Asthma, hepatitis C, HIV, hypertension, diabetes – for Michael
Thomas '02Pharm.D. and the team of pharmacists he leads at Lincoln
Hospital treating such serious conditions are the “bread and
butter” of their daily work.
In this low-income Bronx neighborhood of immigrants, up to 40%
of the hospital’s patients are uninsured and, therefore, lack
access to primary care. Fear of deportation is a barrier that
prevents many from seeking medical treatment. The result is that
when patients finally come to Lincoln Hospital, they are very
sick.
“When I first arrived here, I was shocked at how ill patients
are,” Thomas says. “The average age of our patients is 45, and to
see such young people with such critical illnesses is
troubling.”
Every patient is treated regardless of ability to pay and when
an uninsured patient requires medication, the pharmacy team
researches industry drug programs that are available for indigent
patients to receive medications at no cost. Thomas and his team
also work throughout the hospital counseling clinic patients,
teaching them to administer and monitor their medications, and
train the medical and nursing staff about the latest developments
in medication management.
“We try to center our care around the patient,” he says. “We
want to eliminate as many barriers to obtaining care as
possible.”