#theVIPExperience Post #24: Mridula Bethi

Growing up, I have always had access to all the healthcare I needed in order to feel safe and happy. My annual appointments with the primary physician, ophthalmologist, and dentist were always treated as regular appointments that did not require any extra effort. I never really thought that others might not have the same ease in getting access to these facilities. Working as a volunteer intern at Crossroad Health Center has really opened my eyes to how many of the tasks that I viewed as ‘easy’ or ‘simple’ are actually so much more complicated when paired with the obstacles and limitations that many of the patients at Crossroad Health Center have to persevere through.

            

When I first started as VIP, I was not completely sure what to expect. My main interest for working at Crossroad Health Center came about because I wanted to see what it was like to work with an underserved population. My first few weeks into first rotation, I shadowed Nurse Practitioner Lashandra Duncan in Pediatrics. I watched as she formed close relationships with all the new patients while greeting and taking care of her previous patients as family members and friends. These interactions struck me with awe because Ms. Duncan not only acted as a medical professional while treating these patients but also acted as a confidante to them and their families. Every single one of the patients was able to share his or her stories and problems without fear or insecurity, which formed even more deeper and invaluable relationships between the provider and the patient.

When I actually began my work as a VIP, I was very much surprised. My previous volunteering experiences included speaking with patients face to face about routine topics while transporting them throughout the hospital. However, in Crossroads, it is much more centered on making phone calls and speaking with various providers and hospitals. However, I believe these very new and different experiences illuminated the behind the scenes aspects of our healthcare system. I became exposed to the limitations that many of these patients face on a day to day basis, including holding multiple jobs with constantly shifting schedules and not having the time or the access to resources to call and schedule important health-related appointments. This is why I feel so fulfilled when I hear the relief in the patient’s voice when I inform him/her of a completely scheduled appointment. It is a feeling that cannot be completely described in words. But, these are the moments that make my experience as a VIP at Crossroad Health Center so rewarding. Because no matter how small I think the task maybe, I know that I am making the patient’s life a little bit easier one phone call at a time.

                                                                                                          -- Mridula Bethi