CATCH UP WITH A CHECK-UP
Hub clinic warns routine health care being ignored
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a steep drop off in the number of patients scheduling routine health care appointments, an issue that Whittier Street Health Center is trying to change with the launch of a series of videos aimed at getting people in for a check-up.
“It is not only safe, but important to start coming back into the clinic and hospital to take care of your medical conditions,” said Dr. Stephen Wright, physician and associate medical director at Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury.
Wright, along with his colleagues appear in a new set of public service announcements that encourage patients to come back into the clinic after several long months social distancing at home.
“Please come to Whittier Street Health Center so we can take care of you,” says Wright in the PSA.
The videos are in five different languages and cover adult medicine, pediatrics and gynecology.
Wright said the videos have been working, and many patients experienced changes in their mental and physical health during the months of isolation.
“We see an increase in people’s weight. Blood pressure has been going up, the control of diabetes has been getting out of control because things have not been monitored as well,” said Wright.
A recent Centers for Disease Control report found that in the 10 weeks following the declaration of a national COVID-19 crisis, emergency department visits declined 23% for heart attack, 20% for stroke and 10% for hyperglycemic crisis.
Wright said at least half of his patients have also reported feelings of depression and anxiety due to the many stresses of the coronavirus pandemic.
Wright said catching up on care is crucial to avoiding more serious health issues in the future, a concern he said he had about patients even before the pandemic.
“Even under the best of conditions, even before there was COVID-19 that hit our shores so to speak, there was a difficulty in getting patients to come in,” Wright said.
Steven Pearson, a Boston resident and lifelong patient of Whittier Health Center had his own bout with COVID-19 and was hospitalized for five days in April while he fought off the disease.
“It was the toughest thing I ever did, I was in pain, I couldn’t breathe, but somehow some way I made it,” said Pearson, who is Wright’s patient.
Now that Pearson is on the road to recovery, he has returned for regular checkups at Whittier believes the PSAs are a good way to prompt others to do the same.
“I did have reservations but once I recovered and was no longer able to affect others, Dr. Wright along with his staff was able to assure me that I could come in and get my appointments,” Pearson said.