Olivia Palacios, a community health outreach worker (CHOW) with the Complex Care Program at the Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus (WCHHC), shared this powerful patient story.

When I met Martin, he was living in his car, managing chronic back pain, anemia, pre-diabetes, PTSD, anxiety and a long list of challenges. He also had a history of substance use disorder. Despite it all, he remained resilient and hopeful.

His primary care provider referred him to our community health worker program and we instantly connected him to a pain clinic and a case manager at Bay Area Community Health Services (BACS) to support his housing needs.

He was first placed in a shelter with difficult conditions, so we provided warm clothing and a heated blanket during the winter months. Eventually, we helped him transfer to a different BACS site and from there he secured permanent housing.

When Martin got his new home, he invited me and my nurse care manager, Xochitl Heninger to visit. When we arrived, he greeted us with a big smile and said, “Welcome to my ranch, proudly showing off the fruit trees on the property. It was such a joyful moment.

Martin’s journey is a powerful reminder of why I do this work, because with compassion, connection and persistence, we can change a life, one patient at a time.