The First Call!

     My first official week at Nassau University Medical Center has ended.  What a truly incredible first week!  I arrived Monday morning for a 9:00-12:00 morning shift.  In the heart of the pediatric section of the hospital, Health Leads is a small office.  My project manager was incredibly kind and helped to get me familiar with a program that we would be using, called Client Connect.  Through Client Connect, I will be able to access each of my client’s information.  In addition, I can search and locate the resources for my clients.  It even allows me to narrow the searches to areas nearby their homes. 

     After familiarizing myself with the program, it was time to call my first client.  I was to introduce myself and let them know that I was the Health advocate that would be working with them.  Filled with both excitement and nervousness, I dialed my first client.  The majority of my clients are foreign-speaking.  Therefore, I needed the help of a translator to communicate with them.  I was a little disappointed that I only was able to get in contact with one client.  I left a voicemail for those that I could not reach.  I plan on following up with them again next Monday.  It was definitely a great first day, and I learned a lot.  I am confident that in the upcoming weeks I will get in contact with all my clients and do my best to provide them with the help that they need.  There is so much more that I hope to learn. 

     On Thursday evening, the Health Advocates came together for a reflection session at Hofstra.  We listened to guest speakers, who provided insightful information to assist us in our work as Advocates.  We heard stories and watched clips from people in need of medical treatment.  The Advocates spent time thinking about different scenarios and worked to ensure that we are prepared for various situations that we may encounter at Health Leads.

http://news.legalexaminer.com/healthcare-a-right-or-privilege-who-does-it-better-than-us.aspx?googleid=249032