NHC SF Member Blog: Helping Patients Create a Brighter Future

Hey everyone! My name is Megan Armstrong (she/her) and I’m originally from Irvine, CA. I serve with the National Health Corps (NHC) in San Francisco and am currently serving at HealthRIGHT 360 (https://www.healthright360.org/) as the Opioid Use Disorder Care Coordinator. HealthRIGHT 360’s Integrated Care Center (ICC - https://www.healthright360.org/agency/integrated-care-center) is a one-stop shop where patients can access many resources in the same building. The ICC provides case management, primary care, dental, therapy/psychiatry, a food pharmacy, and medication assisted treatment (MAT) services.

I am currently only 3 months into my service term, but I feel like I have learned so much from everyone at HealthRIGHT 360’s ICC. I serve on the 2nd floor where the resource center is found, and because of this, I have gotten to know the case manager very well, which has helped me learn more about HealthRIGHT’s MAT program as well as their residential and outpatient programs. When I first started at HealthRIGHT, I was a little confused by how many residential and step-down programs there were, however, after talking with the case manager more and getting to know the patients who live at these facilities, everything became much clearer and easy to understand. I mainly work with new MAT patients who are looking to enter HealthRIGHT’s detox and residential programs. We help schedule them and bring them to their appointments and often send them reminders about upcoming MAT appointments that they have at the clinic.

I have learned so much about the opioid epidemic in San Francisco as well as the housing crisis in the city. Many of the patients who come to HealthRIGHT 360 struggle with homelessness. I was able to help many patients apply for the recent Section 8 Housing lottery, which was very exciting because it was the first time the lottery was happening in San Francisco in 10 years. It was very rewarding to see that some of our patients had been picked and had made it onto the waiting list! There are also many residential MAT patients who take advantage of the case management services that HealthRIGHT 360 has to offer. Because of this, I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with HealthRIGHT 360’s case manager, Mckinley Williams. Mckinley helps patients in the residential program come up with post-discharge plans so that they know the steps they need to take to create a brighter future. Often, this includes helping patients with their resumes to apply to jobs or looking through housing options. I really admire how much the providers on the 2nd floor care for their patients and work so hard to advocate for them.

I have learned a lot at HealthRIGHT 360, and I am very grateful for the people that I have met, and I hope to use what I have learned to keep serving the community that I call home.

About the Author:

Megan Armstrong (she/her) is one of the 2023-2024 NHC San Francisco AmeriCorps members. She is currently serving as one of the Opioid Use Care Coordinators at HealthRIGHT 360.