 photo credit: Melissa Vetter It was our pleasure to host an event on MLK Day in partnership with United Way of Williamson County. We had volunteers, staff, and patients come to record their stories from the clinic and save them on StoryCorps. StoryCorps is an organization whose mission is to record America's stories for future generations in the Library of Congress. You can see the evolving/finished (and evolving) product on our StoryCorps page.         Cast your vote for your favorite holiday door! We may be a small clinic but we know how to get creative with our doors! A) This is the door to our pharmacy. "Falalalala" Clean, simple elegance at its best. B) This is the dental clinic door with a clever Christmas tree made of teeth. If you look closely you'll see our volunteer dentists' names inscribed on the teeth. Can we say, "I put your name on a tooth, now you must vote for me..."? C) This is the door to our office area. Star Wars: Christmas Awakens. Admittedly, we've got one or two Star Wars nuts on staff. D) This is the door to the provider room. Wellness Winter Wonderland. Our team got really crafty with their glove Christmas tree, snowman made of plastic cups, and wreath of medical supplies.     So which door is the winner? Cast your vote in the comment section or on our facebook post! We're also collecting ballots at the clinic. Merry Christmas!
Nonprofits like ours use the Federal Poverty Guidelines to learn more about the people they/we serve. But what is the precise definition of poverty?
 "Whoa, Doc, in 2015 there are still 1 in 5 Texans without health insurance."--Marty McFly, Back to the Future Part II [edited out of the movie, we presume]
Today marks the day that Marty McFly traveled into the future from 1985. He entered a world of hover boards, world champion Chicago Cubs, and cars using garbage for fuel. McFly may not have noticed how many Texans were uninsured in 1985 vs. today, but we thought it would be fun to find out. Today in Texas, estimates show that 15 to 19 percent of Texans remain uninsured. In 1985, the rate was 20 percent. Score one for improvements! In raw numbers of uninsured Texans, however, we had 3.2 million in 1985 and today we have 5 million. Today Texas ranks dead last for the highest numbers of uninsured residents. In 1985 we were 48th, besting Oklahoma and Arkansas. We think Texas can do better! We're proud to be a clinic serving the uninsured. Our volunteers work hard to make sure that people without health insurance have a medical home apart from the hospital emergency room. Hey, we all know someone who is uninsured, right? Your financial support helps us to continue providing care for the uninsured of today. Thank you! Attention Clinic Volunteers,
In the next few weeks, volunteers will begin receiving emails from Volunteer Spot to remind you of your volunteer schedule. We're moving our volunteer management to Volunteer Spot, which is a very easy way to sign up for openings, to swap volunteer times with others, and to manage the clinic calendar. We hope this helps all of us to run a smooth clinic for volunteers and patients! Thank you!  Our clinic is a partner of Susan G. Komen Austin. Thanks to Komen's continued support, we are able to offer Samaritan patients mammograms and other critical breast cancer detection services. In order to show our appreciation, we are putting together Team Samaritan for the Race for the Cure on Sunday, November 15th in Austin. You are welcome to join our team! Click here to register for the race. Proceeds from your race registration go to Susan G. Komen Austin.
Even if you can't race, we are selling pink Samaritan t-shirts for $20 each. You are welcome to order a shirt--the proceeds from this shirt go to the clinic. We'll be pinking it up for the fall and winter because the shirts are long-sleeved. Click here to place your Team Samaritan t-shirt order!  Our hustling, bustling clinic needs you! If you or someone you know would like to volunteer, please contact us.
Reception: You answer the phone, meet and greet patients, schedule appointments, and act as a runner. We have several openings throughout the week. Patient Screeners: You get a nice comfy chair, a computer, and the chance to talk to people when they first need care. This is a great position for people who are detail-oriented. We can use you at varying times throughout the week. Interpreters: Boy, do we have a lot of opportunities for you! We especially need Spanish speakers, but sometimes have interpreting opportunities for other languages. Again, shifts are open throughout the week. Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, and Pharmacy Technicians: We need volunteers to staff the clinic on Mondays from 4pm to 8pm and other times throughout the week. Dentists and dental support staff are especially needed, we will work with you on scheduling. Specialists: No need to leave the comfort of your office! We can send patients to you as often as you wish. All specialists are needed. Warning: you're sure to stay busy, meet interesting people, and even get caught up in some fun. We would love to meet you! Contact us today. We are very excited to share that United Way of Williamson County selected Samaritan Health Ministries as a partner agency for 2015-16. In a July 9 press release, United Way of Williamson County says they are making "an effort to build a community where people thrive, live healthy lives and have the opportunity to achieve their full potential." Our clinic joins a prestigious list of excellent nonprofit organizations across the county. United Way of Williamson County has the slogan "Live United," which for us means that we work together to improve health for the uninsured in our community. The full list of funded agencies, receiving a combined $520,000 investment from United Way of Williamson County is below.
AGE of Central Texas Annunciation Maternity Home Austin Dog Alliance (Hounds for Heroes) Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas Boys and Girls Club of Georgetown Breast Cancer Resource Center Capital IDEA Communities in Schools of Greater Central Texas Drive a Senior GENaustin Hope Alliance Interagency Support Council of East Williamson County, Inc. Literacy Council of Williamson County Meals on Wheels and More Round Rock Area Serving Center Round Rock ISD Partners in Education Foundation Samaritan Center for Counseling and Pastoral Care Samaritan Health Ministries Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantry Smiles Foundation STARRY The Caring Place Williamson-Burnet County Opportunities (Meals on Wheels) Samaritan Health Ministries in Cedar Park is pleased to announce that it has been selected to receive $10,000 in funding from Susan G. Komen® Austin. The funds from this grant provide life-saving breast cancer screenings for some of the most vulnerable women in Cedar Park, Leander, and surrounding communities.
“No woman should die of breast cancer because she can’t access care,” said Karen Shultz, Interim Executive Director at Komen Austin. “A case of breast cancer is diagnosed every two minutes in the U.S. The disease is prevalent but if caught early and treated, has a 99 percent survival rate. We work every day to ensure that survival is the outcome for the women in our community.” Samaritan Health Ministries is a clinic serving uninsured patients in Williamson and Travis Counties. Komen Austin funds enable Samaritan Health Ministries to provide breast cancer screening mammograms to 120 women, plus 50 additional diagnostic mammograms, sonograms, or ultrasounds. “We are very grateful to have the opportunity to provide this vital service to our patients,” says Erika Pratt, Executive Director of Samaritan Health Ministries. “Many of the women who come to the clinic know there is something wrong, and they are scared and in need of answers. This grant puts sick patients on the road to treatment very quickly.” Last year Samaritan Health Ministries saw more than 800 patients in its clinic, providing a medical home for people who would likely go without care or visit a hospital emergency room instead. Samaritan has a small staff and enlists volunteer health care providers to treat patients who come to the clinic. About Susan G. Komen® Austin Saving lives locally. Fighting breast cancer globally. Susan G. Komen® Austin is an Austin-based nonprofit committed to saving lives locally and fighting breast cancer globally. Komen Austin is the only local breast cancer organization attacking the disease on all fronts – education, screening, treatment, follow-up care, survivorship support, advocacy and research. The organization serves the women and men in the city’s five-county area battling breast cancer by removing barriers to care for the uninsured and underinsured. Of the funds raised annually, Komen Austin invests up to 75 percent into local community health care grants and educational initiatives; the remaining 25 percent is invested into global research to find the cures for breast cancer. |
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