When I became homeless in 2013 or 2014, I can’t remember exactly, I had to go to health care clinics. Which I didn’t mind going to. I needed to go to the So Others May Eat (SOME) clinic instead of the one at the Community for Creative Non- Violence (CCNV) because it was always crowded and I just didn’t like sitting all day to see a doctor. At SOME, I saw the same doctor every time I had an appointment.
As the hours rolled on living in a shelter, I finally got an appointment through N Street Village. So, I decided to go to the Unity Health Care Upper Cardozo Health Center on 14th St. NW. That clinic was just as crowded. But, on numerous occasions when I had an appointment, I had to wait to see my doctor for close to 45 minutes. This was going on way before the pandemic.
Another time, I had an appointment for 11 a.m. They said since I had canceled some of my appointments in the past, I needed to reschedule my appointment! That was the last straw.
I stopped dealing with Unity!
Some Unity clinics are smaller and told me they couldn’t take new patients, like the ones in Eastern Market and Adams Morgan. So, I simply stopped going to Unity altogether and found another clinic here in D.C. It’s the GW Primary Care Unit and I love it!
No more revolving door of doctors or practitioners. No more staff telling me that since I canceled appointments in the past, I need to reschedule appointments I’m on time for. No more not listening to me about my health care needs. No more ignoring my questions about my health care needs.
Unity can’t blame it all on the pandemic or having empty slots in their clinic to serve patients correctly. The clinic at CCNV had the nerve to call me after I got sick and ended up in the hospital for two weeks during the pandemic. But before the pandemic started I never got one phone call from them!
So, now Unity Health Care is being unionized, which I say is a good thing. When people are being paid fairly in their profession they work better. Maybe then their staff, doctors, and practitioners won’t be overloaded with patients, will be happier, and will serve patients better. Patients will then feel better about themselves and start eating healthier diets, start exercising, stop smoking, etc.
I pray that Unity Health Care hires the best people for the job! Nobody should feel overwhelmed while in health care.
