2018 Annual Report

formerly FAN FREE CLINIC Exceptional health services for those in need ANNUAL REPORT 2018 Table of Contents 8 MEDICAL CLINIC Our inspiration 3 16 We have copies of this poster hanging in And the spirit of the words took flight. three of our lobbies at Health Brigade. When We, the staff of Health Brigade, extend our EXECUTIVE 10 the staff was gathered to brainstorm about FOOD FARMACY heartfelt thanks to the trio who made the use what should be in this year’s annual report, LETTER of this poster possible–Jennifer Rosen Heinz, a strong sentiment was expressed that we MENTAL HEALTH incorporate the piece. Becca Schwartz and Kristin Joiner. We also thank these Madison, Wisconsin women for This poster has been a viral phenomenon ever bringing this message to the masses. since it hit the web after the 2016 elections. It was based on a handwritten sign made by Health Brigade stands behind each statement Kristin Garvey from Madison, Wisconsin. Then, in our work. We thank YOU, our supporters, 5 19 three women discovered it. One of the three, for making our work possible. Indeed, Kristin Joiner, designed the official version. kindness is everything. HEALTH 13 LISTS OUTREACH FINANCIALS Volunteers Donors *Our front cover features the kind face of Phyllis Owusu, Medical Assistant, in our Medical Clinic. Cover Photo: Patience Salgado 1 Kindness in healthcare Dear Friends, commitment to serve those injecting drugs in our community who are at risk of spreading Thank you for your tremendous support this disease, overdose and death from unsafe past fiscal year. Your kindness and generosity practices and a lack of resources. We hope toward our neighbors are the reason why our stepping up will help other organizations Health Brigade continues to thrive in a time of consider what role they can play in addressing suffering and division. Each of us can be part the opioid crisis. of the dis-ease and further exacerbate it, or we can choose to help others be at ease to assist Our medical clinic has fully integrated our with healing. Our experience of serving those patient-centered electronic medical record most vulnerable in our communities has taught that continues to evolve to reflect our service us that healing is more than accessing clinical environment at Health Brigade. Several new care, the newest therapies, the latest scientific specialty services are now available, including treatments, or the most expensive medicines. Hepatitis C treatment for a small number At Health Brigade, kindness is everything. We know kindness fosters healthy interactions, of patients. Our mental health program has creates a safe environment and enables us to continued to grow and we recently became be at ease in our own skin. Being kind sets us a designated site for loan repayment for new up for mutual healing and transformation in all mental health practitioners. of our interactions with others. Our commitment to becoming a trauma- As we mark another year of caring for over informed agency continues to transform 12,000 people in our community, we are how we deliver services, conduct day to day proud to present a snapshot of the work we operations, and interact with all who come have accomplished. Our leadership, with through our doors. Recognizing one’s humanity consultation from mjs Consulting Associates first, we are working to improve our spoken Inc., brought our best thinking together and written language to avoid reducing to create our new Strategic Guide 2018- persons to diagnostic labels. Changing our 2021 (www.healthbrigade.org/strategic- language really does impact how we interact guide-2018-2021). Aligning our strategies to with others, solve problems, and design the vision and mission of Health Brigade in our and execute good programming. We are rapidly changing health environment is more continuing to streamline our processes and critical than ever to ensure that our vulnerable materials with sensitivity to literacy, language, neighbors do not fall through the cracks. culture and the diversity of those who seek our We advocated for expansion of Medicaid to services. assist more people in Virginia who do not As we near the closing of our calendar year, have options for healthcare. We launched our we ask you to join the brigade to create an comprehensive Ryan White Part B program epidemic of kindness. YOU MATTER! for those living with HIV to help fill the gap for mental health and emergency housing With sincere thanks, needs. Through our new Comprehensive Harm Reduction Program, we made a bold 2 Karen A. Legato Melanie Green, PhD, RN 3 Executive Director Board Chair Photo by Patience Salgado HIV Testing Counselor Dominique Graves Health Outreach & Advocacy n important part of his day is other races/ethnicities.” simply connecting with people. It is through the casual conversations When asked what difference he thinks his A presence makes in these neighborhoods, Dominique Graves has that he does some of his best work. Dominique says, “It lets people know that others care. It also provides someone for “We walk around [public housing] them to talk to.” communities and talk to people about all kinds of things. It allows them to put their The best feeling is when I run guard down.” into someone and they tell Ultimately “we’re talking about sexual me they are making better health and that can be tense,”says decisions as a result of us Domininque, an HIV testing counselor. “But it’s just as important as physical or talking. That’s cool to me. mental health.” When the team is not testing in Resource The Health Outreach & Advocacy team Centers, they are walking through visit four public housing communities in neighborhoods handing out condoms and Richmond on a weekly basis: Gilpin Court, answering questions about HIV and STIs Hillside Court, Whitcomb Court and or other health matters. Fairfield Court. These communities are “We care about their well-being by predominantly African American. showing up and empowering them to According to the Centers for Disease understand the importance of staying Control and Prevention website, “Blacks/ on top of their sexual health. Black lives African Americans account for a higher are just as important as everyone else’s proportion of new HIV diagnoses, those life even though society and the systems living with HIV, and those who have ever set up in this country do not always show received an AIDS diagnosis, compared to that,”said Dominique. Health Outreach Encounters: 4 9,035 5 Photo by Patience Salgado “A Real Gem of Access” y trust in their expertise single bit of insulin I’ve used. That’s an the wraps off and then coming in 2-3 given an ultrasound at Health Brigade. continues to grow every incredible blessing.” times a week to have them put back day,”says “Gloria” a patient at on.” Ultimately, she was diagnosed with M After Gloria developed severe, painful cancer and had to have a hysterectomy Health Brigade who visits the clinic 2-3 times a week to receive care unavailable swelling in her legs, Health Brigade I’ve experienced tremendous luckily averting chemotherapy and anywhere else. discovered she had lymphedema. One radiation. of the nurse practitioners, Roneshe kindness here. Gloria was a manufacturing engineer ‘Ro’ Warren, NP, “started trying to find “I have been able to lean on the I’ve never been made to feel that clinical personnel who have been for Cisco Systems, an American somewhere I could go for treatment.” something such as my leg wraps have so valuable to me. “I don’t think it’s multinational technology conglomerate. been a burden. I’m grateful to not feel “Through Access Now, Ro found obvious to those on the outside what a badly about not being able to help She had lived on both coasts and a pretty hard to get into slot at a ‘community’ is here. There are services several places in between for her job. lymphedema clinic at Sheltering Arms” myself,” Gloria said. here that so many don’t have access to. When her sister suffered a cognitively- [Physical Rehabilitation Center.] Because of the ongoing relationship debilitating stroke, she chose to return Gloria had with the medical team at I feel very lucky. It’s a real to Richmond to be her caretaker and Health Brigade refers patients to Health Brigade, she received what gem of access. I don’t know advocate. With that decision, she lost Access Now when specialty care is she called a “communal response” her employment and her insurance. needed. Access Now is a network of when she began to experience some what I would do without it. specialty care physicians who respond gynecological symptoms. Gloria was That was 2010. Her sister passed in to the complex medical needs of the 2012 just as Gloria’s own health began uninsured at no cost to them. posing challenges. She needed a refill for blood pressure medicine when she “Ro was like a pitbull advocate trying to found Health Brigade. get the wraps that I needed to wear to manage the swelling. Once I got them, I “I learned about the pharmacy wasn’t able to put them on successfully assistance program which was a myself. I wasn’t able to reach areas godsend.” Health Brigade became of the bottoms of my legs and create Gloria’s medical home. It wasn’t long the kind of therapeutic pressure that I before physicians at Health Brigade needed.” Ro told her to come to Health diagnosed her with diabetes and she Brigade to have the wraps reapplied. had to begin taking insulin shots. Since June of 2017, “I’ve been taking “Health Brigade has provided every 6 7 Stock photo Volunteer provider Dr.

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