Merlys Garcia and Ester Gomez, Hedis Compliance Technicians, do not typically make house calls. But recently they ventured out of their offices at the Doris Ison Health Center to bring two new pairs of shoes to a patient. Typically, Garcia and Gomez connect with Community Health of South Florida Inc. (CHI) patients over the phone when they are due for appointments. The ladies ensure that some of the most challenging patients with barriers to care, don’t fall through the cracks. So, when the team called a patient after he didn’t show up for a specialist appointment they were moved by the reason for his absence.

“He said I’m not gonna lie to you,” recalls Gomez. “I don’t have any shoes.”

He told her he had been hospitalized and someone stole his shoes.

They asked him what size he wears, and both Garcia and Gomez put their own money together to buy two new pairs for him.

The patient suffers from heart related issues that also interfere with his memory. After his recent hospital discharge they wanted to be sure he was doing well. So, they brought a nurse from CHI along with them to the patient’s home. The nurse checked his vitals and overall condition and the three presented him with his new shoes.

“He was very grateful for the shoes and he started talking to us about his medical history,” said Gomez. “He suffered several strokes and he has been trying to improve himself.”

It’s a moment in time that Garcia said she will cherish. “He was so grateful. He even had tears in his eyes,” remembered Garcia. “Just getting from beyond the desk and being with him, it means the world. We even prayed with him because he is a very religious person.”

The ladies were able to bring down his blood pressure at that moment and schedule a follow-up appointment for him to see the doctor. Now with his new shoes, he was confident he could make his next appointment.

“I told him that he is an inspiration to me because my father is a stroke patient,” said Gomez. “He keeps going, he wants to better himself, he has a disability, but he can improve.”

The news spread quickly back at CHI and both Gomez and Garcia were awarded with CHI’s ACTion Hero Award for their generous and caring response to a patient’s needs.

How’s your golf swing? It doesn’t have to be outstanding to join us at our annual Glen Rice Celebrity Golf Tournament at the Shula’s Golf Club in Miami Lakes on April 12th. In fact, some people just like to come and enjoy the food, drinks and the greens. Whether you’re golfing or not I hope you will join us for this fun-filled event and pledge a sponsorship. It helps push us closer to our goal of building a Children’s Crisis Center for abused children and kids with severe behavioral health issues. The crisis center will be an in-patient 24-hour facility with integrated care for children. Currently, we have a crisis unit for adults but it is not suitable for kids. That means when children are baker acted here or brought in by their parents we need to process them and transfer them to another facility miles away. Oftentimes most of the local children’s crisis centers are full. These families can’t wait any longer for help. We need to be their lifeline and you can help us do that.

March is colorectal cancer awareness month. It is the second leading cause of death from cancers that affects both men and women. If you are 50 years and older you need to get regular screenings. Talk to your doctor here at CHI about getting tested. Six out of 10 deaths from this cancer could have been prevented according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Last, but certainly not least, I want to ask you all to wish your doctor a Happy Doctor’s Day on March 30th. CHI is so fortunate to have a talented, knowledgeable, devoted, compassionate team of physicians. Our doctors work beyond the hurdles presented to ensure that everyone has access to high quality healthcare, regardless of economic background, insurance status or ethnicity. They believe in the work that they do and many of them are helping to groom the next generation of doctors by teaching the residents in our Teaching Health Center. I want our doctors to know that we are so grateful for all that they do and sincerely proud of their dedication to our patients.

Yours Truly,

Brodes H. Hartley Jr.

Sandra Reyes is the new Director of Patient Services. Reyes comes with more than 20 years of experience in the Healthcare industry which includes software and administration knowledge.

She received her undergraduate degree from Rutgers University, in New Jersey and a master’s degree from Florida International University. Reyes later worked as an adjunct faculty member at Nova Southeastern University where she combined her experience and education by teaching health care professionals. She has experience in analysis of workflows and success in finding strategies to improve them.

These opportunities cemented the success of Community Health Centers to consistently meet organizational goals and increase efficiencies. She also has strong collaborative skills and has been credited with the development and implementation of new health care technology.

Reyes said she hopes her leadership of the department will help improve the overall patient experience at Community Health of South Florida, Inc.

Eight-year-old Genesis Guevara loves to smile and wants to keep her pearly whites healthy. Unlike her 4 siblings, she has never had a cavity. On her regularly scheduled dental cleaning at Community Health of South Florida’s Doris Ison Dental Department, the hygienist suggests that she gets sealants on her back teeth.

“Sealants are very important,” said Dr. Sheri Watson-Hamilton, Director of CHI Dental. “Sealants help prevent cavities on children when they get their first molars and premolars, the larger teeth in the back of the mouth.”

These back teeth have grooves that you can feel if you run your tongue along the back of your mouth. Those grooves can collect bacteria and dirt, despite brushing.

“The sealant actually creates a barrier,” said Dr. Watson-Hamilton. “This helps save you money in the long run by preventing cavities.”

For Genesis’ mom, Patricia Galindo, this is an easy decision. “I get worried about cavities. So, this is a good option.”
The sealant is like a varnish that is painted on the back teeth. It hardens immediately and serves as a barrier, preventing food and acid from going into the teeth’s grooves. It’s recommended that children receive the sealant sometime between the age of 5 and 6 and then again around age 12. The sealant contains small amounts of Bisphenol A, otherwise known as BPA. That’s the chemical found in water bottles and plastic food containers. BPA has been linked to negative health effects on the body. But according to the American Dental Association, there are only trace amounts and sealants are not a threat to a child’s health.

“The Pediatric Dental Association recognizes sealants as part of the quality of care,” said Dr. Watson-Hamilton. Now there are more oral health initiatives that are increasing the uses of dental sealants and fluoride varnishes. So, the combination of those two are helping reduce cavities.”

Sealants are covered by most dental insurance plans for kids up to the age of 12.

The holidays came early in Washington D.C. as legislators in the House voted 361 to 61 to approve $1.63 billion in funding for community health centers for 2019. The Senate previously passed the bill 93 to 7.

The bipartisan support will be combined with $4 billion authorized earlier in the year bringing the total support to $5.6 billion.

“This is tremendous news for Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) and Health Centers throughout this county,” said Brodes H. Hartley Jr., CHI President and CEO. “Community Health Centers care for some of this nation’s most underserved communities including 13 million people living in poverty. Everyone deserves access to high-quality healthcare.”

The majority of community health center patients are uninsured or publicly insured. Health Centers like CHI are open to everyone, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. It offers a sliding fee scale option based on a patient’s income to make healthcare affordable and obtainable. In addition, federally qualified health centers like CHI offer a comprehensive set of services such as primary care, pediatrics, OB/GYN, dental, behavioral health, urgent care, vision, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, and more.

Marina Vacas is one of CHI’s 83,000 patients and among the country’s 28 million community health center patients. She became a CHI patient about 20 years ago. At the time she was unemployed and uninsured and had issues with her cholesterol and calcifications in her breasts.

“It was a relief, recalled Vacas. “I came here, and it was very affordable to have my mammograms or my check-ups, my blood tests, and all that.”

She said if she didn’t have CHI, she likely wouldn’t seek care and her health would suffer. Such is the case for so many patients who now benefit from the newly released federal funding.

“In this country, especially here in Miami Dade, it is very difficult,” said Vacas. “We need these centers.”

The money will help fund quality improvements, expansions, and support for behavioral health and substance abuse disorders.

“We are so very grateful to all lawmakers in both the House and Senate for their dedication and hard work on behalf of the Health Centers Program, and look forward to working with all Members in the coming year to secure long-term, stable funding that ensures the sustainability and success of health centers long into the future,” said Tom Van Coverden, President of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).

Photo: (Left to right) Manuel Garcia, MD., Molrine Tracey, MD., Elizabeth Philippe, MD., Saint Anthony Amofah, MD., Tamara Wright, MD., Abiona Redwood, MD., Edgard Nunez, MD.