A Letter from Dr. Bilbro

Dear Friend,

     When I was in the 7th grade, my father asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up.  He, along with his father and 3 brothers, were owners and operators of a wholesale grocery business, so I shared that I wanted to join them.  That was the wrong answer for my dad.  He responded quickly with, “go learn yourself a profession!” My dad had finished high school in 1930 and never had a chance for formal education.  He was making a commitment to me that I would have opportunity.

     I went through phases of contemplating careers in accounting, then architecture and engineering. But in the 10^th grade I had a terrific biology teacher who got me excited about life sciences. From then on I was focused on a career in medicine.

     After I began practicing, I started to notice the health disparities in our community.  I saw individuals without health insurance use the ER as their source of healthcare.  I recognized that ERs are not set up to treat chronic conditions like hypertension or diabetes.  I made the commitment to provide more opportunity for those in our community.

     Now after volunteering at the Open Door Clinic, helping to start the clinic at The Healing Place, and serving twice a month at Alliance since 2008, I know we can do more for our neighbors. We need your help. If it has been one, two, three years or more since your last gift to Alliance, I challenge you to make one now. 

     So far this year, I have seen more than 70 patients.  Each patient has touched me in their own special way.  I volunteer at Alliance because of its wonderful infrastructure, staff, and the valuable service rendered to uninsured patients.  You might not be able to volunteer in the clinic, but you can provide valuable support to help those we serve at Alliance.

     One special patient for me is Michael.  He first came to Alliance after being discharged from the ER with a diagnosis of high blood pressure and recurring congestive heart failure. We were able to get his clinical problems under control and provide the support needed to improve.  It’s personally gratifying each time he comes back in stabilized, continuing to work fulltime, and has not been readmitted to the hospital.  Michael is truly grateful to receive care at Alliance. 

     Michael’s health has improved because he has a team working with him.  I meet with him and monitor his health.  The nurses at Alliance answer his questions between appointments.  The pharmacy manager makes sure he gets the prescriptions he needs.  He also has benefited from another volunteer, Dr. DeMaria of New Hope Wellness Center, who put him on a nutrition and exercise program that resulted in a 50-pound weight loss. 

     Michael’s team extends beyond his immediate medical team to the entire Alliance family of staff, volunteers, partners and supporters.  It takes everyone to make sure that Alliance is here for Michael and others like him.  Will you join the Alliance team this year?  

     With more than 123,000 adults in Wake County without affordable health coverage, Alliance represents more than a drop in the bucket, but unfortunately it is a big bucket and the need is huge.  An investment in Alliance means you are extending a hand up to hard working individuals like Michael, but more importantly you are investing in our community.  When Alliance sees a patient, keeps them healthy, able to work, and out of the emergency room, we all reap the savings.

     A gift to Alliance now supports more than 10,200 patient visits that have already occurred this year.  It also helps to build the Alliance team and provides opportunity our community.  I hope you will thoughtfully consider this request and make a gift that is meaningful for you.  Thank you in advance for your consideration!

Gratefully,

Dr. Robert Bilbro

Local Physician, Retired from Raleigh Medical Group

Megg Rader Named as New ED

Alliance Medical Ministry, which provides affordable, quality healthcare for working uninsured adults in Wake County, is pleased to announce that Megg Rader has been hired as the new Executive Director.  She replaced Sean Harrison who is one of the organization’s founders and has lead Alliance as the Executive Director for the past four years. Harrison will stay involved as a volunteer with Alliance, but is leaving Alliance to start a new business venture. 

Rader brings non-profit leadership, development, and volunteer experience to the role at Alliance.  She served on the Alliance Advisory Board since its creation in 2003 and was actively involved in Alliance’s Hope & Healing Capital Campaign supporting the purchase and renovation of the organization’s current campus on Donald Ross Drive.

Rader’s non-profit experience includes serving as the Development Director for Uplift, Inc., an organization serving at-risk families and children; Executive Director of Artspace, Inc., Interim Vice President for Development and Alumnae Affairs at Peace College, and Development Coordinator for Motheread, Inc. She has served as the President of the Junior League of Raleigh and co-chaired the launch of the League’s first major capital campaign.  She also holds small business experience included co-owning and managing two commercial art galleries, The Mahler Fine Art and The Collectors Gallery. 

“Megg has already hit the ground running,” said David Wilson, Chairman for the Board. “She brings a great mix of non-profit leadership to her new role at Alliance, but most importantly she knows the Alliance family and will provide leadership for our next evolution.”

The timing of the transition comes right before Alliance will celebrate it’s 10^th year serving the working uninsured of Wake County.  “I’m thrilled to assume the Executive Director role at such an exciting time. I remember the first day the doors opened 10 years ago. I look forward to celebrating our history through our Anniversary Campaign as well as sharing the vision for the next 10 years,” shared Rader.

Alliance Medical Ministry is a faith-based nonprofit providing a medical home to the working uninsured of Wake County.  More than 123,000 adult residents of Wake County, lack access to affordable acute and primary medical care. According to the NC Census, 82% of the uninsured in North Carolina reside in a working household.  Without insurance these hard-working citizens are less likely to receive preventive care, and are more likely to be hospitalized for conditions that could have been prevented which can quickly lead to medical debt. 

Alliance currently provides a primary care medical home to more than 8,000 low-income adults, with 98% having an annual household income of less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.  Comprehensive medical care provided at Alliance includes acute and chronic medical care, pharmacy services, health education, disease management, and counseling.  Patients are referred to Alliance from local area hospital emergency departments, from the Health Department and other local social service organizations.  Many are patients who would otherwise go to local emergency rooms for treatment of non-emergency health care needs, costing approximately $1,596 per visit.  The clinic is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and select Saturday from 9 AM to 12 PM.  For more information call, 919-250-9254 or go to http://www.alliancemedicalministry.org. 

Our History and His: Sean’s Journey with Alliance

“The first time I heard the vision of Alliance, I felt convicted in a good way,” shared Sean Harrison. It was one conversation, but the resulting impact has affected Sean’s life, his family and those without insurance in Wake County. In the beginning (2000), “it was exciting times. We felt an initial level of validation because the idea and plans for Alliance traveled quickly.” Originally, Alliance was going to be in the little yellow house behind First United Methodist Church in Cary. But then the important question was asked, where is the greatest need?

The location of Alliance, or at that point the “Faith-Based Medical Ministry,” was moved to a vacant lot behind Milner Memorial Presbyterian Church. The land was donated, plans for a new building were perfected and materials were being secured. Then the economy took a hit in 2001 following the dot.com burst and 9/11.

“Then it hit us, the mission was not about a building, but about serving,” shared Sean. Once again the vision of Alliance picked up momentum and on January 6, 2003, Alliance opened its doors and served its first patient in leased space on New Bern Avenue. Alliance grew quickly in patients and staffing. In 2008, Alliance moved into its current location on Donald Ross Drive, increasing its space by more than four times and allowing for ample growth opportunities over the coming years.

Then in 2009, Sean assumed the role of Executive Director when Dr. Susan Weaver moved to accept a leadership role at WakeMed Hospital. He had been a co-founder, Chairman of the Board, donor, and volunteer all while being a husband, father of three and starting two other businesses.

“I love the social entrepreneurialism of Alliance. The result of this venture is different than the other corporations I have started. The return is making people’s lives better,” shared Sean. Now he would have the opportunity to work with the nonprofit he helped to start on a daily basis. “There is a sense of satisfaction that has meaning and purpose that comes with working at Alliance. I never had that in a job before.”

Now looking back over the past four years serving as the Executive Director at Alliance, Sean has a pure sense of accomplishment and a deeper understanding of Alliance. Under his leadership we made the Acute Care Clinic a core service, planted a community garden, started the diabetes education program, formalized pastoral care and counseling, increased the technology of the clinic and partnered with Band Together to increase capacity.

Now Alliance is poised for it’s next evolution. “When I first shared with my family that I was stepping down as ED of Alliance, they were surprised. But when I shared that we would still be involved as volunteers, I would just not be working there everyday, they were fine.” Sean will always be a member of the Alliance Family!

Fear of cancer, but then comes hope...

When Carolyn was but 38 years old, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer and had a hysterectomy that luckily saved her life. Just a few years prior, she had given birth to her daughter, whom she raised alone because her ex-husband passed away from cancer. In addition, her father, sister and brother-in-law also passed away from cancer. It is no wonder, then that today, Carolyn is terrified of the possibility that she is next on cancer’s list. Cancer swept over her family, saving only her mother, who survived breast cancer twice, only to pass away in her sleep from a broken heart after losing her husband and daughter to this disease. As a self-employed worker who does not have insurance, Carolyn says her biggest fear used to be, “who is going to take care of me if I get sick? There’s so much sickness running in my family, and I am at a high risk for getting cancer again… it just scares me.” Carolyn admits that when she used to get sick, she wouldn’t do anything about it, simply because of her lack of options without insurance. She says that only when she got extremely sick would she go to an urgent care clinic to pay for services out of pocket. Almost 8 years ago, Carolyn was living on a limited income and raising her daughter when she started to realize that her heart was beating strangely. She was also uncharacteristically skinny, so she called social services, but they denied her and told her to contact Alliance Medical Ministry.

Carolyn found out, via diagnosis from Dr. Joyner, who has been her doctor the entire time she’s been a patient at Alliance, that she had a thyroid disease. “I probably would have had a heart attack,” says Carolyn, “or some other serious effects from the disease… or I could have even died if I had not found Alliance.” With all of the sickness in her family, Carolyn is terrified that some health issue will debilitate her. “It gives me peace of mind to know that I can get things checked out,” she says, “when I’m afraid that something is wrong with me, I can come here and they check it out for me.” Carolyn has been checked for diseases that run in her family, as well as others, such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. “Without this place to get checked out,” Carolyn states, “I would have been terrified that I would die.” In dealing with so much loss in her family, Carolyn began having anxiety attacks. “Dr. Joyner put me on a medicine to help with the anxiety and to cope with what was going on.” She also visited the pastoral care and counseling; “I wish I would have gone more. They were so helpful. The lady I talked with hit on things I hadn’t thought of. It was amazing.” Carolyn says that she wishes she had access to more preventative care when she was younger, advising to others that, “preventative care is important because it can help you to not get illnesses in the first place. Something can be brewing that you could get rid of, but if you don’t get the care in time, that could be it.” This is why Carolyn says Alliance is so important to her, “I really have a reason to care about this place,” she says, “because this place saves lives. I can only speak for myself, but it saved mine.”

Health problems keeping her down- how she found hope.

Imagine you had a job; you were working and supporting yourself, but debilitating health problems cost you your livlihood. Here is how one woman found a way to deal with her health issues: Six years ago, Bene had to quit her job working through temporary agencies because of her progressing health issues. She suffers from disc and knee problems that cause her too much pain to stand and endure the physical work typical of temporary agency assignments. With no health insurance and therefore limited options, Bene would go to the WakeMed emergency room just to get prescriptions filled. With the average emergency room visit costing over $1,000, and in addition to being out of work due to her medical issues, this was truly a hard way to take care of herself.

Bene was finally referred Alliance Medical Ministry, where she found hope, and started seeing Dr. Joyner. “The staff is very good,” she says, “They call to remind you of your appointments and if, for whatever reason, your doctor will not be there, they let you know. They also call to let you know when your medicine is ready.” Bene says that what she appreciates the most at Alliance is the genuine care she receives from every one of the staff members. She says that it, “is a blessing that I can go to Alliance and get the care I need and get my medicine for free.” Because of her constant disc and knee problems, Bene had to have two MRIs done, after which, she was referred for physical therapy, costing her only $20. When asked what Bene hoped would happen for Alliance, her reply was, “I really pray that people would sponsor Alliance or volunteer because they are doing a great job.”

Caring for the Caregiver

"If he can't take care of himself, he can't take care of me," explained Stanley's wife, Barbara. The struggle to provide and care for a disabled spouse became greater for Stanley as he developed his own health problems and didn't have the means to address them. Before finding Alliance, he was in and out of the emergency room with problems resulting from his diabetes. Holding a physically intense job as a landscaper and being responsible for another's health became next to impossible when his own condition got worse. Not only was Stanley having trouble managing his diabetes, he faced problems with heart disease and chronic joint pain. As overwhelming as that all may be, he knew he must keep on top of his work and fulfill his responsibility as caregiver to his wife, who also faces many health issues. Without health insurance, this was virtually impossible. Being uninformed and lacking access to care continued to deter Stanley’s path to recovery. That is, until he found Alliance. “I learned how much water I needed to drink. They showed me how to take my medications properly to manage my diabetes. And I still have so much to learn, but if I have a question, they will call me back. It’s priceless!” explained Stanley. What he appreciates most about Alliance, though, are the four stints he was able to get in his heart. “I’m so thankful for the donors. Alliance is an asset to our community and they make that possible,” he shared.

The impact we make on individuals’ lives and, in turn, on their families’ lives is invaluable. Thank you for helping us to achieve that!

Creating Community to Overcome the Challenges of Diabetes

“I’m trying so hard, so where am I going wrong,” shared one patient at July’s Group Diabetes Visit Pilot. Living with diabetes can be lonely and frustrating especially for patients of Alliance who do not have the same access to resources or support as those with insurance. More than a year ago, Dr. Tara Lewis, our medical director, and Diane Berry, RN, CANP, PhD, an Associate Professor at the UNC School of Nursing, started to develop a Group Visit Model that would work for Alliance and focus on our diabetic population who are high utilizers of primary care. The group visit is an extended doctor’s visit where not only physical and medical needs are met, but educational, social and psychological concerns can be dealt with effectively.  We are currently piloting this program with support from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, lead funder, Duke University Health System Charitable Grants Committee and Novo Nordisk.

Patients normally spend 1.5 to 2 hours at Alliance for a typical diabetics visit.  With the group visit, patients spend the same amount of time at Alliance, but now get to participate in an educational component and interact with other patients.  At the first group visit conducted at Alliance, the most popular saying from the interaction was, “me too,” after hearing other patients comments and questions.

“It has been a joy watching patients open up to each other in ways that they can’t with our medical team,” shared Dr. Lewis.  “Participants are more receptive to the advice we share because it is then reinforced by other patients in the group.  The group setting allows participants to see their diabetes through a larger lens.”

Dr. Berry who has a back ground in conducting group visits in other settings said the group visits “is a powerful model because it’s inclusive of clinical and educational benefits.” Many patients have shared with Dr. Berry that they feel the group visit holds them more accountable as a patient because now they have an even larger caring group who wants to know how they are doing.

The overall goal of the pilot is to see if we can increase capacity through group visits as well as overall health outcomes.  Currently there are more than 50 participants in the pilot with a corresponding control group. Initial data won’t be ready until the end of the year, but the feedback from the participants has been overwhelmingly positive. “I can’t believe how much effort everyone has put into this program,” shared one patient.  Another patient commented, “I have lots of questions.  And each time I come, I learn something new.”

But the glory of the program has been celebrating the small success and the changes in lifestyle!

“I don’t even buy bacon anymore. It’s my favorite, but I have learned if it’s in the house I will eat it.”

“I have not eaten fried food in 3 months!”

“My A1c has dropped from last time!”

“For my husband’s birthday this year we went healthy. No more carbs and potatoes.  We had grilled veggies and salad.  The only thing leftover was the birthday cake!”