A Week of Change

I was only meant to fill in for a week

My friend, Dr. James Erin, had been raving nonstop about the Upriver Community Clinic for almost as long as we had known each other.

"It's an incredible experience, it's medicine like we've never known it!"

I had put in my share of time at free health clinics before; surely this URCC couldn't be so different from any other free healthcare group. James was an energetic guy, he must have been exaggerating.

Then Dr. Erin asked me to fill in for him at the clinic over a few days while he attended a conference. I had to say yes, had to see the place he could never stop talking about. With 20 years of internal medicine under my belt, I felt confident I could handle his patients for a day or two; after all, what could possibly be left to surprise me? I had seen every type of patient and every sort of clinic by that point... or so I thought.

That first patient showed me what I could expect

The day started with "Sam". He was an ordinary case, a diabetic with retinopathy, managing his symptoms well. What was extraordinary about the visit was how well he knew Dr. Erin. We talked for around 15 minutes, not just about his treatment plan, but about how Dr. Erin had talked him through it; how James had added sugar-free snacks to the waiting room, researched and put together some diabetic friendly recipes for Sam's family to enjoy together.

Dr. Erin is a great guy, it was easy to imagine him going the extra mile for someone, but what I couldn't believe was the impact it had made in Sam's life. As an internist I didn't often see patients beyond one or two follow-ups, but Dr. Erin was able to watch the fruits of his labor grow long-term. Sam said once he got his own diabetes under control, he began volunteering at one of the clinic's health education classes, helping other people manage their cases. That little bit of extra effort from my friend James had such a profound, rippling effect, I was a bit taken aback.

The rest of the day, the surprises kept coming

Patient after patient came through, each with their own tale of how Dr. James had helped them BEYOND just the scope of what I had expected. One person ran a food drive that James often visited early to set up, someone else had recently immigrated from Turkey, and Dr. Erin had learned a joke in Turkish to make her kids laugh (although she did confess they were giggling at his pronunciation, not the joke itself).

Finally at lunch I teasingly asked another staffer, "Do you get a lot of fan mail for Dr. Erin?" She chuckled and replied "No more than for anybody else"

"I can't imagine it, every one of his patients has gushed about him in our sessions"

"Dr. McNara, that's just how it goes around here. We're not your typical office, every person here volunteers because they love it, and our patients see that"

I asked around. Nurses, doctors, students, even the administrative team; every single person at the clinic had a story to tell. A time when they went above and beyond for a patient, a time when they put in the work and watched it pay off. Mary in accounting had helped a new patient set up his first checking account. Dr. Deska in cardiology had started a morning jogging group. Everyone at the clinic made a change beyond mere medicine, and the patients DID love them for it.

I had to know how it all began

After work I stayed late, fascinated, speaking with a veteran member of URCC, Dr. Robert Scharn. "You should have seen us when we were first starting out" he told me, "The clinic was tiny, the area was a mess... It's been slow going, and we're not egotistical enough to claim all the credit, but Port Huron is a better place today than it was 10 years ago. I couldn't tell you how many park clean-ups, community cookouts, food drives and free programs were thought up by patients and neighbors around the clinic."

I asked, "How? How could all of you affect such a change with nothing but a bit of compassion and a couple of doctors?"

He replied, "We don't. We just try to lead by example in the little things. It's Port Huron that's made the biggest change; when people see you trying your hardest, when they know you're listening and that you're on their side, they get the itch. They keep the momentum going. The clinic helps our patients stay healthy, the staff hears what they have to say, and it all comes around in the end when everyone works together to make our city a better place."

Medicine saves people, but compassion heals communities

It was a drastic shift from how I had always seen medicine. As a means to save lives, a means to improve quality of life, but not as an avenue for social change. But here they were, a handful of devoted doctors making a measurable difference in their town, one compassionate act at a time. That week changed me. Doctors and nurses don't have to save lives to change lives; it's in the little things, the everyday friendship, the welcoming ear willing to take a break and truly listen. People don't just need treatment, they need care, and every single person in the clinic knew it. I'm glad I know it now too.

Dr. James got back from his trip and asked me how everything had gone. I told him I wanted to start volunteering at URCC. He smiled, "After you saw the clinic, I thought you might."