From the Memphis Housing Authority's website:
It’s not easy to see a doctor. If you try to book an appointment with a new doctor, you’ll have to wait an average of 26 days until your appointment. To speed up the process, you may look into an urgent care facility. The few we have in Memphis are located along the Poplar corridor or toward the suburbs, requiring transportation to get there. And if you need to see a doctor immediately, be prepared to pay $1,883 – the average cost of an ER visit in Tennessee. That doesn’t include the cost of an ambulance, if you need to call one to take you to the hospital.
Getting medical care isn’t easy, no matter your life circumstances. But for seniors with fixed incomes, the challenges are even greater. Preexisting conditions, unreliable transportation and fear of expenses can keep older adults from building relationships with primary care providers who could transform their lives – helping them live longer and more vibrantly. That’s why MHA has partnered with Matter Health to bring primary care providers to several senior buildings across the city.
What is Matter Health?
Matter Health is a preventive and primary health care company. Its model places physicians where people live so practitioners can build meaningful, long-term relationships with patients. For our residents, this means that Matter Health clinics are located in the common areas of our senior buildings. Tenants are now an elevator ride away from a team of health-focused professionals who can provide a wide variety of services. They accept all major insurance providers, including Medicaid; meaning, our seniors on fixed incomes don’t have to worry about the cost if they need to see a doctor.
Why invest in in-facility health care?
Everyone’s health improves when they have a relationship with a primary care provider. Chronic conditions are better managed, medication can be adjusted until the right fit is found for the patient, and changes in how a person feels can be addressed quickly. Not to mention that new ailments can be found and remedied before they become more serious. When people have easy access to a health care provider they trust, and one who won’t bust their budget, they are much more likely to get help when they need it.
Ms. Jackie’s story.
For several years, Ms. Jackie has been a mainstay at the College Park senior building. She pays close attention to her health and used to walk miles to get to the clinic closest to her. That was challenging for her physically, causing her joint pain, but the bus was too unreliable in getting her to her appointments on time. When Ms. Jackie moved back into the senior building after the RAD conversion, she noticed a logo in the lobby of her building – one with a red heart and a navy blue door. Ms. Jackie hesitantly knocked and was greeted by several warm faces who were eager to get to know her. She ended up speaking with a nurse practitioner for over an hour that day, sharing her medical history and the challenges she was having with getting regular care. The next day, she was able to have a formal evaluation with lab work and a physical. With her results, Ms. Jackie was able to change her prescriptions, reducing the amount of medication she needed to take every day.
Ms. Jackie’s story is the perfect example of how providing access to medical care can improve people’s lives. She was able to get proper evaluation for existing conditions and reduce her medications – which helped her feel better and saved her money. The providers spent time getting to know her, something that may not be possible in a more crowded clinical setting. And now, if she ever experiences a health care emergency or sickness, Ms. Jackie has a trusted clinician she can see – and she only needs to catch the elevator to get there.
Getting access to medical care can be challenging, but if we get creative and think of new solutions to provide high-quality health care, we can improve health outcomes for residents of our community. MHA is committed to partnerships with reputable organizations like Matter Health and will continue to seek organizations whose innovative practices will improve the lives of our residents.