Prior to coming to work for Christian Healthcare Centers I was working for another healthcare organization based in the Grand Rapids area. I mostly worked for their Greenville location which was about a 45 minute commute from my house in southeast Grand Rapids. That meant that an hour and a half were spent in a car away from my young family. The office that I worked for was often quite busy as well. I often saw up to 20 patients a day, most of the time left the office late, frequently had to do work from home during family time, and virtually all the time had to work through my lunch hour to stay relatively caught up. So my work/home life was very out of balance.
The organization I worked for primarily dealt with the poor and underserved medical community, which was a hard population to work with from many respects. I originally came to work there because I felt that I could do some good to those that really needed healthcare services. I soon found out that this was a greater challenge than I was anticipating. There were many barriers that I had to overcome to truly make an impact in my patients lives. Operating under the insurance reimbursement model meant that I had to see most chronic medical conditions in 15 minutes to actually be profitable as a health care provider. This left little time to actually discuss things that mattered like diet, exercise, or really develop relationships with patients at all.
Being overworked, not spending enough time at home, or being able to exercise led to poor health on my part. I was sick far more often than I ever had been in my life. I was more overweight than I ever had been in my life. I even developed shingles as a 30-year-old, which is pretty rare in that age group, but due to the tremendous amount of stress I was under, my body couldn’t fight off the infection. My mood suffered as well. My relationship with my spouse suffered. Every part of my life suffered.
Then the Lord threw me a lifeline in the way of employment at Christian Healthcare Centers. Within the first week I sensed that this was the place I was meant to be all along. The beliefs and principles of the organization fit with my personal beliefs. The payment model meant that I was able to spend 60-90 minutes with a new patient, and 30-60 minutes for follow up appointments. In one visit with a new patient I got to know them better as a whole individual than I had in 3 years of seeing some of my patients at my old practice. The work I was doing was better quality and more impactful. I would leave work (on time for once) with a sense that I had accomplished something that was worth being proud of.
My mood improved dramatically. Both my family and my coworkers could sense that I was truly happy. My relationship with my wife and my children profoundly improved. And most importantly of all my relationship with the Lord has improved. I truly feel that this is the place I am meant to serve, and that I am fulfilling the calling that the Lord has put on my life to be a vessel for God’s healing power to be at work in the lives of those I am fortunate enough to touch.
So I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks to those who have made this possible by donating to CHC. To those who have supported it financially; you have helped provide a vehicle to advance patients in their health and relationship with the Lord. To those who provided the equipment we use on a daily basis; you have given us the tools to provide quality primary care to those in need. And to those who have helped get this new ministry off the ground; you have provided one of our most basic human needs and something that all individuals search for; work that matters.
Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.
Alex Corcoran, PA-C
P.S.
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P.P.S.
Memberships are a vital part of Christian Healthcare Centers as well and we would LOVE to have you as a part of our family. You can look into memberships here: More Information!
