Since opening our doors in 2013, Health and Hope Medical Outreach (HHMO) has provided more than 3,600 doctor visits. We provide patients with reliable care that addresses the whole person – physical, mental, and spiritual. Our care providers have seen patients with conditions ranging from minor injuries to undiagnosed cancer. Common issues include hypertension, depression and mental health disorders, bronchitis, diabetes, and asthma. We have been able to make referrals to specialists who are willing to help HHMO meet our clients’ needs, and we have arrangements with laboratories and other types of providers who are willing to provide charitable rates for needed services.
As the Affordable Care Act has expanded its reach, more individuals are covered by insurance. However, accessing care remains out of reach due to very high deductibles and the limitations on providers for Medicaid patients. Health & Hope recognized this gap and extended eligibility to those who are middle to low income and have insurance but have high deductibles.
Services Provided to the Lewis/Thurston County Community
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| Weeks Open | 50* | 50 | 48** | 51 | 50 | 50 |
| Clinic Visits | 779 | 579 | 496 | 553 | 562 | 591 |
| Patients Served | 455 | 324 | 248 | 295 | 295 | 314 |
| Under 30 | 23% | 28% | 23% | 21% | 25% | 22% |
| 30 – 50 | 42% | 57% | 51% | 49% | 48% | 49% |
| Over 50 | 38% | 15% | 26% | 30% | 27% | 28% |
| Number of Patients Seen per Region | ||||||
| Centralia | 44% | 50% | 64% | 61% | 61% | 58% |
| Chehalis | 21% | 23% | 19% | 18% | 23% | 18% |
| Rochester | 10% | 5% | 5% | 7% | 5% | 7% |
| Unemployed | 44% | 47% | 40% | 33% | 30% | 28% |
| Employed PT | 20% | 16% | 16% | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| Employed FT | 17% | 19% | 19% | 17% | 17% | 18% |
Our Volunteers
Our outreach would not be possible without the volunteer help necessary to keep our doors open every week. Over one hundred volunteers and more than twenty churches have worked together to provide free, quality urgent medical care and referral services. Not only are patients able to have their health concerns addressed, but the men and women of faith who lend their time and talents are able to offer care and kindness to their neighbors, reflecting the goodness and love of God.
The HHMO volunteers have put in over 27,500 hours since we opened in 2013. The services provided by HHMO cover a broad spectrum of needs. It may be as simple as going to the local store to get some groceries or taking the time to pray with a client. Others may require not only care for their physical health but mental or spiritual health, as well. If there is a need for housing or counseling, we find a way to provide connections to those who can fulfill those needs. Our desire is to treat the whole person, and the volunteers at HHMO are dedicated to that goal for each and every patient who walks through the door.
Where do we go from here?
We seek to target those who need services and expand the base of our volunteers. Our goal is to deliver medical services to 20 patients each Tuesday. Because this is a work of caring individuals with a desire to help, the attention and care each patient receives is extraordinary. Patients regularly report that the caregivers at the clinic have been the most gracious and helpful that they have ever encountered in a medical clinic. For every patient we serve, we support an entire family by providing them with the health to pursue their goals in other areas of their lives. Our vision is to reach the remote areas of the region and to help churches meet the needs of those they serve. If you would be willing to help us reach our goals, please visit our volunteer page.