Holding on to hope In February 2022, Munoz met *Manuel, a 57-year-old OneWorld patient who had lost his home and moved to Missouri to live with his son. Manuel had chronic abdominal pain and a hypertensive crisis that led to multiple emergency room visits. “He was depressed, anxious and frustrated, and hesitant to believe that I could help him because he had tried to reach out to the state beforehand but never heard anything back,” said Munoz. “I told him that I’m in case management because I want to help make sure that if I’m connecting him to someone, that they actually help him. And if they don’t help, I will find someone who will.” Munoz asked Manuel what his goal was, and with his voice breaking, he said, “I don’t want to be here, I want to be in Omaha. But I don’t see a way for me to get there.” After Manuel agreed to work with Munoz, she reached out to Nebraska Total Care (NTC). Right away, NTC sent Manuel a cell phone so they could get ahold of him. They began looking into housing options in Omaha and identifying other
areas where he was in need of support. Munoz regularly checked in with Manuel to ensure he was getting support from NTC and other community resources and to see how he was feeling, physically and mentally. She learned Manuel was running low on his medication, so she arranged a virtual health care appointment with Sam Balk, PA-C, Family Medicine Physician Assistant, so Manuel could get his necessary medication refills. Manuel also began taking an anti-depressant to help with his depression. By November 2022, he was able to move into an apartment in Omaha. NTC helped Manuel apply for furniture assistance, connected him to transportation assistance for his medical appointments and is currently helping Manuel look for a job. “There were a lot of ups and downs, but he continued regardless,” said Munoz. “He saw a little piece of hope and he held on and I’m so proud of him for accepting our help and choosing to move forward.” *Name has been changed to protect the patient’s privacy.
Mariela Munoz and Michele Labs talk with their patient on the phone.
21 ANNUAL REPORT 2022
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