Partnership Health Center’s Community Care Team brings medical care to patients wherever they are.
On a sunny Thursday in August, Lisa Hathaway and Rachel Jaquith knelt on the concrete floor of Missoula’s Johnson Street Emergency Shelter to help a patient with a painful wound on his abdomen. “Let’s see what we can do to help you out today,” said Jaquith calmly.
Jaquith, a Registered Nurse, and Hathaway, a Physician Assistant, are members of Partnership Health Center’s Community Care Team, or CCT.
Sometimes called a “street medicine team,” the CCT supports Missoula’s unsheltered neighbors with a wide variety of basic medical needs including wound care, medication management, ER follow-up and more.
Jaquith and Hathaway determined that the patient was suffering from an abscess. “If we don’t address this quickly, he will likely end up in the Emergency Room in much worse condition than he is now,” said Jaquith afterward. “We need to get him to the clinic as soon as possible.”
Jaquith hustled to schedule an appointment and transportation for the patient to see a doctor at Partnership Health Center’s downtown clinic. The next morning, a PHC physician drained, packed and treated the abscess with antibiotics. One week later when Jaquith and Hathaway followed up with the patient, his wound was healing nicely.
Chaz Rourke, CCT coordinator and former Army medic, said this was a great example of why Partnership Health Center created the CCT. “Our vision was to eliminate barriers to healthcare by bringing medical providers directly to folks, wherever they are,” he explained. “It’s been a game-changer for improving outcomes and reducing costly ER visits.”
With a car, a supply backpack and a laptop, the CCT can deliver healthcare under bridges, in tents, on sidewalks and almost anywhere else. To find Missoulians in need of medical support, the team works closely with a variety of partners including local law enforcement, local hospitals, the Poverello Center’s Homeless Outreach Team, the Mobile Support team and even the Missoula Public Library.
Cruising around in their red Subaru, the CCT covers a lot of ground to meet what Rourke calls “an endless amount of need.” This August afternoon included a house call, a trip to Taco Bell to check on a patient’s medications, and a trip to the Johnson Street Emergency Shelter.
While driving between stops, Jaquith explained how she has witnessed the CCT make big impacts on peoples’ lives. “I’ve seen patients make huge strides toward well-being with a little support from this team,” she explained. “One man used to yell at me for approaching his tent, but we built a relationship, helped him get necessary medication to address mental health concerns, and eventually he even secured housing.”
The CCT members all said they understand that the issue of houselessness is a hot topic in Missoula and in many other communities. As they reflected on their work, Jaquith offered a simple request, “I just hope that when we talk about houselessness in our community, we root that discussion in the fact that these are real people with complex lives who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, just like everyone else.”
Hathaway, the newest member of the CCT, nodded in agreement. “The core belief behind all of this work is simple: our community is stronger when we lift each other up.”
Glancing back at Hathaway through the rearview mirror, Chaz Rourke smiled, “I think that’s spot on,” he said, “Mobile medicine is complex in many ways, but ultimately it’s pretty straightforward. When we meet the basic needs of our neighbors, outcomes for individuals and our community will improve. This isn’t just the right thing to do for individuals; it’s also the smart thing to do for the overall well-being of our community.”
For more, visit https://partnershiphealthcenter.org/our-services/innovations/community-care-team/
