Blog
Stories of Impact: Lisa's
No one should have to choose between their health and their critical basic needs.
In her rural community, Lisa is a familiar face. As a long-term employee in the admissions department of a local nursing home, she spends her days helping others navigate care. When Lisa was diagnosed with diabetes, like many hardworking Virginians, she expected her employer-sponsored health insurance to be a lifeline. Instead, she discovered she was functionally uninsured due to high premiums and deductibles leaving her in the heartbreaking position of being diagnosed with a chronic disease but unable to afford care.
“I felt like I was at a dead end, consistently running into a brick wall, despite my efforts to take care of my health,” she recalls. No one seemed to see the person behind the diagnosis or the financial reality she was facing. When a co-worker suggested she visit her local community free and charitable clinic, she was hesitant. She feared her income would be too high for a community clinic. To her surprise and relief, she qualified for services. When Lisa first walked in, her A1C was 10.1% (well above the American Diabetes Association's recommended goal of 7%).
Virginia's free and charitable clinics believe healthcare is about more than just treating the disease, it's about focusing on the whole person. Through her clinic's support, Lisa was able to turn her health around thanks to accessible medication through the clinic's prescription assistance program and chronic care management services that provided her with individualized diabetes care and education, including access to glucose monitoring technology to track her health in real-time.Today, Lisa's health tells a different story. Her most recent lab work shows an A1C of 7.1%, nearly hitting the goal for Type 2 diabetes management. “The regular visits helped me stay on track,” Lisa says. “The attentive and caring staff, coupled with the services offered, made it possible for me to take care of my health and feel better than I have since being diagnosed.”
Lisa's story is a reminder that no one should have to choose between their health and their critical basic needs. Free and charitable clinics are a critical safety net that catches hardworking individuals and safeguards them from healthcare crisis.
