Senior Care and Nursing Homes Tomorrow

St. Paul's PACE Roving Clinic

sp.seniorsoutreach@gmail.com Season 1 Episode 9

Narrator: St. Paul's Senior Services has been serving the San Diego senior community for 60 years. During this time, generations of San Diego families have benefited from the programs and services provided by this award-winning organization. 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. But especially organizations like St. Paul's Senior Services, who currently care for over 1600 seniors. Keeping them safe while continuing medical care for those with special needs. Providing meals and critical care services. In March of this year, St. Paul's super team of doctors and nurses came up with the idea of a Roving Clinic. A medical clinic that can drive into the community and care for seniors at home, rather than have the senior come into the PACE Medical Centers.

Dr. Victor Lee:  Frankly, it has been a game changer. When the pandemic hit San Diego, we knew we had to isolate and keep off participants who are very frail, with multiple medical problems from each other. We have to find a way to provide service at our home safely and conveniently. 

Carly Sullivan: Hi, my name is Carly and I'm a registered nurse here at St. Paul's PACE Clinic. This is the van that we're currently using for our Roving Clinic. Come on in. Okay. So as you can see here, this is the space that we're currently working with. What we would maybe need is some more lighting, an area to wash our hands and provide the care that we're currently providing in the Roving Clinic.

So, what we usually do is we have our equipment here. We're utilizing the bags now for storage. Ideally, we would love to have some storage on the Roving Clinic van. We could have some shelves to keep our supplies, make sure that we have proper protective equipment on the van. If we could move around better to assess the patients, that would be very beneficial and it really makes our patients here feel safe and secure inside the van. That way they're not exposed to anybody that they don't need to be exposed to. 

Julie: Hi, my name is Julie. I'm here to ask everybody to try to help us get a van. So, we don't have to get out in the cold weather. So, we need your help to get a van to help us see the nurses and doctors. 

Dr. Victor Lee: The Roving Clinic is the future of medical care here at St. Paul's PACE. Although, it has been a good resource during the pandemic, I think the future, and to continue in that direction. Right now, we reconfigure a van to serve this population. The van is small, it's a subtle van and we are able to queue care form in that way. The best way to do it is a professional van with the proper facilities, proper equipment so we can continue to provide excellent care for them. 

Narrator: Today, we're asking for your support for a new St. Paul's PACE Roving Clinic. This new vehicle will be designed with PACE is in mind, including a wheelchair lift and more diagnostic equipment. A second iteration of St. Paul's PACE Roving Clinic 2.0 means we can move successfully care for more of our frail seniors. Allowing them to stay in their homes.

Chery Wilson: Just as Dr. Lee has said, he and his team want us to be on the cutting edge of providing healthcare to our seniors. The Roving Clinics will do that. They will bring care to people and in an infection freeway. They will bring emergency care to people in their homes when they cannot leave their homes. They will be there for our seniors whenever they need us without having to leave the comfort and security of their homes. This is the future and we are proud to be a part of that. 

Narrator: Let's make the next version of the Roving Clinic for St. Paul's PACE a reality.

Narrator: St. Paul's Senior Services has been serving the San Diego senior community for 60 years. During this time, generations of San Diego families have benefited from the programs and services provided by this award-winning organization. 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. But especially organizations like St. Paul's Senior Services, who currently care for over 1600 seniors. Keeping them safe while continuing medical care for those with special needs. Providing meals and critical care services. In March of this year, St. Paul's super team of doctors and nurses came up with the idea of a Roving Clinic. A medical clinic that can drive into the community and care for seniors at home, rather than have the senior come into the PACE Medical Centers.

Dr. Victor Lee:  Frankly, it has been a game changer. When the pandemic hit San Diego, we knew we had to isolate and keep off participants who are very frail, with multiple medical problems from each other. We have to find a way to provide service at our home safely and conveniently. 

Carly Sullivan: Hi, my name is Carly and I'm a registered nurse here at St. Paul's PACE Clinic. This is the van that we're currently using for our Roving Clinic. Come on in. Okay. So as you can see here, this is the space that we're currently working with. What we would maybe need is some more lighting, an area to wash our hands and provide the care that we're currently providing in the Roving Clinic.

So, what we usually do is we have our equipment here. We're utilizing the bags now for storage. Ideally, we would love to have some storage on the Roving Clinic van. We could have some shelves to keep our supplies, make sure that we have proper protective equipment on the van. If we could move around better to assess the patients, that would be very beneficial and it really makes our patients here feel safe and secure inside the van. That way they're not exposed to anybody that they don't need to be exposed to. 

Julie: Hi, my name is Julie. I'm here to ask everybody to try to help us get a van. So, we don't have to get out in the cold weather. So, we need your help to get a van to help us see the nurses and doctors. 

Dr. Victor Lee: The Roving Clinic is the future of medical care here at St. Paul's PACE. Although, it has been a good resource during the pandemic, I think the future, and to continue in that direction. Right now, we reconfigure a van to serve this population. The van is small, it's a subtle van and we are able to queue care form in that way. The best way to do it is a professional van with the proper facilities, proper equipment so we can continue to provide excellent care for them. 

Narrator: Today, we're asking for your support for a new St. Paul's PACE Roving Clinic. This new vehicle will be designed with PACE is in mind, including a wheelchair lift and more diagnostic equipment. A second iteration of St. Paul's PACE Roving Clinic 2.0 means we can move successfully care for more of our frail seniors. Allowing them to stay in their homes.

Chery Wilson: Just as Dr. Lee has said, he and his team want us to be on the cutting edge of providing healthcare to our seniors. The Roving Clinics will do that. They will bring care to people and in an infection freeway. They will bring emergency care to people in their homes when they cannot leave their homes. They will be there for our seniors whenever they need us without having to leave the comfort and security of their homes. This is the future and we are proud to be a part of that. 

Narrator: Let's make the next version of the Roving Clinic for St. Paul's PACE a reality.