Our new health coach program, launched at our Danbury clinic in March, gives patients struggling with chronic disease the knowledge, skills and confidence to better manage their health. Thanks to support from the Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation, we now have health coaches during all weekday clinic sessions.The coaches work one-on-one with patients like Ana, a single mother struggling to lose weight and lower her blood pressure, to develop individual action plans.

“My work is not easy. Sometimes I come home and I am tired, and I don’t exercise at all,” said Ana, a housekeeper. “I lose some weight and it goes up again.”

For patients managing hypertension, diabetes and other chronic diseases, quality health care is not enough. They must make critical dietary and exercise changes and understand their doctor’s instructions. Research has shown 50 percent of patients leave medical visits without understanding their provider’s advice.

“If they are more invested in the solution, they are more likely to see improvement,” said health coach Juanita Castillo.

Eighty patients are expected to participate in the program’s first year. Coaches are fluent in English and Spanish to meet the needs of a diverse patient population.

“We have a long-standing partnership with AmeriCares and are proud to build on the strength of our existing programs to help with one of the hardest aspects of healthy living—behavior change,” said Lilly Ackley, president, Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation. “Health adherence is central to a patient’s overall success, and by putting resources in place to improve it, we are working together towards a healthier community.”

New Health Coach Program Empowers Patients

Health coach Juanita Castillo reviews the sugar content of popular drinks with a patient.

Spring | Summer 2016

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Danbury patient Ana meets regularly with her health coach, Natalie Argueta.

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Jenifer Drummond, MDNorwalk Clinic

Dr. Ilja Hulinksy examines a patient during an endocrinology clinic.

Bridgeport Sara AtehortuaRoseanne AyerteyMandesha BendolphDavid CanuelMarlene CasanovaJoanne Maida, RNBlanca MenendezMurray Morrison, MDJodi Overston

DanburyOlessea Chitoiu, RNPriscilla ConsiglioRachael DurkinWillilam Gemmell, MDIris Lopez, RN

Aurora Miller, MDErin Pitre, RNBarbara Rossman, RNAna SerraJoana SilvaStephanie SimmsSheila Staib, RN

NorwalkVanessa Feigen, RNOlivia FirstenbergKim Healy-Slonieski, RNCarmen Kokkoros, RNLauren KratkyMitherleyne Lima, RNJoanna LipsonAmanda Loveless, RD

Michael Marks, MDDiana PoulsenAbi Schultz

StamfordMichael CarneyAnthony Dushku, RNLiz HansonRed JahnckeJennifer Lagana, RNLeonor LopezKristine MillerHector MoralesEduardo RamosShawndel SimpsonKendell Sogliero, RN

Dear Friends,

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” We live by these words from Maya Angelou. Quality improvement programs designed to monitor, assess and improve quality of care help us study health outcomes and improve clinical services. We also use them to assess systems, team work, efficiency and patient and staff satisfaction.

In our clinics, we regularly perform a wide variety of quality improvement programs. Last year, we conducted a chart review on patients with positive H.pylori test results, surveyed patients and interviewed volunteer interpreters. As a result of the volunteer feedback, we recently updated our guidelines for medical interpreters and introduced training for providers working with medical interpreters for the first time. We also reviewed 80 patient charts to determine our level of adherence to standards of care for type 2 diabetes with positive findings.

While it’s always gratifying to compare our results to national benchmarks and data from other free clinics, it’s more important that we continue to improve our practice and systems—the ultimate aim of quality improvement. We are good— because of all our quality volunteers and experienced staff—but we can always do better.

Karen Gottlieb, RN, MBA

A warm welcome to our new volunteers

“I was attending medical school in Grenada during Hurricane Ivan. I remember AmeriCares coming to the rescue with medicines and relief supplies for the local hospital. When I began practicing at Stamford Hospital years later, and learned AmeriCares had a clinic locally, I quickly signed up to volunteer.”

Volunteer News

From the Executive Director

Expanding Specialty Care ServicesScheduling specialist appointments for our patients is challenging. Most specialty physicians will accept only patients with insurance, and hospital-based specialty clinics can have wait times up to six months. We have long recognized this problem and, as a result, are pleased to offer monthly specialty clinic sessions on site, as well as a roster of private specialists who see our patients in their offices at no charge. We’ve recently added orthopedics, urology and well-women’s sessions and now offer 10 specialties throughout our clinics.

Students of Quinnipiac University’s Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine are offering free health screenings at the Weisman AmeriCares Free Clinic. The Bobcat Community Clinic, which started in February, provides screenings for diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and body mass index one Saturday a month.

More than 70 medical students volunteer under the supervision of faculty physicians. Students are distributing flyers at food pantries, churches and grocery stores to spread the word about the free services available to the community. Low-income patients without insurance may then be referredto our clinic for follow up care.

“The main goals are to improve access to care and prevent the long-term manifestations of chronic diseases that flood our emergency rooms and hospital floors,” said Kevin Kuo, a third-year student and executive director of the Bobcat Community Clinic. “We hope students who volunteer here will carry with them lessons of service, humanism and compassion for the poor throughout their professional careers and beyond.”

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AmeriCares Free Clinic of Stamford volunteers Wilson Sango, Tara Goldberg, Liz Hanson, Donna Getreuer and Ana Lilienfeld pictured with Clinic Director Muguette Maignan and Patient Care Coordinator Cindy Lozano (center) at our annual Volunteer Appreciation Reception on April 14.

Celebrating Our Volunteers

Thank you to the following donors who contributed $10,000 or more in the past yearAlmira Family FoundationCarol and George BauerBoehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation, Inc.Building and Land TechnologyBunting Family Foundation The Caputo Foundation Inc.City of DanburyCity of NorwalkThe Community Fund of DarienFairfield County Community FoundationGE Asset ManagementPer and Astrid Heidenreich Family FoundationLegg Mason/LM Charitable FoundationMrs. Leila MacauleyThe Macauley FoundationNear & Far AidOdysseyRe FoundationPraxair Inc.Purdue Pharma L.P.Quest DiagnosticsCornelia Cogswell Rossi Foundation, Inc.Adolph & Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation, Inc.The Ernest & Joan Trefz FoundationTSC Foundation, Inc.The Tudor Foundation, Inc.United Way of Western ConnecticutU.S. Chemicals, LLCThe Werth Family FoundationZiegler Family

Quinnipiac University medical students speak with a patient during the Bobcat Community Clinic. Photo by John Hassett.

Quinnipiac Students Launch Clinic

By the time Hector visited the Bob Macauley AmeriCares Free Clinic in Norwalk, he knew something was wrong. He was constantly tired and thirsty, and for the two days leading up to his appointment, suffered from blurred vision and had to make frequent trips to the bathroom. He suspected high cholesterol—a condition that runs in his family.At his first appointment, though, Hector was diagnosed with diabetes.

“I was frustrated because I was so young,” he said. “I was only 31 years old.”

When he came to the clinic, Hector’s blood sugar was over 300 mg/dL—three times the normal level.

The American Diabetes Association reports that people with diabetes incur average medical expenses of more than $13,000 per year, accounting for more than one in five health care dollars in the U.S. With testing every three months for the past 11 years, Hector has had nearly $48,000 in lab work performed at no cost, thanks to generous support from Quest Diagnostics. And while he currently takes four different medications, including two different insulins, his monthly pharmacy cost is only $4 due to donations from our pharmaceutical partners.

Since his diagnosis, Hector has seen a dramatic improvement. He sticks to a low-sugar diet, plays soccer and goes to the gym regularly, helping his body better utilize glucose. Today, his glycated hemoglobin level, which measures how well his diabetes is being controlled, is close to that of a nondiabetic.

“I’ve accepted the condition—I don’t consider it like I’m sick, it’s just one condition I have,” said Hector. “I’m just so happy. I thank God for you guys.”

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A Patient’s Story: Hector

Weisman AmeriCares Free Clinic 115 Highland Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604 203.333.9175

Boehringer Ingelheim AmeriCares Free Clinic76 West StreetDanbury, CT 06810 203.748.6188

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