Saving Lives Through Health Screenings

Through community outreach partnerships and coordination of CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare programs, two women are now on a path to a healthier future with their children.

Last month at the HISD Sunrise Center Milby location, CHRISTUS Healthy Living Mobile Clinics were on-site to offer free health screenings. During this visit, they encountered a middle-aged female patient with extremely high blood pressure. Mobile Clinics’ Sister Theresa Kelleher, R.N. called St. Mary’s Clinic to get her an appointment as soon as possible and then stressed to the patient the urgency to go to the clinic. Dr.  Boule saw the patient later that day and provided her with the medication and education to get her blood pressure under control. Additionally, Dr. Boule made arrangements for follow-up appointments, an annual well woman’s exam and a mammogram appointment.

At another screening at Farias Early Childhood School, a patient again showed extremely high blood pressure with symptoms. Even with the symptoms, the patient wasn’t aware that they were related to high blood pressure. The Mobile Clinics staff called St. Mary’s Clinic and were able to secure an appointment with Dr. Popp that day. Her results where so critical that the medical staff had to insist that a relative drive her to St. Mary’s Clinic and she not drive herself.  The patient received medication and education to get her blood pressure under control, along with follow up appointments to monitor her condition.

When the Healthy Living Mobile Clinic team members returned to the office, the group recounted the day Program Supervisor Nancy Bocanegra and stated, “we truly saved another life today.”

“These two stories are a perfect example of community outreach partners working together for the common good of identifying those individuals who are at-risk and don’t know it,” Bocanegra said. “Every day, the Mobile Clinics team talks about how grateful and blessed they feel to be able to provide the Health Screenings to at-risk communities and to be able to proactively save a life by educating the individuals on how to bring their vital signs under control. Also, when a critical patient is recognized and in need for immediate doctor’s attention, it is so very beneficial to be able to schedule an appointment at St. Mary’s Clinic for the individual that same day.”

With the new on-site testing that the Mobile Clinics introduced in last January, patients are able to see their results in just three minutes, and the team is able to provide crucial education and medical intervention on the spot.