When Marc first approached the Mobile Health Clinic in Rochester, he could quickly see how patients were being greeted and it wasn’t what he expected. He thought he’d have a brief visit and a pat on the back, but it was so much more than that.
“I was very impressed,” he said. “You could tell they cared about their patients. The service was incredible.”
Marc came to the clinic looking for primary care after not seeing a doctor for seven years. He was referred to the Mobile Health team of Greater Seacoast Community Health, a network of integrated health care providers with locations in Somersworth and Portsmouth. Marc, a Milton resident, quickly became an established patient at Goodwin Community Health in Somersworth. He was then able access multiple services including Behavioral Health and Medication Assisted Recovery (MAR) as well as utilize the in-house pharmacy.
Marc’s primary care provider at Goodwin is a Family Medicine Resident through Portsmouth Regional Hospital’s residency program. Residents serve as primary care providers for our patients throughout their three-year residency program. Marc said the first exam with his provider was extremely thorough.
“I didn’t feel like I was going to a doctor’s office,” he told us. “I was treated like a person.”
Having struggled with substance misuse for many years, Marc says he was fortunate to learn about our MAR program which provides medications in combination with counseling, behavioral therapies and peer support recovery services to decrease cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Marc had not been successful in stopping substance misuse in the past, despite not being able to see his children because of it. He says the MAR program has made a huge difference for him.
“I feel like there was an actual chance for me, everyone was so caring,” he said. “I felt like there was hope left. They believe it enough that I believe it.”
Marc has been seeing a member of the Behavioral Health team who specializes in substance misuse and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. His counselor helps him to think about his triggers and how to step back and look at the big picture. After working with our staff in the MAR program, Marc says that he is able to be more present with his children, which they really value .
“If it wasn’t for your staff, I probably wouldn’t be here,” he said. “The whole group is truly caring and compassionate. You don’t always find that.”
He is very grateful for all the staff ‒ from the providers, nurses and medical assistants, to the patient health advocates who help him manage his health care needs. He also appreciates that all the services are in one building.
For Marc the best part about being a Goodwin patient is that he feels part of the treatment plan. Instead of being told what to do, his providers give him options and ask how he would like to proceed. He has never experienced anything like that from healthcare providers.
“If you told me that there was a doctor’s office like this a year ago, I would have said, ‘No way. A place like this doesn’t exist.’ ” he said.
