Our medical volunteers donate care that profoundly enhances the lives of our patients.

One patient, Nelvide, felt like he was dying. He suffered excruciating pain while trying to urinate. His condition prevented him from working and enjoying a normal life. Until the issue involving his urinary tract, Nelvide had always been in great shape. The gravity of his symptoms prompted him to seek medical care even though he was uninsured and did not have the means to pay the out-of-pocket costs.

Now a resident of Yuba County, Nelvide previously lived in Solano County for 25 years. He visited his local primary care clinic, Winters Healthcare Foundation (WHF), where he got care that partially alleviated his symptoms. However, he needed surgery because his condition was complex. He was diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia, a lower urinary tract obstruction, and acute post-renal failure.

To provide temporary relief, a Foley catheter and stents were inserted. Nelvide returned to WHF to seek additional support. He was unsure how he would be able to afford the comprehensive care he needed. Fortunately, his primary care provider referred him to our program, and we connected him with Dr. Oxana Munoz, a urologist at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center.

Dr. Munoz removed the catheter and performed a transurethral resection of the prostate. The surgery was successful, and Nelvide had multiple post-op and radiology appointments to ensure proper healing.

Nelvide appreciates Dr. Munoz’s excellent care, attentiveness, and respect. In addition, he felt very connected with her because they spoke the same language. Dr. Munoz was “like family,” recalled Nelvide, “she delivers care with love.” Nelvide is very grateful for all the support he received from Dr. Munoz and her team, including Thomas Rangel, RN, and the radiology department. Nelvide said, “everyone did an excellent job, and they are very professional.”

Nelvide was inactive for about eight months before surgery. Now he is healthy again. He says, “I have more energy and time to spend with my family. I feel at ease” He has also started working some shifts at a landscaping business, which helps him contribute financially to his family.

He was one of the 1,523 people living in 17 Northern California counties whom we served in 2022. The expansion of Medi-Cal in May 2022 to all income-eligible people age 50+ brought needed coverage to many former patients of our program, opening up the opportunity to expand our program to uninsured people earning 400% of the federal poverty level in September 2022 and to serve people in a larger geographic area. Overall, we served approximately the same number of people in 2022 as we did in 2021.

Thank you to our hospitals, clinics, surgery centers, interpreters, volunteers, and donors for helping us change so many lives. If you know someone who needs our services or someone interested in joining our network of specialty care providers, please reach out.

Story and photo shared with patient’s permission.