Health Care Professionals... Listen Up!  

When that addicted person is in front of you as your patient, you are their ONLY hope for healing...  

Here's one example of what happens when you fail in your caregiving...

I've known Amy since the first day of my visits to Kensington. Here's a picture of her before drug use. 

I wrote this blog about Amy under the name Allison on Wednesday, May 6, 2020.

Allison at Episcopal: "Get Out of My Emergency Room!"

It would have been better for Amy if that nurse had encouraged her to stay in the E.R. instead of telling her to leave.

Here is Amy now during a recent interview with AML Films: 

Please take the time to listen and learn from her.

Please pray that Amy finds the healing she longs for so much.

Two Paths, One System

This is an interactive exploration of healthcare disparity. The following story, based on a real report, illustrates how a patient's insurance can dramatically alter their path to recovery. Use the buttons below to navigate through the key stages of their journeys.

Allison's Journey (Medicaid)

🚨 A Fateful Moment

Allison experiences a substance use overdose on the steps of an elevated train line. A bystander administers Narcan, reviving her just as emergency services arrive.

🏥 Dismissal from Care

Transported to a nearby hospital, Allison is not admitted or offered comprehensive evaluation. Instead, after a short time in the emergency room, a nurse tells her to leave, offering no resources or plan for follow-up care.

❓ An Uncertain Future

Left without support, guidance, or a connection to treatment services, Allison is returned to the very environment that contributed to her crisis. Her immediate medical needs were addressed, but her underlying condition was ignored.

📉 A Cycle of Vulnerability

The system failed to provide a bridge to recovery. Without intervention, patients like Allison often face a revolving door of crisis and insufficient care, making long-term recovery incredibly difficult to achieve.

A Different Story (Private Insurance)

🚨 A Fateful Moment

A young person experiences a similar substance use overdose. They are found by family, who call for an ambulance while providing initial support.

🏥 Compassionate Intervention

At the hospital, the patient is admitted for observation. A social worker and a psychiatrist are consulted immediately to assess the patient's condition and history of substance use.

🤝 A Coordinated Plan

Before discharge, the care team works with the family to create a comprehensive recovery plan. They provide referrals to inpatient treatment facilities covered by their insurance and arrange for immediate admission.

📈 A Bridge to Recovery

The system provides a clear, supportive, and well-funded pathway to treatment. This coordinated intervention significantly increases the chances of successful, long-term recovery.

The Heart of the Matter

As these two paths illustrate, the quality of healthcare received during a moment of crisis can be vastly different. The current system often creates a chasm between the care provided to those with Medicaid and those with private insurance.

This isn't just about different levels of service; it's about fundamental access to the tools for survival and recovery. The report's central argument is a call for equity: every individual, regardless of their insurance status or economic standing, deserves compassionate, comprehensive care that addresses not just the immediate crisis, but the underlying conditions that cause it.

A person's chance at recovery should not be determined by their insurance card.