Welcome House of Northern Kentucky

Melanie Wilson, Summer 2014

I had the privilege of working with two sites for my Summer UHP Internship. One site that I was placed in was the Breast and Cervical Cancer Project. The other was the Welcome House of Northern Kentucky. This is a shelter serving women and children of Northern Kentucky who would otherwise be homeless. Residents are able to stay at the shelter completely free of charge, have all meals provided, and are provided with basic necessities such as toiletries, feminine hygiene products, hair products, etc. While at the shelter, the women are appointed a case manager with whom they will collaborate with to formulate a plan to achieve stable housing. Each plan is customized to meet the unique and individual needs of each resident. This may include seeking out and gaining employment or filing for unemployment, disability, or social security, getting a GED or enrolling in some other schooling, following through with probationary terms for women who are ex-cons, attending some sort of recovery program for those who have a drug or alcohol addiction, or applying for government assistance such as food stamps, WIC, or subsidized housing.

My time at the Welcome House consisted of preparing weekly group discussions of various topics covering mental, physical, and sexual health. I also planned weekly crafts for the kids and residents. Lastly, I served as a resource for women who had health concerns they wanted addressed. This ranged from performing a quick history and physical for a pregnant woman who was feeling weak and dizzy, to being someone to talk to for a woman who just had to take her sister off life support. Most importantly, I became someone the women could trust.

The Welcome House has been one of the most eye-opening experiences as it relates to realizing the hardships that some people go through. Having the opportunity to sit in on family intakes allowed me to learn of the events that led to each resident's homelessness. In doing so, I began to notice the differences, as well as the common threads in many of their stories. As I reflect on what I have learned of their lives, the way in which socioeconomic barriers greatly impact their health care have become very apparent. I now have a greater understanding of the obstacles that may hinder a person's medical care and am more empathetic to their hardships. I feel that my ability to connect and sympathize with patients has contributed to the social competency and sensitivity required to be an exceptional physician.