National Health Corps Pittsburgh Blog

"Age is the main risk factor for the prevalent diseases of developed countries, including cancer and cardiovascular disease (WHO, 2015). Although aging is inevitable, the risks of developing these common health conditions and the severity of certain illnesses can be mitigated with better nutrition. Unfortunately, a growing number of older Americans are food insecure."

"Three months ago, I packed up my Grand Prix with all of my possessions, left Michigan, and started driving east. What first struck me was the view. Driving into Pittsburgh on 376-E takes you through the Fort Pitt Tunnel. As soon as you leave the tunnel, the beauty of the city strikes you — you’re dumped out onto the Fort Pitt Bridge, headed directly for downtown; sunlight reflects off PPG Place buildings, and all is right with the world. To your right is the Monongahela River and Smithfield Street Bridge. To your left is the Point Park fountain and the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, from which the Ohio is born. Pittsburgh truly is a beautiful city, textured by three magnificent rivers, 90 distinct neighborhoods, 446 bridges, and all the hills and ridges characteristic of Appalachia."

"When I realized I could not explain preventative health screenings in a way that patients would understand, I consulted my mentors. I thought back to one of our first trainings with Becky Carpenter of the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Center. She spoke about the current state of literacy in Allegheny County and how low health literacy can be a barrier that patients faced when interacting with the healthcare system. We discussed how low health literacy could appear during a typical office visit: not completing check-in questionnaires, difficulty understanding visit summary/diagnosis papers, or misunderstanding prescriptions and how and when to take them."

"I recently contacted the father of an adolescent patient who was overdue for a wellness examination at the Squirrel Hill Health Center (SHHC). I was attempting to schedule the patient for an appointment, but was met with a few obstacles as the father grew frustrated, largely due to the language and cultural barriers between us. The patient’s father was non-English speaking, and we were communicating through an interpreter. In our exchanges, there were numerous words in the English language that did not directly translate to the father’s language, which made the process all the more challenging. As our struggles with communication continued, I took a moment to step back and reflect on the situation and soon realized the father was simply trying to do something that I often take for granted, which was to obtain the best possible health care for his child."