Just A Phone Call Away

While our Health Living Mobile Clinics may not be in the community due to COVID-19, that doesn’t mean patient care isn’t coming first. Bilingual Registered Nurse Natalie Bonilla (pictured) is still caring for those Mobile Clinic patients with critical lab results – high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure – via phone.

“My calls are to follow up with them to make sure they have located a Primary Care Physician to monitor their conditions and to make sure they have made an appointment,” Bonilla said. “For those that cannot afford a Primary Care Physician, I direct them to CHRISTUS St. Mary’s Clinic.” For diabetics, Bonilla is also providing education on diet and lifestyle changes, in addition to information for family members on how to seek help in the case of a diabetic coma.

As chronic conditions can contribute to a more severe case of COVID-19, Bonilla is also reminding patients of the best ways to protect themselves – quarantine, take necessary precautions when going out, and social distancing to those who may have been exposed. “The majority of the patients I have spoken with are taking precautions,” Bonilla said.

With schools closed, our School Clinics staff has joined our Mobile Clinics staff to provide COVID-19 screenings for potential symptoms at CHRISTUS St. Mary’s Clinic, CHRISTUS Point of Light Clinic and at the Moran Center. For those clients showing a potential positive, the staff is directing them to area testing sites. Bonilla is also making follow-up calls to those patients to confirm they were tested and to answer any questions they may have.

During this time of uncertainty, we look to you to support our important missions for the underserved and uninsured.

Today, you can make a gift to CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare that will directly address COVID-19 needs. Please leave the designation as “Area of Greatest Need” and place “COVID-19” in the comment section. This designation will provide us flexibility as the situation changes over time.

We appreciate your continued support of our missions.

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