If it wasn’t for BHN, Cynthia would be dead. And that isn’t an exaggeration, she says.
Cynthia has been using several of BHN’s services for years, most notably BHN’s One Care Program. One Care seeks to create comprehensive care management plans for individuals’ combined physical and mental health needs. In Cynthia’s case, her One Care team has helped her manage her severe anxiety, PTSD, grief, and chronic back pain. Through One Care, Cynthia was given transportation assistance because her twisted spine causes her mobility issues. She also gained access to a home health aide to assist her with tasks that her physical and mental illnesses make difficult, particularly cooking. Before Cynthia had a home health aide, her PTSD prevented her from entering her kitchen, and she rapidly lost weight until she weighed only 81 pounds. “I had slipped through the cracks,” she says.
However, through One Care, Cynthia gained the life-changing assistance of a dedicated team, consisting of a care coordinator, a nurse, and counselors and therapists. Cynthia says that her team is the best she could ask for – “They jump through all sorts of hoops to help me. I can’t say enough good about them.” She is especially thankful for the unwavering assistance of her care coordinator, Oswaldo Cruz. He frequently goes out of his way to help her, she says, recalling a time when he offered to drive to Springfield from his home in Enfield, Connecticut, to help her lift heavy grocery bags. “My team has been fighting to keep up my care, and make sure that nothing lapses,” she says. “Ozzie is always on it. If there are any questions or problems with rides, he says ‘Okay, we’re going to fix this,’ or he’ll drive me himself.”
Cynthia’s One Care team has also helped her transition to new medications and worked closely with her doctor to get them covered by insurance, demonstrating their steadfast commitment to providing Cynthia with the best possible healthcare.
“Really, I couldn’t ask for a better team,” she says.
