As 2020 comes to an end, we hope that you and your loved ones are doing well. While it’s safe to say many are glad to put the year behind us, we remain hopeful that the new year will bring renewed optimism. At MyClinic, 2020 was a year of challenges and also opportunities. COVID-19 has impacted all of our lives, businesses and community in ways that we have never experienced. We are so proud of MyClinic staff, and grateful to our volunteers, partners and supporters for their flexibility and generosity as we navigate the ongoing impact of this extraordinary circumstance. Below is a glimpse into the many ways MyClinic has responded to the pandemic and the lasting impact that your support of our mission has on our community.
Our sincere best wishes to you and yours for the holiday season and the year ahead.
Wishing you the very best of health, peace and joy!
MyClinic Board of Directors: Dr. Ron Surowitz, Chairman Douglas Brown, Vice Chairman Debra Erickson, Treasurer Barry Byrd, Secretary Dr. Catherine Drourr, Medical Director Brian Cich Suzanne Cordero Donaldson Hearing Dr. Jaime Lambrecht Steven Seeley
Executive Director: Amy Pepper, MBA
MyClinic COVID-19 Response
By the end of March, MyClinic shifted to virtual operations, implementing a secure telehealth platform and other safe means of communicating and caring for our community. Staff and volunteers worked tirelessly from home answering calls on everything from COVID symptoms and testing, food insecurity and rent assistance, medication refills, and family/behavioral health support.
MyClinic assembled and delivered “COVID Recovery Boxes” to patients in need that included: disposable thermometers; masks; hand sanitizer and disinfecting products; Gatorade; CDC guidelines in English and Spanish; toothbrushes/toothpaste, tissues, cough drops, instructions for quarantine and symptom log for daily check-ins with MyClinic volunteer providers and staff.
Jupiter Medical Center provided much appreciated back-up, offering Urgent Care Tele-med visits free of charge to registered MyClinic patients. American Heart Association provided 50 home blood pressure monitoring devices and Palm Beach Atlantic University Gregory School of Pharmacy continued to facilitate chronic disease management for high risk diabetic and other patients in addition to medication distribution.
RETURN TO IN-PERSON OPERATIONS
In preparation for a safe return to in-person operations in June, MyClinic took several steps including: installed REME Halo air purification system; contracted for enhanced cleaning services; implemented COVID screening policies; secured necessary PPE; and implemented “parking lot waiting room” protocol. Staff and volunteers continue to connect with people in need by way of regular wellness calls and mass text messaging to share important COVID updates and resources.
MyClinic- Social Determinants of Health Program
MyClinic is pleased to announce the addition of a major new program to address Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) for people in need in the northern Palm Beach County area.
Social Determinants of Health are circumstances and conditions that influence a person’s overall health, and include access to healthy food, safe housing, quality of education, transportation, and access to health care. Vulnerable populations and marginalized groups are known to have poorer health outcomes as compared to majority groups within a population or community despite the perceived availability of medical resources. With 8 years of experience providing health care free of charge (7,000 visits to 2,800+ uninsured people in 2019), MyClinic is uniquely positioned to understand and address root causes of poor physical and emotional health.
Under this new program, MyClinic will serve as a navigation hub for SDOH screening, referral and follow-up, with the goal being improved health outcomes and decrease in preventable conditions that often result in resource-intensive medical intervention and loss of an individual’s productivity. MyClinic will continue to build upon its history of collaboration, working closely with similar, and complementary organizations to recognize gaps in resources and identify innovative solutions.
MyClinic Creates Jupiter Area COVID Emergency Response Task Force
In July 2020, MyClinic assembled a group of 15+ local health, education, social service providers in addition to representatives from Palm Beach County and Health Council of Southeast Florida. This Task Force meets virtually on a Bi-Weekly basis to identify needs, resources and gaps as it relates to the local impact of COVID-19. Task Force members provide up to the minute information and assist each other in connecting people in need with resources including food and rent assistance, COVID isolation assistance, support for parents and school children, legal assistance, and health care.
Fresh Rx
MyClinic is pleased to partner with Fresh Rx in association with Jupiter Medical Center and Healthier Jupiter. Fresh Rx is a patient focused program that provides 16 weekly distributions of locally grown organic produce to nutritionally vulnerable patients who are dealing with certain medical conditions. To date, MyClinic has referred 11 patients to this program. The 11 MyClinic patients are enrolled as a pilot group to track the impact of access to fresh organic fruits and vegetables on chronic disease status. MyClinic will track and share deidentified data on demographics, weight, diabetes management, and blood pressure control in anticipation of improvement in chronic disease status. Participants in this program are very appreciative and they are so happy to be receiving enough fresh produce to share with their families too!
American Heart Association BP Initiative Many thanks to the American Heart Association for providing 50 home BP monitoring kits (which is more important than ever) and education materials for MyClinic chronic disease clients. MyClinic staff did an amazing job distributing and providing education (socially distanced) for proper use of these devices and tracking results on a regular basis.
Health Council of SE Florida COVID Mitigation Partnership
Fall 2020, MyClinic entered into a sub-contractor agreement to provide Community Health Outreach Support to Health Council of SE Florida (HCSEF) program to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Cathy Douglas, RN who is a long time MyClinic Volunteer, has been hired for this part time position. Ms. Douglas is based at the Jupiter COVID-19 testing site (on MyClinic grounds). Her role is to provide education and information about testing and follow-up in the event of a positive result and distribute masks to all people coming to the site for testing. She is also able to connect people with MyClinic Care Coordinators as needed and encourages those being tested to cooperate with Contact Tracers if necessary.
MyClinic Expansion Project
MyClinic is thrilled to announce the Town of Jupiter has awarded $153,000 to MyClinic under its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) CV program for MyClinic’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds will be used to expand our existing facility to accommodate COVID-19 infection control precautions and future program growth for vulnerable populations. Total Project Cost is estimated to be $203,000.
Many thanks to the following funders and donors who provided additional dollars and resources specifically for COVID related challenges:
Kenan Charitable Trust; Allegany Franciscan Ministries; Admirals Cove Foundation; Clark Family Foundation; and American Heart Association.
We remain grateful to our generous donors, funders, and partners for their assistance throughout the year.
Thank you to our supporters and partners!
“I am very thankful for the assistance provided by MyClinic and for the referrals to community agencies that assisted me when I needed it the most. I’m feeling much stronger now that I’ve been diagnosed and gettingtreatment.” – Patient M.
We appreciate every single donation we receive. Please consider a tax-deductible contribution to MyClinic as part of your giving plans. You may donate online (click link below) or send us a check at: MyClinic Inc. 411 W. Indiantown Rd., Jupiter, FL 33458 https://myclinicjupiter.org/donate/
