As we have been experiencing four seasons in one week and what feels like non-stop rain, the dramatic change in temperatures is playing havoc on everyone’s health. We all have felt it, that cold coming on, it may be a tickle in the throat, a slight ache in the back of the neck, nose that starts to drip non-stop or that haze in your eyes. What do you do to fight back and keep that cold from becoming full blown?
Most of us have the luxury of cooking some chicken noodle soup, taking some over-the-counter medications and curling up into a warm bed to recover as quick as possible. That image is a dream to many of our homeless population. But it has become closer to reality for guests of the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky (ESNKY).
An anonymous donor has gifted the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky with a $50,000 grant of which $25,000 was designated to provide on-site medical care. This gives the shelter, for the first time, an on-site nurse practitioner to help those who don’t have a home to help them get back on their feet quicker. St. Elizabeth Business Health is a strategic partner in placing the nurse practitioner on-site.
“St. Elizabeth Healthcare is proud to work with the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky to offer an onsite nurse practitioner who will be able to serve the immediate needs of homeless guests while at the shelter. In addition, by having a nurse practitioner on staff we’ll be able to perform certain screenings and immunizations, while also providing early intervention and treatment options for specific health concerns,” states Chris Carle, President and CEO of the St. Elizabeth Provider Network/Business Health Services.
Kim Webb-Executive Director, Brian Lawson-Nurse Practitioner, Brittney Kane-Operations Manager
The shelter began offering this on January 7, 2019, has also been given a supply of over-the-counter medicines and the nurse practitioner can prescribe much needed basic medicine. “The over-the-counter medications can offer symptoms relief for common ailments such as cold or flu and generalized aches and pains. Screenings such as blood pressure and blood sugar can identify individuals that need referrals into primary care for further evaluation and treatment.” shares Brian Lawson, nurse practitioner.
The impact of having a nurse practitioner on staff enables screenings that have identified cases where individuals needed immediate attention at night for services that my not require a visit to the doctor. This in effect reduces costs for everyone because guests are being seen in a more economical setting than someplace such as the emergency room. The shelter encourages those that have insurance to meet or follow-up with their primary care physicians whether that is with HealthPoint or St. Elizabeth.
“Although the circumstances surrounding this group of individuals are different from patients in other practice settings, the guests are human beings and deserve a basic level of health care as any other individual.” states Mr. Lawson.
What is the next step for ESNKY? According to Executive Director Kim Webb, “Many of our guests are eligible for basic health care coverage but do not have the skills to apply for the coverage or access to the forms or computers to apply.” ESNKY is excited to partner with HealthPoint to bring knowledgeable professionals to the shelter to help individuals who do not have a primary care physician or insurance to connect them to services. “We know transportation to access resources in our area is an issue so we need to bring the resources to our guests rather than expecting them to figure out how to get to the resources. Guests often give up because they can’t get to or don’t have the basic skills to navigate the systems available.” continues Mrs. Webb.
“Providing immediate medical care to our winter shelter guests furthers our mission to be a ‘Life Saving, Life Changing’ shelter. It improves the health of our guests, our staff and community,” concludes Kim Webb.
The Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky is located at 634 Scott Street in Covington, Kentucky and is 95% privately funded. To learn more about or make a donation, please visit ESNKY’s website www.emergencyshelternky.org or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/EmergencyShelterNKY. The shelter always welcomes tours and volunteers, contact them at 859-291-4555.
#ESNKY #StElizabeth #HomelesstoHopeful #CaringForOurNeighbors #Proactive #PreventativeHealth #EveryoneDeservesAccess
Written by: Julia Pile of Stinger Media, LLC