When Good Samaritan Clinic is having its quarterly Women’s Health Day.
Monday morning of this week, twenty-nine women had “Healthy Woman” exams here at the Clinic.
We have one of these Women’s Health Days one Monday of every third month. The previous one was in March. Twenty-four women came that morning.
Many of our patients are trying to stay afloat financially or manage their chronic conditions. They neglect to consider going to the doctor for a “healthy” check-up.
Such is the case for a recent patient that I’ll call “Joy”…
Joy is a fifty-five year old woman who does not have health insurance. She came to Good Samaritan Clinic this past April. Dr. BJ Landis told Joy to contact us. Dr. Landis is the women’s health APN at Fort Smith’s Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and also sees patients at GSC.
Dr. Norma Basinger, a volunteer at GSC, examined Joy at the Clinic. A biopsy revealed that Joy has vaginal cancer.
Joy was then sent to a gynecological oncologist for further evaluation. He scheduled her for further testing including a CAT scan of her abdomen and pelvis and a mammogram to make sure the cancer had not spread. The patient is hopeful about her chances for a complete recovery.
Joy had a partial hysterectomy in 1982.
She had not had a PAP screening or healthy woman exam since then.
Thanks to the individuals, businesses and churches that support this Clinic, women like Joy can get regular exams.
If you’d like to help by donating to Good Samaritan Clinic, you can do so here.
