Medication access is a critical part of how CrossOver cares for the health of our patients. As the only charitable clinic in Central Virginia with an in-house pharmacy, CrossOver distributes more than 30,000 medications each year, including medications for patients at other clinics.
Most of those medications are handed out via our Medication Pickup Windows, located at both clinics. The Board of Pharmacy requires that a volunteer or employee must be licensed as a pharmacy tech or hold a higher level clinical licensure in order to staff the window so that they can help ensure that patients understand how and when to take their medication and answer any questions they may have about their medications.
In the last few months, when staffing shortages meant that our pick-up window hours were becoming more limited and less reliable for our patients, CrossOver looked to our volunteer pool for their help in making sure our patients had consistent, reliable access to their medications.
Dr. Jill Goldman is a family practice doctor who first came to volunteer as a primary care volunteer in 2013 while she was still working part-time. She volunteered weekly for many years until the COVID pandemic disrupted her in-person service. She fully retired from medicine last fall and initially was going to wait for a few months before setting up a volunteer schedule (Dr. Goldman is also an active volunteer ESL teacher!), but she said, “I felt a nudge in my spirit to call CrossOver and see if there was a way I could help.” Her call came just in time to help fill the medication pickup window need.
Because Dr. Goldman had spent the last several years of her career working in urgent care, she felt a little too far-removed from primary care practice to serve as a provider in the medical clinic. However, her medical licensure made her a great fit for serving at our Medication Pickup window, where she serves about 3 times a month.
“I’m glad to be able to free up the employed staff to manage the paperwork and administration that goes into getting patients their medication and I’ve enjoyed interacting with the patients and even practicing a little Spanish,” Jill said. “It’s really broadened my perspective beyond the primary care and clinical side about how many ways there are to plug in and help patients with what they need.”
Dr. Hilton Almond has also been connected to CrossOver for a few decades, volunteering as a gastroenterologist and seeing patients at CrossOver, or treating CrossOver patients through his practice. Dr. Almond has been retired since 2005 but spent more than 10 years volunteering at the Veterans Administration hospital and teaching at VCU. Now, at age 86, he’s back at CrossOver volunteering because he believes “If you rest, you rust!” Since he hasn’t practiced medicine for 10 years, it was a bit of a stretch to volunteer as a provider in the clinic, but he’s happy to have found a place in the pharmacy that keeps him busy—these days he’s at CrossOver three mornings each week!
“I think it’s important because I’m able to serve as a consultant to the patients about their medication, and having ready access to the drugs they need really facilitates the patients’ care,” Hilton said. “The need for access is growing on a daily basis, and the patients really appreciate the service that CrossOver offers.”
Director of Programs Millie Rocha agrees: “Dr. Goldman and Dr. Almond understand how critical timely access to medications is for our patients and they have gone above and beyond to support this need. Their flexibility and dedication have made a significant impact!”
We’re so grateful for each one of our volunteers who serve our neighbors in need with such compassion and commitment!