I’d like to personally thank you for being a wonderful friend of People’s Community Clinic. In the last year, support from our donors helped maintain programs and services for over 20,000 patients.
No one knows what the future holds, but one thing is certain: our community has important work to do. The physical ravages of COVID were devastating, but the pandemic also took a toll on our mental health as we all struggled with loneliness, isolation, grief, and loss. Many mental health issues are triggered by life-changing events and experiences—who hasn’t had one of those in the past two years?
One way People’s is helping combat mental health challenges is through the clinic’s Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) program. Patients initiate their own care by simply indicating a desire for help. And you, our donors, provide the support that makes it possible.
People’s IBH program has been called the “gold standard” and received national recognition in a study by Harvard University, among others. This is because our approach is different; we fit the treatment to the patients, instead of a preconceived idea of what a patient needs. Our goal is to provide the same level and quality of care available in a private practice.
Additionally, our Integrative Pain Management Program (IPMP) has garnered national recognition for managing pain without opioids. In IPMP, patients have access to medical and mental health care integrated with acupuncture, yoga, nutrition education, and other holistic therapies. This helps patients manage their pain and build community—a critical part of the healing process. Of the programs studied, People’s was the only one in a community health center, making it accessible to those who are uninsured.
Luz is a People’s patient whose back injury caused such debilitating pain and severe depression she rarely left her home. With the care she received at People’s, Luz recovered and credits the People’s staff with saving her life:
“I don’t have health insurance so the clinic has been of great help. The collaborations with Genevieve, who does yoga; with Kelley in therapy; with Aracely in pain management; and Diana the nutritionist….everybody supports me so much. It is unconditional help. I would even call them my angels. These angels are the largest army I have. These angels, including the doctor, were put here to help me, and I managed to recover.”
Will you help our patients like Luz by making a gift today? No matter the amount, it will have a meaningful impact on families in need of essential medical care. Thank you for believing in our mission. Together we are making an impact!
To hear more from Luz and our mental health program, please click here.
With Gratitude,
Louis Appel, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer and Director of Pediatrics
People’s Community Clinic