Anya was driving home one evening when the unexpected happened and she found herself seeking emergency care at Aurora Medical Center – Bay Area after experiencing a traffic accident. Her injuries were severe, and she required an inpatient stay.
Anya felt panicked when she learned about her need for additional care. Anya wasn’t working and her husband had recently lost his job as well. They had no insurance and were already struggling to make ends meet.
When the hospital’s Financial Advocate learned of Anya’s situation, he immediately reached out to help. He completed a financial assessment and was able to help Anya get approved for a 100% discount through the Aurora Health Care Patient Financial Assistance Program for the care she already received.
But that’s not all – the Financial Advocate also helped Anya purchase coverage through The Marketplace so she would have insurance to cover any follow-up care she may need.
Anya felt a sense of relief after the Financial Advocate approved her for financial assistance.
When asked about how he felt about sharing the news of Anya’s approval with her, the Advocate said, “The sigh of relief from her voice and the utmost gratitude she displayed towards me was quite warming. It was nice to see a patient go from being afraid to being able to rest and heal.”
Taking Action with Nutrition Education
Aurora Medical Center – Bay Area is taking action on the community needs assessment to increase options for healthy nutritional offerings. Members of the Aurora Bay Area leadership team volunteered to participate in a “recipe for success” program during a local mobile food pantry event in August 2023.
"When we learned some of the healthy food options at food pantries weren't being consumed because community members didn't know how to prepare the ingredients, we knew we could take action," explains Ed Harding, President at Aurora Bay Area.
The hospital’s Food & Nutrition department prepared a recipe that is easy to make. Teammates took the prepared dish to the mobile food pantry and handed out a sample along with the recipe card to more than 400 people.
“The samples and recipes were well received by those attending the event,” says Harding.
Aurora Bay Area will be at two more mobile food pantry events in fall 2023.
