St. John’s Community Health Center in Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, and the Coachella Valley has decided to take healthcare to the next level by offering services to immigrant patients in their own homes. Why, you ask? Well, it turns out that many people were missing important medical appointments because they were too scared to leave their homes. St. John’s, a nonprofit healthcare provider that focuses on low-income and working-class residents, started a home visitation program in March after discovering that patients were skipping routine and urgent care visits out of fear of being picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The health center estimates that around 25,000 of its patients are undocumented immigrants, with about a third of them dealing with chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. These conditions require regular checkups, but these patients were missing out on vital tests to monitor their health, as well as appointments to refill their prescriptions. The fear of being apprehended by ICE was so strong that hundreds of patients were canceling their appointments solely due to that fear. President Trump’s administration had promised a massive deportation effort, targeting not just violent criminals but anyone in the country without authorization. This led to increased fear in immigrant communities, with tactics like ad campaigns urging people to leave the country or face deportation.
In response to the survey results, St. John’s launched the Health Care Without Fear program to ensure that patients who were too afraid to leave their homes still had access to healthcare. The program was aimed at reaching out to those who needed medical care but were paralyzed by fear. The chief executive of St. John’s, Jim Mangia, emphasized that healthcare is a human right and that fear should not be a barrier to receiving care. One of the regional medical directors, Bukola Olusanya, shared stories of patients who hadn’t left their homes in months, putting their health at risk by avoiding necessary exercise. She highlighted the importance of preventive care in avoiding long-term complications that could significantly impact a person’s quality of life.
Olusanya and her team at St. John’s have been conducting home visits to ensure that these vulnerable patients receive the care they need. Armed with medical equipment, they travel to patients’ homes to perform tests, check vitals, and provide necessary treatments. The fear in immigrant communities has been palpable, with the current administration instilling a sense of uncertainty and unease among those without authorization. Despite the challenges, the team at St. John’s continues to provide vital healthcare services, offering relief and gratitude to patients who would otherwise go without care. The importance of these home visits cannot be overstated, as they bridge the gap between fear and access to healthcare, ensuring that all patients receive the treatment they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.
