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Reflections on Success: Health Center Voices
Wisconsin
Bayfield County Community Health Center (dba The Lakes Community Health Center)
Iron River
A veteran undergoing chemotherapy came to the clinic
one day, too weak, too exhausted, and too sick to
make the long drives to either U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility in Superior,
Wisconsin, or Minneapolis, Minnesota. He could not
even muster the energy to see the physician in charge
of his chemotherapy for help. At The Lakes Community
Health Center (TLC), the first step was to draw a
blood sample to check for abnormalities. " His
hemoglobin was 8.5—about half the normal count,”
said Lynn Hall, R.N., the Lakes Community Health Center
Clinical Coordinator. " I called his physician
treating with the chemotherapeutics and we discussed
treatment. After a round of the red blood cell stimulating
hormone treatment, erythropoietin, the patient returned
10 days later with a hematocrit of 10.5—a wonderful
response.” At that visit, he told Hall that
if TLC hadn' t been so conveniently located, he would
have stayed in bed, not eaten, and just become sicker
and sicker. " He was so impressed that the center
not only was here, but they knew what to do and acted
quickly. Now, the patient talks to staff every week
or two, and he updates them on his condition,”
says Hall. " He continues to stay in touch with
us and has shared that even though his care at the
VA is free, he' ll become one of our patients for
his primary care as soon as he completes chemotherapy-even
though it' ll cost him something out of his own pocket.
It' s worth it, he says.”"
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