In this series, UChicago Medicine's Urban Health Initiative is placing a spotlight on the work our UHI staff, volunteers and community partners are doing in the South Side community. This conversation is with Malik Stuckey, a Senior Patient Advocate who joined the UHI team in October 2020.
Q: Can you describe the differences between when you first started in October 2020 and how things changed at the start of the pandemic?
A vast majority of our patients come from the emergency room. Given that we would have to be in person to see a lot of these patients in the emergency room and our care and transition clinic, that became completely remote. We had to call patients versus seeing them in person. That became a little more difficult, trying to connect with patients via telephone versus in person.
Q: Can you describe what an average day looks like for you as a patient advocate?
An average day is pretty difficult to describe. We’re responsible for making sure patients have accurate and timely follow up appointments when they’re discharged from the emergency room.
Typically, we have orders lists. Through that orders list, we’re able to contact patients. We’ll say, “Hey, I noticed you came into the emergency room, doctors wanted you to have a follow up with primary care. Is there anyway that I can assist you with that?” Then we go about the process of finding them their medical homes or the doctors at UChicago Medicine that they can see.
Q: What motivates you to wake up and go to work every day?
Navigating healthcare systems is difficult—even for those of us that are professionals. I want to be that bridge between healthcare and the community. I take pride in being able to explain the importance of having a medical doctor and having a primary care doctor.
Knowing that I can help a first-time mother, ease her anxiety about finding quality prenatal care is rewarding to me! They say it’s not the job you do, it's the value you bring while you do it.
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This story was first published by UChicago Medicine.
