It’s been two years since the woman behind several community health organizations passed away from her battle with cancer.
Patti Melanson is fondly remembered by the health care professionals she worked tirelessly alongside with the daily goal of providing underserved communities with access to care.
Nurse practitioner Jac Atkinson is one of the people who was inspired by Melanson to pursue a career in health that would open doors to folks who aren’t able to access health services through traditional methods, such as booking appointments over the phone, or by computer.
Atkinson says these barriers exist for many people due to a wide range of social determinants of health.
“Many of the clients we serve are involved in addiction, have really poor mental health, they’re in crisis, they’re living really chaotically and that means that you don’t have as much routine,” Atkinson said.
She adds that stigma is also a major factor this segment of the population endures on a daily basis when trying to find ways to achieve basic human necessities, like housing and prescription refills.
“When you have all the added stress and complexity of living on the street, not having a house, not having food, using drugs, then it becomes even more complicated and impossible,” Atkinson said.
One of the main avenues many people take for granted when going about their daily lives is the role having access to a cellphone plays.
From contacting potential landlords to rent an apartment to calling a taxi and booking an appointment with a physician, cellphones are an integral part of our society.
However, they are also something that many folks served by the North End Community Health Centre can’t afford.
The Mobile Outreach Street Health Team, otherwise known as MOSH, is a program that falls under the NECHC umbrella.
MOSH is a team comprised of nurses, physicians and occupational therapists.
The MOSH team meets community members where they are, a key part of serving people who face constant barriers by virtue of the way the traditional health care system is set up.
“We need to be present in the moments that we can capture the needs,” Atkinson said.
Melanson was the visionary behind the creation of MOSH, and an old phone drive collection was created by those who adored her in her memory.
“Patti Melanson is a good friend, was a good friend of mine, and I always followed her and watched her great success with MOSH. And so in Patti’s memory and for MOSH, we started this campaign of collecting phones,” Joachim Stroink said, one of the community organizers behind the old phone drive.
Atkinson says the collection and distribution of old phones to those in need is a way of letting people know they’re not alone.
“Being able to give phones improve(s) health outcomes so much, because when you’re struggling so much to have any power, or control, over your life, it’s huge and I think it’s also really isolating times,” she said.
The Other Bean Cafe on Quinpool Road is accepting old phones until Dec. 20. MOSH asks that the phones be wiped clean, reset and have all passwords removed.
Stroink adds that this simple gesture can make the world of a difference to someone in need of basic things many of us take for granted.
“You will change a life and it’s a very, very small gift for someone that desperately needs a little bit of help,” he said.
- Canadian man dies during Texas Ironman event. His widow wants answers as to why
- ‘Shock and disbelief’ after Manitoba school trustee’s Indigenous comments
- Several baby products have been recalled by Health Canada. Here’s the list
- ‘Sciatica was gone’: hospital performs robot-assisted spinal surgery in Canadian first
Comments