Stories From The Clinic
It has now been two weeks since we launched a medical clinic in our Storehouse Food Pantry and Hub Homeless Service Programs. We are beyond grateful to see the fulfillment of something the Ministry Center has been praying for since we first opened our doors. Thanks to this new partnership with UCA’s Nursing Department and Community Care Clinic, our clients have access to health screenings, blood pressure checks, blood sugar checks, pulse oxygen checks, and wound care. We have a licensed Nurse Practitioner on site weekly to see more challenging health concerns and prescribe medications. Many clients have been engaging in these services…but we would like to highlight a couple of stories that have been particularly amazing to see in these first couple of weeks!
The first day the clinic ran, we had a client come in who was living with a chronic health condition. However, they had become homeless and were struggling with getting proper medical care. They asked the nursing students for a health screening and one of their results was dangerously high. The students pulled the client back to talk to them about their results and learned that the client lost their insurance. As a result, they had been unable to pay for a vital medication to treat their condition. The students alerted our staff of this and we were able to work through case management to get them their medication and help stabilize their condition. It was such a blessing to see on the very first day of the program how much of an impact access to healthcare has on the life and wellbeing of those most vulnerable in our community.
A few days later, another homeless client came in who knew that they had a terminal illness. As a result of their crisis, they had not been receiving treatment for their condition and this was causing them a great deal of discomfort in their daily life.They asked to speak with the clinic about their health to see if they could get help accessing regular treatment. Our case manager and the students working the clinic were able to find a local resource that offered treatment for this client’s illness. The client was grateful to get an appointment to restart treatment, but God had even more blessings in store. In further conversation, it was discovered that this local resource not only offered treatment for the illness, but that they also had a housing assistance program for those who are living with this condition. This client came into the Ministry Center hoping to get a daily meal and left connected with vital treatment for their illness and a path towards housing and life stability.
We are so encouraged by what God has already done by offering access to medical care in our service programs. We ask for your continued prayer for this and all of our programs…that we may continue to have the opportunity to offer vital resources to the most vulnerable members of our community. Check our website and follow us on social media to hear more about everything happening here at the Conway Ministry Center!
