Model of Care | Medical Services | Social Services | Mental Health Counseling | Nutrition Counseling | Pastoral (Addictions) Counseling | Our Patients Columbia Road Health Services offers affordable, compassionate health care in Washington, DC. In addition to comprehensive medical care, we provide counseling and social services to help our patients address the social, emotional, and economic hardships that undermine their health and well-being. For our patients, these services are key to promoting good health and preventing crises. Columbia Road Health Services works to remove the barriers that discourage people from seeking care. While these barriers take on many forms, finances, accessibility, and language/culture are the most common. In response to these barriers, Columbia Road Health Services offers a solution that is Affordable: No one is ever turned away at CRHS due to inability to pay. All of our patients are charged on a sliding fee scale based on income and family size. In addition, we help patients enroll in insurance and subsidy programs that might help with the costs of care. Accessible: In addition to our regular appointments, we accept call-in and walk-in visits. Our clinic is walking distance from neighborhoods where the majority of our patients live. We are also located on a major bus route and near two metro stations. We also understand that many of our patients cannot afford to miss work or school in order to see a doctor. For our patients who cannot come to the clinic during 9-5 business hours, all of our services are available Monday through Thursday evenings and on Saturdays. Culturally Sensitive: All of our staff has experience working with Latino populations, making it easy to create an environment where our patients feel comfortable. We provide all of our services in English and Spanish, and we also have staff members who speak Amharic and French to serve a growing number of West and East African patients. For other languages, we use a phone service that allows immediate access to professional interpretation that is confidential and accurate. Expanding: On September 29, 2003, our clinic expanded its hours to keep up with the great need for health care services in Washington, DC. We are now open to the community an additional 17 hours each week. In our first month of expansion, we have seen 163 new patients! In order to accommodate the increase in patients, we have added 3 medical practitioners and a case manager. In 2002, our staff provided care to 2,183 patients. By the end of 2005, CRHS was serving 3,866 patients with just under 16,000 patient visits per year. In the last four years, CRHS has nearly doubled the number of medical, counseling and social services visits provided. Through all of these services, our patients can build lives of increased health, security, and self-reliance for themselves and their families. Medical services we offer include diagnosis and treatment of acute conditions and maintenance care for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and depression. Preventive services – including well-child checks, immunizations, physicals, obstetric and prenatal care, and health education – are also an important component of our medical program. A practitioner is on-call 24 hours per day to respond to patient emergencies, thus reducing the number of costly and often unnecessary emergency room visits. Columbia Road Health Services coordinates specialty care through the Archdiocesan Health Care Network, composed of physicians and dentists who volunteer their time to serve indigent patients. We have long-established relationships with local hospitals that are willing to accept our uninsured patients, should inpatient care be required. We make available free or low-cost prescription drug and laboratory services, using public and private resources. The social services staff at Columbia Road Health Services employs works with patients to address their social, emotional, and financial needs – both immediate and long-term. During their time with patients, our social workers offer supportive counseling and aid with applications for public benefits, among other services. Our social workers make use of an extensive network of local agencies in order to connect patients with vocational training and job banks, psychological services, support groups, immigration counselors, and housing assistance programs. In addition, they serve as advocates for our young patients within the city's school system. Our most recent addition to counseling services seeks to address how patients cope with depression, loss and grief, traumatic events, and problems in family dynamics. Mental health counseling at Columbia Road Health Services is primarily therapeutic, and while the focus is on individual counseling, our mental health counselor also conducts a weekly parent support group. PASTORAL (ADDICTIONS) COUNSELING Our pastoral counselor provides visits primarily to men who are recovering from or struggling with substance abuse problems. Counseling sessions provide a time for the men to generate concrete steps toward addiction recovery and rebuilding their lives. Our pastoral counselor also addresses the mental health issues of clients and makes referrals to appropriate agencies. With a commitment to excellence and service, Columbia Road Health Services seeks to improve the lives of the men, women, and children who depend on us for their care. Since our founding in 1979, Columbia Road Health Services has been the “medical home” for more than 18,000 men, women, and children. In 2002, we served more than 2,200 patients. With a commitment to excellence and service, Columbia Road Health Services seeks to improve the lives of the men, women, and children who depend on us for their care. Since our founding in 1979, Columbia Road Health Services has been the “medical home” for more than 18,000 men, women, and children. In 2005, we served nearly 4,000 patients. Our patients include some of the Washington, DC’s most vulnerable residents: the homeless, working poor families, Central American and African immigrants and refugees, at-risk children, the elderly, and the mentally ill. Almost all of our patients live near or below the federal poverty level ($9,310 or less for an individual), and many of them are uninsured. For a more personal look, we invite you to step into the lives of three patients:
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