Page 44 - Healthcare News August 2021

HEALTHCARE EDUCATION CONT’D
“My classmates and I all have cars, so it’s easy to take for granted that we have access to transportation whenever we needed it,” he said. “I’ve learned that some people don’t have transportation, and that may be the reason they aren’t seeing a doctor sooner.”
He added that most people want to see a doctor and care about their health, so a program like the Quaboag Connector can play an essential role in maintaining and improving their health.
The idea behind the PURCH program is to in- cr“ease doctors’ awareness about the many outside fac-
My classmates and I all have cars, so it’s easy to take for granted that we have access
to transportation whenever we needed it. I’ve learned that some people don’t have transportation, and that may be the reason they aren’t seeing a doctor
sooner.”
tors that affect a person’s health. Dr. Kevin Hinchey, chief Educa- tion officer at Baystate Health Sys- tem, is also a senior associate dean for education at UMass Medical School – Baystate.
“You’ve got to have a lot of pioneer in you to try the program,” Hinchey told the inaugural class
of 19 students who signed up for the initiative. “And our students certainly did.”
He said the PURCH program grew out of asking community leaders what they thought was important for doctors to address in the future.
In addition to transportation issues, community leaders cited food insecurity as a big contribu- tor to poor health. Hinchey
gave an example of a financially challenged person trying to feed a family. Fast-food restaurants can provide protein for everyone at a price that’s less than buying fresh fruits and vegetables, which make up only part of a meal.
Dr. Kevin Hinchey says the PURCH program grew out of asking community leaders what doctors should be addressing in the future.
“It’s often asked, ‘why aren’t people eating bet- ter? They have choices,’” he said. “Actually, in that example, they don’t really have much choice.”
Altering the Equation
For Colton Conrad, also a resident in emergency medicine at Baystate, the PURCH program changed his perspective in a number of ways. Growing up in
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