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Featured Stories: Health Centers
Health Care for Everyone
Holy Cross Hospital health centers provide primary care for uninsured adults
Peter Wilson, of Silver Spring, works hard running his own electrical
and plumbing business, but he cannot afford health insurance. He is
one of the approximately 100,000 to 120,000 adults living in Montgomery
County without health insurance.
A critical situation
“People who lack financial resources often postpone seeing a health care
provider until their medical problems reach critical levels,” says Elise
C. Riley, MD, interim medical director, Community Care Delivery, Holy Cross
Hospital. “As a result, they may require emergency services or more complex
and expensive care.”
This was the case for Peter, who for years was unaware that he had
high blood pressure and diabetes.
“To keep me going as I ran my business, I drank energy drinks
all day long,” he says.
The combination of Peter’s undiagnosed
health problems and the high sugar content in those energy drinks
led to a severe, life-threatening condition.
On Jan. 28, 2007, Peter had two strokes.
“I was in a coma for several weeks, had brain surgery, and could
not walk or talk,” Peter says. “I was in really bad shape,
but the staff and doctors at Holy Cross Hospital are very good; they
saved my life.”
Care for those who need it
In the past five years, Holy Cross Hospital has opened two
health centers that provide affordable care to low-income, uninsured
Montgomery County adults. Plans are in place to open a third health center in
the Wheaton/Aspen Hill area later this year.
Dr. Riley says the health centers are there
to help people like Peter. “There
is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing a patient with high blood
pressure or diabetes suffer major health complications because he was
unable to access primary care or pay for medication,” she says. “Our
health centers help prevent the consequences of untreated disease.”
In the past five fiscal years, the Holy Cross Hospital health centers
have provided 30,847 patient visits.
“We provide these primary care services to uninsured adults
at an affordable price as part of the hospital’s commitment to
reinvest our profits into innovative and sustainable programs to improve
the health of all those we serve, with particular emphasis on the poor
and vulnerable,” Dr. Riley says. “As a result, Holy Cross
Hospital provides services far beyond what is traditionally expected
of a hospital.”
At the health centers, skilled clinicians provide primary medical
care, annual screenings, chronic disease management, behavioral health
care, preventive care, health education, and follow-up care after emergency
room and hospital visits.
Most of the staff members are bilingual in English and Spanish, and
interpretation and translation services are available for other languages.
Determination and support
After his strokes, Peter’s road to recovery
was not easy.
“I was very determined and worked very hard to get my life back,” Peter
says. “So I took advantage of the services available at the health
center.”’
At the Holy Cross Hospital Health Center at Montgomery College in
Silver Spring, Peter learned how to manage his high blood pressure
and diabetes. He continues to go to the health center for follow-up
care and receives high blood pressure medication free of charge.
The centers offer various educational programs and resources to help
patients manage chronic conditions. Individual instruction; group education;
and low literacy, culturally competent written materials are available
onsite.
“These days, I’m back to work, I eat right, I exercise,
and I always take my medication,” Peter says. “I am very
thankful to have recently celebrated my 50th birthday.”
Health center locations
Holy Cross Hospital’s health centers are
state-of-the-art medical facilities for uninsured adults. There are
two locations:
- Holy Cross Hospital Health Center at Montgomery College in Silver
Spring, 7987 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Call 240-567-5600.
- Holy Cross Hospital Health Center in Gaithersburg, 702 Russell
Ave., Suite 100, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Call 301-355-7037.
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