support staff and a real dedication to coordinates the ECHC suboxone prothe community. My family and I have gram, among her many other duties. been here for a year. My wife is in the “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take on Masters of Social this project, but Work program at the first time I HSU. We already walked into the feel connected support group, to the area and I knew I wanted that we are a to be a part of part of moving this work. There the community was a woman in forward.” the room who “My residency I had treated program in San many times Diego is very when I worked proud that I am at the hospital. here, that I am In the past, I serving a comreally doubted munity in mediwhether she cal need. I see a would survive, great diversity but here she of patients at was sitting in ECHC. In addithe conference tion to my famroom looking Beverly Bulloch, RN at ECHC ily medicine great – and alive! practice, I’m She was sober particularly interested in outpatient and had reconnected with her family. psychiatric care and substance abuse The opportunity to get clean through treatment. I work with a variety of this program – and her willingness to established patients who are referred stick with it – saved her life. Patients’ by their ODCHC primary care providlives change so dramatically from ers.” week to week and month to month. “We offer a suboxone program at We are treating the disease of adECHC,” explains Dr. Villasenor. “This is diction, not just substituting the use an outpatient, office-based treatment of opiates. Beyond the individuals in program for dependency on opiates, the program, we are improving the including heroin, morphine, methahealth and quality of the community. done, Oxycodone, Vicodin and similar This program has become the most drugs. Some of these drugs have real rewarding part of my job.” medical value, but if used improperly, Beverly has a busy schedule in they cause real problems. Addiction addition to her suboxone program does not discriminate. Our patients duties. “I may be a nurse, but I’m are homeless and unemployed, and also an educator,” she explains. “We professionals with good jobs and work to develop education packets families – and everyone else.” on a whole range of illnesses and Registered nurse Beverly Bulloch conditions. Our patients love it. They
get excited about education, about learning how to take control of their health, and they enjoy the one-onone consultations our nurses provide. Our teams are in communication all day long and I coordinate a lot of that communication, making sure that everyone is doing what needs to be done, including the patients. We let our patients know we are here and they appreciate that they can reach me when they have concerns. They know I’ll be their representative with the team.” “I have been a nurse for 30 years,” Beverly says with pride. “Before taking my job at ECHC in 2009, I had worked exclusively in hospitals. I started here just as the clinic began the transition to team-based care. While we’re learning more about team
care every day, our team is fantastic. The medical leadership is involved and invested in this model and better care for patients. Beyond this clinic, I know that Open Door’s leadership wants to know what I think. This is the only place I’ve ever worked in my whole nursing career where the administration consults with the medical staff on operations. I feel like I am a valued part of the Open Door system, not just a nurse working in an Open Door clinic.” Beverly adds, “The bottom line is that everyone here is always trying to do what is best for patient care.” ❖
➤ Visit www.opendoorhealth.com for expanded versions of these articles and to learn more about Open Door Community Health Centers One of the ECHC care teams
OPEN DOOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS SPECIAL SECTION • THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2011
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