AMM is more than just a clinic; it is a place of growth and learning for patients, staff, and volunteers alike. Many staff and interns have used their experience working at AMM to prepare them to become providers dedicated to helping the uninsured populations.
Nicky Delgado was a former NC Med Assist program coordinator and patient services assistant at AMM, who is now starting a position as a Genetic Counselor for Duke as part of a research study called “Undiagnosed Diseases Network.” She is a recent graduate of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia with a Master’s in Genetic Counseling. During Nicky’s time at AMM, she coordinated the NC Med Assist applications, worked at the front desk, and helped educate patients on their medications.
“I did a lot of educating on how this is why you need this medication. This is what I need from you so that we can get this for you. And make sure that they are informed in a way that to know what they're getting into and what the benefit is.” The discussions she had with patients prepared her for the similar discussions she would be having as a genetic counselor.
Recently, Nicky has made her way back to AMM to survey patients on the need for genetic counseling in uninsured populations as part of her research. “My goal with finding out what the level of need and what types of needs are in the clinic is to advocate for genetic counselors to be in the primary care space in places like Alliance, so that I can show that there's a need here. There is something that I, as a genetic counselor, can talk to a patient about that can benefit them in some way. It can help them feel more empowered over their health. It can help them make healthcare decisions. It could potentially lead them to do genetic testing that can let them know that they're at an elevated risk of developing something later on, and they can get the appropriate screenings. And I would like to establish that there's a need so that we can try to advocate for people like us to be in clinics like Alliance.”