Making Them Understand

I just wanted to follow-up on my last post. Well, Dominique Friend of the Sickle Family Coalition and I went to the Sickle Cell Infusion Center in Columbia, SC. We did get an opportunity to speak with some staff members and administrators there, about some of their policies. After receiving a call from one of their patients it became necessary to make an in-person visit. If the center's director would have just taken the time to address the issue over the telephone, we could have avoided the visit. Since a visit was necessary, we wanted to make sure that we impacted the rules that they implemented at the center. There are some policies that seemed counter-productive to us and we left feeling as though they really listened to what we had to say. They asked for us to give them until after the holiday's to allow them to evalute their current program and take our suggestions into consideration. We felt that it was a fair request and if things are still the same and patients are feeling as though they are not receiving the treatment that the center claims to provide, we will be back. It's not always easy for you to get people to understand what you need or what you are trying to say when you are in pain, so that's when an advocate makes the most difference in during an incident. The patient was very emotional about the situation, because it didn't seem as though anyone was hearing her. After trying to reach the director without success, we became concerned. As an advocate, you have to keep a level head no matter how upset you are about the situation and believe me it takes tact and restraint. It's a must if you expect to make an impact. Overall the meeting was a success and after the meeting with the staff at the center we used the trip as an opportunity to recruit members for the Sickle National Coalition and possible SCD Soldiers. I am sharing a few of the pictures from our visit to Columbia, SC in a little video featuring a snippet from the Soldier Anthem.