Haga clic en la bandera en parte superior de la página para traducir al español

Pezé sou drapo anwo paj la pou Kreyol

Dr. Rolando Caldrin and patient Karl Mills at one of CHI’s monthly Warfarin clinics

Throughout the years, Rosa Jackson Sneed has become well acquainted with Warfarin, an anticoagulant medication that she has relied on since 1999 due to a longstanding history of blood clots. The medicine prevents her blood from clotting, which could lead to death. Understanding the crucial part that Warfarin plays in maintaining her overall health, Sneed turns to Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) for healthcare support. For more than ten years, CHI has had monthly clinics for patients taking Warfarin and other anticoagulants. These sessions provide education and create a sense of community among the patients. Actively participating in these clinics at the Doris Ison Health Center, Sneed ensures her well-being through ongoing participation.

“I have been with CHI for years and coming to this clinic for the longest,” Sneed said. “It has been a help. We get our blood checked at the same time and come to class. It has been very beneficial.” 

At the November session, Sneed was among a handful of patients in the room who completed lab work and took to their seats for the education portion of the program. CHI pharmacists and pharmacy students addressed their concerns and provided information for treatment options.

Patient laboratory results are then closely monitored by pharmacists and doctors. The goal is to check patients on the spot and adjust their treatment plans immediately. “If their test shows us that their levels are high, they will have bleeding issues,” said Dr. Rolando Caldrin, a CHI pharmacist. “If their levels are low, they will have blood clots. That’s why we adjust it on the spot.” 

CHI Director of Pharmacy Services, Dr. Samuel James, who has played a role in this initiative, recognizes that although this is a challenging time for the patient, he is grateful that they have access to services like these. 

“They come to this class for us to help them stay healthy and we adjust their treatment based on what levels are on the test,” he said. “It has become a small little community. It gives some of these patients who have nobody to talk to, an opportunity to talk to each other and feel better about their situation.” 

Dr. Caldrin reflected proudly on more than a decade of collaboration between CHI clinicians. A program that started as a mere concept, has now expanded to 50 patients in the group. 

“We have a whole policy and procedure that was created just for this class,” Dr. Caldrin said. “The idea is both compliance and education, so the patient can—to a certain point—fend for themselves. It has been successful!”

Haga clic en la bandera en parte superior de la página para traducir al español

Pezé sou drapo anwo paj la pou Kreyol

CHI employees celebrate diversity wearing Colombian cultural attire

Ambassadors of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program took the stage during Cultural Awareness Day at CHI. This is a day that employees gather to celebrate the diversity among staff. They are encouraged to wear cultural attire and share aspects of their culture with history, food, music and more. At the start of the day, the ambassadors engaged in a workshop known as a “privilege walk.” They courageously revealed personal histories and facts about their lives as they stepped forward in response to probing questions. As CHI employees in the audience observed, they would realize that despite their differences and unique life experiences, there is common ground in their shared work environment. The goal was to stimulate a deeper understanding of unity among the diverse individuals within the organization. 

Carol Blackwood-Curry, CHI’s Director of Volunteer Services and Event Coordination and DEI Ambassador, said that activities like these offer an insight into each other’s lives that provide a valuable lesson in understanding who we are as individuals. 

“We may have varying experiences, but we need to be a little bit more empathic towards the experiences that others have that we have not,” she said. “It is an eye opener usually for everybody. It did cause some conversations afterward.” 

CHI’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program was created at CHI in 2022 to create a sense of belonging among employees. The organization has a diverse staff, but leaders wanted to ensure that everyone feels understood, recognized and appreciated at work.  

“We value diversity, but figuring out how to help people feel like they belong in the environment, from the patients to the staff to the community, that’s a different thing,” Blackwood-Curry said. “You have to make some effort for that.” 

Since the start of this program, its eight ambassadors, serving as representatives of the staff and various ethnic groups at CHI, have actively launched a series of activities and events designed to connect employees. These initiatives create a space for open and honest conversation promoting a culture of transparency and mutual understanding within the organization. Among these efforts include themed “DEI Fridays” where each Friday for 6 weeks out of the year there are opportunities for staff to create “I am” videos and written narratives that showcase who they are as individuals. Additionally, the introduction of “DEI lunch and learns,” a 40-minute interactive conversation focused on DEI topics has been successful.

According to Blackwood-Curry, these efforts have already begun to make a difference among staff and have had a positive impact on the patient care approach. 

“People are talking to each other and learning from each other,” she said. “It extends what was already an empathic attitude towards our patients. It reminds staff to be mindful of how they speak to one another.”