The JPS Health Network Medical Home True Worth is located in an area populated by many individuals who are experiencing homelessness. The medical home staff is committed to prioritizing the health of these patients. Jill Stafford, BSN, RN, Practice Manager of Medical Home True Worth, shared that women make up 30 percent of the individuals who are experiencing homelessness but face additional stressors, all reporting that they've experienced sexual, physical, or verbal assault.
On Friday, August 4, the Medical Home True Worth staff partnered with the JPS Foundation to host a Women's Wellness Day event. This event aimed to give women a day to focus on their health needs and take care of themselves.
"This is our second annual Women's Wellness Day event," Stafford said. "We saw a need for our women experiencing homelessness to meet their care gaps. There was a decline in women receiving essential care such as pap smears, mammograms, dental checkups, and diabetes-related care such as eye and foot exams. As a clinic, we decided to dedicate a day to our ladies to address their medical needs, pamper them, and show them love."
During the event, the women were provided with essential health services, including mammograms, pap smear tests, colon screenings, diabetic foot and eye exams, A1C tests, vaccinations, lab tests, and dental screenings. They were given a health passport, and upon completion of all the required services, they were eligible to receive a free purse containing hygiene essentials, and other donated gifts and food from the JPS Foundation.
"We had a great turnout with donations," Alexandria Bustamante, Development Coordinator, JPS Foundation, said. "JCPenney donated dresses of various styles and sizes through Volunteer Now, Susan G. Komen donated t-shirts and hats, and junior volunteers assisted in packing hygiene kits, makeup, and other necessities to fill the bags. We also worked with vendors to set up booths for patients to learn about our resources at JPS and within Tarrant County, and we also had box lunches and waters."
"It was beautiful to see everyone have the opportunity to serve and care for our patients. It reminded me of how essential our team is and how fortunate we are to have individuals who are committed to the care of our patients."
At the event, there were opportunities for the women to win raffle prizes. Four grand prize winners received a bus pass that covered a month's worth of rides to help overcome one of the biggest barriers they face, transportation. Richene Slayton, a Medical Home True Worth patient, was one of the bus pass recipients. She expressed gratitude for the event and the easy access to her destinations.
"I am grateful for this event because I got a mammogram. I didn't feel like I had breast cancer, but it was reassuring to confirm, and I appreciate everyone at the true worth clinic. They should do more events like this for everyone because having these resources is good," Slayton said.
The event was made possible by the hard work of the Medical Home True Worth staff, who dedicated months of their time to organizing it, working late, and arriving early to make it a success. Thanks to the contributions of our JPS team members in the Giving Together Campaign, the JPS Foundation assisted in establishing this self-care day for our female patients. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to feel cared for and supported.
"When I pulled in this morning and saw my team here ready to serve, it made me tear up because I was so overjoyed," Stafford said. "It was beautiful to see everyone have the opportunity to serve and care for our patients. It reminded me of how essential our team is and how fortunate we are to have individuals who are committed to the care of our patients."