#theVIPexperience Post #169: Anish Sharma

“Thank you so much dear, you made my day so much better” were the words I heard after spending an hour and a half scheduling transportation for one of our patients. We had gone through a long list of options after transportation issues arose and I had to work with Ms. Ball to figure out a solution. Hearing a patient’s gratitude tied together everything I had hoped to both get out of and provide Crossroad- joy and service. 

I have learned a lot during my two rotations here at Crossroad. What became so visceral to me were the needless barriers placed in front of patients. Oftentimes many healthcare offices do not accept the patient’s insurance, or worse, cancel a patient's appointment because they do not conduct a certain examination. Crossroad also taught me a lot about people. Oftentimes it becomes easy to live in a bubble. For example, my time in college left me unexposed to people from an older demographic that suffered from diseases such as diabetes or heart problems. Furthermore, patients are more than just a diagnosis. They certainly have physical ailments, but most of the time the real problems are psychological or social. Patients express worry when appointments are delayed, anger when canceled, and sorrow when they are not able to see family. These experiences have taught me to understand humans better and be aware of the multitude of factors playing into an individual's health.

What I love about Crossroad is my role as a facilitator and the volunteer environment. It is an amazing and humbling responsibility to oversee a patient's appointment to make sure they make it. An issue I have heard from physicians is patients missing their appointments or running into conflicts which factors into another barrier to healthcare. Taking the burden off Crossroad patients in navigating the complicated healthcare system allows us to assist them in a crucial way. In terms of the VIP experience, everyone on the team is incredibly positive and forgiving when it comes to a volunteer’s work. Even at the times I have messed up or been late, I have been assured of my abilities and have the forgiveness and opportunity to bounce back. Working closely with the VIPs on my shifts has also allowed me to interact with the finest of people and build a strong relationship with them.

I remember being very nervous on my first shift. I felt like the “have you ever- had you- a dream” kid considering the way I fumbled my words on my first reminder call. However, over time I became not only more comfortable on the phone, but also with myself. I realized I was worthy to assist patients who needed scheduling and referral reminders. My recommendation to newer volunteers is to believe in themselves. They all are super qualified and have previous accomplishments and carrying that energy into their work at crossroad will make the experience better for themselves and our patients.