With a promise of a job, a place to live, and a company car, Mark moved from Orange County to San Diego at a moment’s notice. Unfortunately, after three months, no promises had been fulfilled and Mark found himself without a job, a home, or means of transportation. This, among other circumstances, as Mark recalled, “had me feeling hopeless, homeless, and I tried to commit suicide.” Shortly after his suicide attempt, Mark found Neighborhood. Or, as Mark likes to say, “Neighborhood met me where I was at and found me, too.”
Mark shared, “I was in the hospital for seven days, and they had a printout that listed rehab homes, and I saw Neighborhood Healthcare. I transitioned to one of Neighborhood’s community partners, The Fellowship Center, and continued going to rehab for almost a year. Thankfully, Neighborhood offered other services I used because I was a complicated patient. I had a bad head injury, a hip transplant, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, and a slew of other ailments.”
After sixteen years and 571 appointments, Mark was asked about his relationship with Neighborhood. Without hesitation, he gushes, “As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best in the world. You have the best internal medicine! On a scale from 1-10, Neighborhood is a 10!”
Mark continued, “Neighborhood Healthcare, over the years, has been extremely helpful. Not only the providers, but the staff. They are very, very great, cheerful people. People who work at Neighborhood make it possible for us to come back home safely. Whether it’s my primary doctor, Dr. Schiff, or my psychiatrist, Dr. Ede, all of them are wonderful. When dealing with cancer, your attitude is the most important thing. When providers are positive and have a great attitude, too, it’s the difference between getting better or dying.”
When thanking 16-year-old patient, Mark, for choosing Neighborhood Healthcare, knowing he has many healthcare providers to choose from, he exclaimed, “Of course! I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else in the entire world!”
To view more stories like Mark’s, please explore our Patient Story Book.