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.”"