One of the most memorable experiences I have with the VIP program is from last rotation where I got to see how barriers such as hearing and mobility often hinder a patient from getting the quality health care they need. There was this referral I had where there was an older patient who couldn’t hear and was unable to get around by themselves and had told me how oftentimes when calling specialist offices to make an appointment or scheduling transportation they would get upset and sometimes even hang up with her for not always understanding what they were saying and needing more time to respond since she needed to read from a screen that wrote down the words people were saying. This was so discouraging to hear because as health care workers and providers we should be helping our patients to feel welcome, encouraged, and understood but this was not and often isn't the case for many patients in situations such as these. The phone call with the patient started off with her saying something like “please wait a minute, please don't hang up” and she would often repeat this throughout the phone call. After I had gotten all of her availability and needs for transportation written down I told her I would call back and give her the appointment and transportation details. She said thank you and I hung up. When I called back to give the details she kept thanking me and it seemed like she was crying. I was so befuddled and when I got off the phone I kept thinking “why was this so important to her that she would cry ''. But then I reflected and realized that with just that specific patients referral, as someone who has a somewhat fair understanding of the healthcare system and scheduling her appointments myself without have impared hearing it was and often is a challenge in itself— And it wasn't until that moment I really understood how much scheduling these appointments meant to our patients and how the program as a whole truly helps reduce health barriers and disparities for our patients.
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