For and WITH Others

When looking back at this past semester as a volunteer intern at Crossroad Healthcare Center, I can’t help but think about who I am called to be as a Xavier student: a woman for others. However, over my past three years at Xavier, I have come to realize that this mission statement, men and women for others, is missing one key word: with. Thus, it should read: men and women for and with others. When participating in any form of service, it is important to recognize that your purpose is not to go and “fix” something or someone as the word for would suggest. Many professionals in the healthcare field, especially doctors, have this fix-all mentality. Unfortunately, this typically only puts a Band-Aid on the situation.

However, Crossroad Healthcare Center has allowed me to move away from being a woman for others and allowed me to become a woman with others due to the very nature of Crossroad. The Crossroad Healthcare Center was founded upon the faith-based mission to provide care that treats the whole person – body, mind and spirit – regardless of ability to pay. This approach allows patients to develop long term relationships with their medical providers resulting in better overall health. Now that I have had the opportunity to be apart of the CVIP program for multiple weeks, I am starting to see some of the same patients again for multiple followups. I love having the opportunity to follow patients progress and to celebrate the little triumphs along the way with each patient. It's rewarding to be able to see how happy patients are about their success and it's wonderful to see how each patient begins to trust the doctor more and more with each visit. Furthermore, it is humbling to see first hand each doctor turn right around and fight to earn and keep that trust.

My desire to make a difference doesn’t stem from the fact that I see someone or something that needs “fixed”. To be completely honest, I will never be able to give back what each Crossroad doctor, nurse, medical assistant, team member, and patient has given to me, but that is why I am so passionate about this type of service.  It creates a relationship where I need the members of my own community just as much as they need me, if not more.

--Dakota Kulis