Now More Than Ever: Davidson Medical Ministries United Way Agency Spotlight

{Contributed Photos/Davidson Medical Ministries}

Just for a moment, think back to 2008. You are in your early 50’s, born and raised in Davidson County. Always had difficulty in school, so at age 16 you quit. You got a job at Lexington Furniture Industries, and you have now been there for 38 years. You have had a decent life. A wife, couple of kids and the ability to buy a house out in the county.

At about 45, you developed Type 2 diabetes along with your already diagnosed high blood pressure. You were on oral medications for both and doing well. You had health insurance, so you were able to see a local physician and get your medicine with only a co-pay.

Then it happened, the country was in a recession and the plant was closing. Over the next year, you used your savings, cashed in your 401K. You went to the community college and Davidson Works. You got your GED, you were able to get some part-time jobs, but not one that had benefits and insurance.

Annually, people came to the plant where you worked and asked you and your co-workers to give to the United Way of Davidson County. Even though you needed every cent of your paycheck, you still managed to give to the campaign. You knew you couldn’t afford to give to all of the causes United Way supports individually, but you believed in their work. This way you could help them all by giving one hour of your paycheck each month to the United Way.

Now, you are the one in need of help. You contacted the United Way to seek help. They referred you to Davidson Medical Ministries. You were able to see a healthcare provider after completing your eligibility interview. You got laboratory testing done, you had an EKG, you were prescribed medication for your diabetes and high blood pressure. You have continued as a patient since that time. Your diabetes and hypertension have been controlled and you have continued to be able to work though temporary agencies. You are now 70 years old. You have Medicare. Davidson Medical Ministries partnered with Kintegra Health in 2012 and the partnership now allows them to serve the under-insured, like those on Medicare.

When you think back over the years of being a patient at Davidson Medical Ministries-Kintegra Family Medicine you are grateful for the time they were able to provide health care, when you had none. You are thankful, that you were able to continue to work to support your family and keep your house. When you got Medicare, you felt blessed to be able to stay at DMM-KFM, knowing that you can give back, because your third-party payor is helping others. Since that time, you have also been able to see a behavior health therapist, have assistance with a medication consultation and the pharmacist decided that putting your medication in pill packs would be helpful in taking your medications correctly.

You attended the diabetes education classes offered by the care manager. You show up for the monthly Walk with the Doc sponsored by the clinic at a local park. Over the years, the staff has become like your family. They know you by name. They prayed for you when your wife was diagnosed with cancer. They helped you when you could not afford your co-pays for medicine by providing money from the Emergency Assistance Fund. Now you want everyone to know what you know about the difference Davidson Medical Ministries has made in your life. The reality that without them, you may well have become disabled due to complications of untreated diabetes and hypertension. Instead, you have been able to continue to live a quality of life that has allowed you to provide for your family. Watch your children grow up and enjoy your grandchildren.

Davidson Medical Ministries is a charitable clinic that has served the uninsured of Davidson County with quality health care since 1992. In 2005 a clinic was opened in Thomasville. In 2012 Davidson Medical Ministries partnered with Kintegra Health, a federally qualified health center to serve the under-insured. Your gifts to the United Way of Davidson County helps to provide funding to Davidson Medical Ministries Pharmacy. Your donations help to purchase medications and supplies to provide lifesaving medications to those in need. In 2022, a mobile health clinic will begin providing health care to 4 outlying areas of the county. Your United Way dollars will help support this much needed work.

Our Mission Statement: to minister to the needs of those in our communities who lack resources to access quality health care.

Submitted by: Sandy Motley, Executive Director since 1991.