#theVIPexperience Post #78: Palak Patel

Being an intern at Crossroad Health Center has been an incredible experience for me. Health is one of the biggest determinants of the quality of one’s life. Everything from our schooling, careers, personal lives, and so much more depends on it so greatly. Despite being an integral part of our lives, the health care system remains flawed and many people are often overlooked by it. During my time at Crossroads, I was able to witness the barriers patients in underserved populations faced, and how great the need for health care workers in these areas is. My time as a VIP has highlighted the disparities in healthcare that I was aware about but had never witnessed first-hand. This instilled a deep sense of purpose in me to serve these populations to the best of my ability. The Crossroad VIP family, along with all the providers, MA’s, and nurses have truly helped me each step of the way in achieving this goal. They have a genuine and deep-rooted passion for what they do, and it can be seen through every patient interaction, no matter how big or small. During my first weeks as a VIP, I quickly developed an appreciation for the emphasis placed on patient interaction. In most other volunteering opportunities offered in the area, patient interaction is often limited to small talk made as you transport them through the hospital. At Crossroads, this is completely untrue. As a VIP you are extremely involved in the implementation of their care plans, giving you better insight into the day-to-day struggles these patients face. Things many of us may take for granted, such as having widely accepted insurance, is seen as a great luxury and an even greater obstacle for them. The process of finding institutions where they can continue to receive care can get frustrating at times, but it extremely rewarding at the end. Perhaps the most rewarding part is hearing the gratitude in the patient’s voice when you call to offer to help schedule their referral or call to alert them of appointment details. It is small moments like these that make facing all the other obstacles worth it. I look forward to seeing what my future rotations have in store for me and seeing how I can utilize the skills I have learned through the program to contribute to minimizing the disparities across different populations.