Submitted by Unity Care NW, written by Chief Pharmacy Officer Lisa Nelson
Health care access is personally important to me. I grew up as a child in poverty and witnessed my mother struggle with debilitating health conditions. She lacked health insurance and was unable to get the care she needed. When she was finally able to get a diagnosis, she couldn’t afford the medications needed to treat her conditions. Every day I saw the impact to her quality of life and unfortunately on the duration of her life. That’s why I am driven to ensure care for everyone.
The number of Bellingham individuals and families living in poverty has increased significantly since last year and a recent study showed that half of Americans are unable to access affordable health care. When people fear the cost of going to the doctor, they put off seeking care, even when, like my mother’s case, their issue could be easily treated and managed. When health issues aren’t managed, they can escalate with dangerous outcomes. Unity Care NW conveniently provides affordable medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services to everyone – whether they can afford it or not. We treat conditions before they cause long term health impacts that will be more costly to our patients and to our community, and your donation will help.
Prior to working here, I observed a fragmented healthcare system that patients struggled to navigate. Now I get to see patients helped every day by a community health model. Like a woman who shared with us that she had been paying $200 a month for her insulin that she couldn’t routinely afford it. In fact, she had been rationing her insulin to control her diabetes. My team told her she was eligible for our sliding fee discount program and once she applied, her insulin cost dropped to $5 a month. Overcome with relief, after hearing the news, she immediately burst into tears. She was so grateful that she would now be able to access her insulin, treat her diabetes, and still meet her other financial obligations. It is incredibly rewarding to be part of the organization helping her on her health journey and ensuring she no longer has to face such impossible decisions.
Some days this work is hard, but the patients — they give me incredible hope. When you learn about the struggles they live with every day, and we’re able to meet their needs, it’s heartening to see how appreciative they are. When you support Unity Care NW, we use those donations to invest in the lives of our patients, like providing the sliding fee discount program. I invite you to join us in being part of the solution to ensure affordable care for everyone and make your donation today.
