about 30 minutes later she left with insurance covering her child.

Sarah Abou-El-Seoud
The Wellness Plan Medical Center
Detroit

With the help of the insurance application processing office, we had the application expedited, and to the mother’s relief, her son was approved for coverage immediately, ensuring next week’s surgery would be taken care of.

Natsumi Asanuma
Michigan Primary Care Association
Lansing

Obviously through AmeriCorps, one is given the opportunity to impact life for the better in a community, but one may not know that being a member also creates an expansion of essential professional skills including but not limited to: meetings, conference calls, fund development, and creating and delivering presentations. Most significantly, AmeriCorps has also provided what I believe to be the greatest part of any life’s work: satisfaction in knowing you are making a difference – a proven, tangible, change for the better. I look forward to putting these real-life experiences to use in the future. And, to carry the commitment of service forward, I’ve convinced my mom to serve a year with AmeriCorps when she retires next year!

Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to share how wonderful my AmeriCorps experience has been!