To the Health of the company

This month of February has just barely begun at the time of my writing this address, and yet I already have so much to write about for all of you!

Just last weekend I found myself around the family dinner table discussing some big topics, including that, in this country, there are many health and medical tests, prescriptions, and procedures that are somehow cheaper if you don’t have (or choose not to use) health insurance. Because of my decade of volunteer work with this national health and medical nonprofit, I am WELL aware of this. Even so, it is still a head scratcher. How is it that people pay a monthly fee for the privilege of paying EXTRA for many vital healthcare costs?! Indeed, in this organization we find that initial healthcare expenses are often lower at the self pay rate (aka uninsured) AND it is often also easier to negotiate bills down for medical costs when the client has no insurance. For emergencies and one-off expenses, it is quite tempting to just not have health insurance at all! But what about if you have regular monthly health and medical expenses and you don’t have the time or the spoons to be constantly negotiating with medical facilities or pharmaceutical companies?! To carry insurance or not to carry? What an awful question to have to answer.

Just earlier this week I found myself making some very calculated decisions about emergency care for a family member who, after a couple days of coughing, sneezing, and a spike in temperature up to 102.9, suddenly awoke to coughing up blood. That last symptom is not something I was willing to take chances on, so here’s what we did: I told him to get dressed and wear layers because sometimes waiting rooms can be chilly, and to pack a bag with basics in case of an overnight stay in the hospital if the providers thought this was serious enough to admit him. I also threw chargers and an extra pair of clothes in my backpack and grabbed my toiletry bag just in case. We both did an online search for “nonprofit hospital near me,” because we know that nonprofit hospitals are much more likely to offer financial aid than for-profit hospitals.

Why not just go to an urgent care, you ask? I’ve seen it happen time and time again that someone is afraid to incur the bills of a hospital ER, so they go to an urgent care first, only to find that the particular urgent care that they chose does not have the diagnostic tools that they need for their particular predicament. So often they have to end up going to the hospital ER anyways, sometimes now also with an ambulance bill attached! So instead of just one bill for the ER, they now have a bill for the Urgent Care, a bill for an ambulance ride, AND a bill for the ER. Ouch!

We found a nonprofit hospital with okay reviews about an hour away, so we also grabbed snacks and drinks for the road. On the way there, we verbally reviewed symptoms and timeline (which we had also been taking notes on) as well as OTC medications that had been taken so far (which I also had pictures of), all as a rehearsal of sorts to communicate efficiently with staff when we arrived at the ER. Once we arrived, I listed the symptoms and timeline that we had rehearsed to the intake personnel, and we were fast tracked to a PA (Physician’s Assistant). Fun fact: Physician’s Assistants and Nurse Practitioners can diagnose and prescribe medications, similar to an MD (Medical Doctor). And here’s a personal trick I’ve been using for years that has really come in handy: the moment a medical provider started speaking with us, I recorded the audio using my phone. As someone with ADHD who also tends to process and store visual information much better than auditory information, this has been huge for me. It’s quicker than trying to manually take notes, and then sloppy handwriting or misplaced notebooks are never an issue when trying to reference what exactly those directions were regarding prescriptions, or follow ups, or what have you. There are plenty of free apps available for a variety of mobile devices that will record and store audio for you in a way that is easy and accessible! After discussing symptoms and timeline with the PA, she ordered 3 vials of blood to be taken, then some imaging. I happen to know that this family member has a tendency to faint after blood draws, so I requested a wheelchair and was told no problem by the phlebotomist. A few minutes later, a different individual came to escort him to imaging without a wheelchair, so I explained his situation again and insisted on a wheelchair, which is just a reminder to all of you at home to advocate for yourselves (or others) about your needs, and do not be afraid to stay firm and repeat yourself when necessary.

After a series of tests and imaging, turns out coughing up blood can actually be a symptom of… THE FLU. Who knew?! Apparently the particular strain of flu going around this area right now is especially awful (we’ll say!), even affecting folks who have gotten their latest flu shot! Remember, there are different strains out there… and just because you got immunized for some strains doesn’t mean that you will be immune to all of them. Even after a flu diagnosis, I’m still so glad we went. That particular symptom could have been so many things (for example, I’ve actually had a friend who contracted tuberculosis years ago… and that took about 6 months of bedrest to recover from). We found out what was going on and got the prescriptions necessary to take care of it, without having to worry about potentially exposing others to an UNKNOWN contagion.

Why share all these personal stories? Because we all learn from each other’s wisdom and experience. And, as my favorite Leonard Nimoy quote goes: “The miracle is this – the more we share, the more we have.” Many of us know all too well the struggles that come with trying to navigate the health and medical systems in this country. I ALSO know from experience that when we come together, we are stronger for it. And that’s what RESCU is doing– it’s using the experience and wisdom of our staff and volunteers to make sure that RESCU is Connecting our Community with the Power of Health. I hope you’ll join us, whether that looks like donating, volunteering, or even just sharing something that you learned here with someone else. There are so many ways to support the Health of the Company, so whatever that looks like for you- thank you!

Sincerely,

Magnolia Strange, President of the Board

This month we have just completed our massive multi day RESCU Annual Board Meeting and I’m feeling incredibly energized by everything we were able to accomplish at the meeting (workshopping and voting on a brand new Values Statement, a redone Ethics Statement, as well as some much needed Policies and Procedures) as well as some incredibly inspiring presentations of our various committees’ 1, 3, and 5 year Strategic Plans! 

This particular Board meeting is incredibly important not only because it is the longest (4 full days often accompanied by working long nights and early mornings to prep for what is to come the next day), but because it is the one time every year when we all get to be together in person, to hug each other in the flesh, to “share the same air,” as one of my dear mentors has said. Especially for those of us whose love language is “quality time” it is this week of in person togetherness that sets the tone of the coming year. 

Speaking of tone, I think that was my biggest take away from this year. Even with all that we prepared and accomplished, what struck me most was our tone with each other. Even when we found ourselves with not exactly the same opinions, the overall tone of our conversations was supportive, collaborative, loving, and generous. When conversations got heated, I could see people practicing what Cassie Townsend and I call “softening.” When we came up against problems that needed creative solutions, I could see people working together to “solve for yes,” as Myra Slaybaugh constantly reminds us to do. I’d like to share with you some of the closing remarks from our meeting that I delivered to the Board:

“It’s the mortar, not just the bricks, that makes a building robust.” If the building is RESCU Foundation and we are the bricks, then the mortar is our connections and relationships with each other. It’s our tone, kindnesses, patience, understanding, forgiveness, compassion, respect, and generosity. These are the qualities that hold us to one another. Without these, we are just a pile of rubble. Over 20 years ago, our Founders (and all those who have come before us), put in a LOT of labor to build the structure that we have today. Now we are part of that legacy of builders, and we get to construct our own additions as we see fit. The foundation is stable, and the bones of the structure are good. Let’s make sure that all of us here, the current stewards of this building, are doing our part constantly to maintain the integrity of this house. 

We accomplished some great things… And as we come back to the table to work with one another, it is my hope that in this house, before we speak, we let our words pass through three gates: At the first gate, ask yourself “Is it true?” At the second gate ask, “Is it necessary?” And at the third gate ask, “Is it kind?”

The truth is that all those in the Renaissance festival community nationwide are part of this house that our Founders have gifted to us. Thank you for your continued support of this amazing community resource. I am certain that if we continue to work together for the Health of the Company, then we will continue to expand our ability to Connect our Community with the Power of Health! 

Sincerely,

Magnolia Strange, President of the Board