Boothe and Polson addressed the need for medical access as well as integrated primary care and mental health services for clients of the South Highlands Outreach Project (SHOP) while concurrently developing a strategic plan for a future clinic. In the interim, they connected all regularly attending participants with a primary care provider, mental health care provider, and designated pharmacy. Throughout this process Polson and Boothe also built important relationships with board members, volunteers, and South Highland Outreach Project staff to enhance their current programming methods. They provided case management to each individual participant, conducted medication reviews, and created wallet cards containing information about their mental health diagnosis and prescription medications. In addition, Polson and Boothe led a subcommittee of the Board of Directors through the Precede/Proceed Community Planning Model to explore the possibility of establishing an integrated primary care and mental health clinic. Ultimately, they networked the Board of Directors to a Fellow for Life who is starting a mobile clinic in the Birmingham area. A memorandum of understanding will designate South Highlands as a stop on the mobile clinic’s weekly schedule.

As a result of the program:

• 20 of 20 regular participants in SHOP established access to a designated primary healthcare provider, psychiatric/mental health care provider, and pharmacy.
• Each of the regular participants received an emergency wallet card containing information about their current medical conditions and prescription medications.
• The South Highlands Board of Directors reached a voting decision to partner with a community agency mobile clinic to provide access to ongoing care to SHOP participants

Polson and Boothe will transition their project to SHOP’s new program manager over the summer so that the programming and project goals are sustained.

“Throughout this past year, I learned the importance of humanity above all. While my knowledge, education, and expertise is so valuable—if I cannot relate or empathize with the population whom I serve, it can mean absolutely nothing. One day while I was interviewing a participant about his medications, I learned that he had been a successful author and written multiple books in his past career. That conversation has stuck with me. It is so easy to look down on someone that has been diagnosed with a mental illness or to think of them as “less than.” However, in that moment it was so clear to me how much value and brilliance is captured within their unique minds. There is much more we can relate to one another than not. In my future career, I hope to carry this experience with me each and every day.” Meg Boothe

“This past year, as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow, I have been guided and supported in a way that has allowed me to use my time and talents in a purposeful partnership with others. As a healthcare professional, I am cognizant of the duty to improve conditions and address unmet needs of patients, yet constrained by a continuous lack of time and resources. This fellowship provided connection with other talented professionals, valuable mentorship and training resources that synergized our talents, bringing solutions. I am amazed at everything we addressed in such a short amount of time. It has unburdened my soul to see needs met. This fellowship year is a shining example of what interdisciplinary teamwork can accomplish under directed leadership.” Shannon Polson