Minute by minute we continue to learn new information related to COVID-19 and adapt our care delivery model to ensure that our two charitable healthcare clinics remain open, where we continue to welcome our patients with open arms.
Amid all the change, what remains true is this: CrossOver patients are among those most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus and associated complications. Over half of our patients have chronic health conditions, and many already live with food and housing insecurity. They are some of the most likely to catch the disease, some of the most likely to be endangered by it, and some of the first people to be negatively affected by the economic consequences of the pandemic that we are only just beginning to feel. We need you now more than ever. We hope you will support us, and your uninsured and medically underserved neighbors, by donating today.
Since our last COVID-19 email, one week ago, a lot has changed at CrossOver. Here’s some of what we’re doing to flatten the curve and slow the spread of the virus.
- Patients are being screened at the door, before entering the clinics, for symptoms of COVID-19. Patients who have possible symptoms of the virus are taken directly to a dedicated exam room where they are fast-tracked to be seen by an employee clinician.
- All eye clinic appointments are currently suspended.
- At the recommendation of the American Dental Assocation, all non-emergency dental appointments are being cancelled for the time being.
- Primary care appointments and OB appointments are being completed by phone unless an in-person appointment is required.
- Social work, behavioral health, and HIV/AIDS care appointments are being completed by phone.
- Administrative staff are working from home as much as possible to limit the number of people in the clinic.
- Volunteers over the age of 65 are not allowed to serve at the clinic at this time, in accordance with the governor’s recommendations. Volunteers over 65 may serve in roles that they can fill from home. With 64% of our care provided by volunteers, this has had a significant impact on our operations. The team continues to pull together, and through adjustments to our care delivery model, we continue to see patients.
We are as committed to our patients as ever, and so we are on the front lines of COVID-19 treatment and mitigation. But the challenges are significant. We keep saying it because it’s true: we need you now more than ever. In the short run, we need your support as our resources become strained. We are working without many of our volunteers, including people over 65 as well as college students who have been sent home. In addition, personal protective equipment like face masks, gloves, and surgical gowns are in short supply nationwide. Meanwhile, CrossOver’s multiple major fundraising events have been cancelled or postponed.
In the long run, your support will continue to be vital to our work and to our community. As the economic implications of the pandemic unfold, more people in our community are going to become unemployed, uninsured, or medically underserved. The numbers of people who need our services are going to keep growing, and we will be called to meet that need.
Please consider making a gift to CrossOver now to help us meet current and future needs. Better yet, sign up to be a monthly donor so we, with your help, can continue to serve those most in need in the weeks and months to come. Thank you for your commitment to compassionate healthcare. We couldn’t—we can’t—do it without you.