neglected childhood immunizations. skipped the blood sugar tests. Drugs left behind at the drugstore.
Since the start of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities in Southern California earlier this month, healthcare providers have observed a number of disturbances, including these.
Once-crowded parks, stores, and establishments have deserted the area as illegal people and their families hide in their homes out of fear. Many patients are also choosing to forego routine pediatric checkups and chronic-care management visits as a result of the circulating reports about immigration arrests at clinics and hospitals.
As a result, local federally qualified health centers—which are legally mandated to provide primary care regardless of financial means and receive federal funding—have been rushing to set up house calls, virtual appointments, and pharmacy deliveries for patients who no longer feel comfortable leaving their homes.
Jim Mangia, president of St. John’s Community Health, which provides medical, dental, and mental health care to over 100,000 low-income patients annually in Southern California, stated, “We’re just seeing a very frightening and chaotic environment that’s making it extremely difficult to provide for the healthcare needs of our patients.”
According to Mangia, the system’s network of clinics had a no-show percentage of roughly 9% before the raids. Over 30% of patients have canceled or failed to show up in recent weeks. In response, the group has started a program called Healthcare Without Fear that offers patients who are worried about the possibility of being arrested home visits and virtual appointments.
According to Mangia, who believes that 25% of the clinic’s patient group is undocumented, “when we call back patients who missed their appointment and didn’t call in, they’re telling us they’re not coming out because of ICE.” Some rather significant medical visits are being missed by people.
According to President Louise McCarthy, a recent assessment of patient no-shows at nonprofit health clinics throughout Los Angeles County revealed no common patterns among the 118 members of the Community Clinic Association of L.A. County. Missed appointments have increased at certain clinics but remained same at others. She pointed out that the statistics don’t show how many patients choose to switch from in-person appointments to telemedicine in order to avoid having to leave their homes.
Additionally, patients have voiced worries that using health services could make them targets. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gave the U.S. Department of Homeland Security access to Medicaid members’ personal information, including their legal status, earlier this month, according to an Associated Press story. The information has not been explicitly connected to any particular enforcement actions.
McCarthy claimed that the amount of uncertainty and worry that is currently occurring is unbearable for both staff and patients.
Reports that federal authorities conducted enforcement operations at the downtown trauma hospital were denied in a statement released by the county-run L.A. General Medical hospital on Thursday. The department stated in a statement that even while there haven’t been any recorded immigration-related arrests at county health institutions, the mere possibility of immigration enforcement close to any medical facility erodes public confidence and puts community health at risk.
Among the providers attempting to expand in-home care alternatives, such as medicine delivery and a nurse advise line for those who are hesitant to visit in person, is Los Angeles County.
However, according to a spokeswoman, not all medical appointments or problems can be handled remotely. Anyone in need of care is urged to act quickly.
Providers were worried that skipping preventative care sessions would result in crises that endanger patients’ lives and put further strain on the government’s resources. According to a staff member at a collection of clinics in the Los Angeles area, preventative treatment benefits everyone in the city and maintains our community healthy overall. For fear of attracting attention to their patient group, he requested that his employer remain anonymous.
He claimed that if care is neglected today, it will ultimately cost everyone more money.
According to Dr. Bukola Olusanya, a medical director at St. John’s, a patient with hypertension who misses blood pressure checkups today may have a higher chance of being admitted to the emergency room later on for a heart attack.
People are unable to perform follow-ups if they are unable to obtain their drugs. According to her, that implies a well-managed and controlled chronic condition will only worsen. Patients will visit the emergency room more frequently than they ought to instead of visiting their primary care physician.
That change is already being felt by providers. According to Mangia, a medical team recently visited a diabetic patient at home and discovered that her blood sugar levels were extremely elevated. Instead of risking a trip to the food store, she informed the team that she had only eaten coffee and tortillas for the past five days.
