preview

Summary Of Patient Interview

Decent Essays

The key informant that I chose for my interview was Breanne Watson who is a registered nurse at Surry County Health and Nutrition Center in Dobson, NC. Watson explains that she has been a county health department nurse for five years and has worked in several different areas within the health department. Currently, Watson specializes in communicable diseases at the health department. Watson states that her job consist of providing services to individuals with communicable diseases, reporting the disease, planning treatment regimens for the individual, ordering medications and following up with the individual. In addition, Watson educates and counsels individuals on communicable diseases and takes part in the health team planning of the community …show more content…

These resources include the Primary Care Clinic at Surry County Health and Nutrition Center, Grace Clinic and Surry Medical Ministries. The primary care clinic is operated five days a week from 8am to 5pm. It is utilized by those who are uninsured and meet the income criteria. The person’s co-pay is adjusted to their income level. The primary care clinic provides primary care to those seeking preventative care and for those needing treatment that are sick. Watson explains that the biggest barrier for this resource is the limited amount of space and long waiting times. Watson states, “many people get frustrated having to wait one hour or sometimes longer and leave before being seen by a doctor” (personal communication, February 27, 2017). The Grace Clinic provides free medical care for those in need. The clinic has a doctor on-site and also provides free transportation to other appointments. In addition, the clinic provides these individuals with medication vouchers that are accepted at certain pharmacies in the county. The barriers of the Grace Clinic include the eligibility requirements which are: the person has to be between the ages of 18-64, live in certain area codes, no medical insurance and have an income at or below 200% of Federal Poverty Level. People who meet the criteria for this clinic find that the services offered are very beneficial to their well-being and health. Lastly, …show more content…

If Hepatitis C is caught in the early stages it is curable with medication. Watson points out that the medications that is used to treat Hepatitis C is very expensive and that people have a hard time paying for the cost. This results in people not getting the treatment due to the cost and this ultimately results in the person getting chronic Hepatitis C. Watson explains, “chronic Hepatitis C leads to cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer or scarring of the liver” (personal communication, February 27, 2017). Watson states that within the past couple of years, drug companies have taken the cost of these medications into consideration and have set up payment plan options for people who suffer from Hepatitis C. Along with, some drug companies are now covering the entire cost of the medications depending on the person’s income level. Another development that has recently emerged is financial counselors. Watson explains that, “once a person tests positive for Hepatitis C they will be notified, control measures will be discussed and the nurse will refer them out to a financial counselor to figure out which route is best for them to get treatment” (personal communication, February 27, 2017). Surry County Health and Nutrition Center work closely with the financial counselors through Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center to get these

Get Access