Health
Freedom , Finally
BY ADAMA DYONIZIAK , EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR , CHAMPIONS FOR HEALTH
Imagine nine years of abdominal pain and hemorrhaging so severe that your loved one is in the emergency room every two weeks . Your wife or sister or mother needs surgery but is told time and again that emergency MediCal does not cover the expensive procedure that your family cannot afford . Your loved one uses over-the-counter pain medication and hot water bottles , but the pain , hemorrhaging and severe blood loss persists from an ever-growing cyst . This is Gloria ’ s story .
Gloria struggled to find a stable job , but most jobs would hurt her physically . The pain made her feel out of control and depressed . Her illness affected the entire family , never knowing when they would need to rush
Keerti Gurushanthaiah
Gloria to the hospital . “ It took a bit away from each of us . She is suffering and we are also suffering ,” said her husband , Carlos . “ I could not be at the birth of my two grandchildren ,” recalls Gloria . One hospital visit for pneumonia led Gloria to be referred to Project Access . Evelyn Peñaloza , her Project Access Care Manager , scheduled her with Dr . Keerti Gurushanthaiah , an OB / GYN at IGO Medical Group .
Dr . Guru , as her patients call her , a newly joined Board Member of Champions for Health says that the best part of her job is getting to know patients during their course of care , building relationships and making someone feel better . “ The best thing about being an OB / GYN is making a difference in people ’ s lives .”
78 GBSAN . COM | MARCH 2022