Serving at Sojourner

While I have been busy this year working for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, appearing as Miss Gateway to the West, studying for Pathology, working in my clinic, and preparing for Miss Missouri, most Sundays have been prioritized for volunteering at Sojourner Health Clinic, the free clinic for downtown Kansas City, Missouri. You can read all about what I've been doing this year in my other entries regarding the holidays and ounces of prevention.  Also, find more about Sojourner at their website. 

Sojourner Health Clinic inspired my platform of Doctoring it up: Adding preventative medicine to our health care. Through my volunteer experiences, I learned that by providing underprivileged individuals with the preventative and maintainable health care that they needed and deserved, not only did their quality of life improve (it's always a blessing to hear about a patient who was able to find a job after we were able to help them control their health issues), but also we had fewer visits to the ER for outpatient disorders (heartburn, allergies, malnutrition, infections, etc.).

I have been working with the Columbia Duffers Club for almost a year, raising funds to donate to the Health Clinic as well as purchasing toiletries and basic hygiene items for the patients. Together we have raised over $1,000 for the Clinic. Currently, I am writing, drafting, and redrafting a bill to include financial allocation toward preventative medicine for Missouri hospitals. Hopefully, it will allow more clinics to be founded, allow older clinics to expand, and expand the care basis for Missouri's hospitals while relieving their emergency room burden. More than money, Sojourner sees 20-25 patients each week, every week of the year. In one month, one hundred people have made steps toward a healthier life. The object of preventative medicine is to help individuals take control of their health instead of letting their health take control of them. Sojourner giving control back to a lot of individuals who have lost almost everything else. Sojourner doesn't supply just medicine, it gives hope and encouragement.

I know a lot of people oppose free clinics, but seeing this hope and encouragement resonate with our patients as they take control of their health eliminates all my questions and reservations. Seeing this change in people inspires me to do whatever I can to help the organization who provides this support. I wanted to share a day in clinic with you, thanks to our UMKC-Medical School photographer, Bob. Thanks for letting me use the pictures!