More than six years ago, Chasity received devastating news that she had an 8-inch tumor. And with that bad news came more bad news: the tumor and the surrounding tissue needed to be removed immediately. With emergency surgery looming, Chasity realized that she had another problem on her hands: no insurance. At the time, she did not qualify for Medi-Cal and the type of insurance needed for her tumor surgery was not within reach. Chasity waited, without receiving the necessary tumor removal surgery, for one week before realizing that she needed to pursue a different healthcare option.
Overwhelmed with concerns and questions, Chasity contacted Neighborhood. Within two days, Chasity saw Dr. Ede, who expressed deep concern and connection. Shortly following that appointment, he provided her with an emergency referral to University of California San Diego (USCD). She said that she will never forget that day when she sat across from Dr. Ede and felt reassurance wash over her because she knew that what Dr. Ede was saying was true. “An open, honest doctor,” she said.
Following the referral, Chasity went to UCSD where she underwent the multi-hour tumor removal surgery. Chasity said that there were complications and she almost did not make it out of anesthesia. Now, having made it to the other side, Chasity shared a life motto that she refers to often: “But without the pain, there would be no rainbow.”
The moment she left Dr. Ede’s office, she had her heart set on working for Neighborhood. Even though her health concerns had taken priority, Chasity never lost sight of Neighborhood. She shared, “Four years later, and after applying for multiple positions within Neighborhood, I finally received a call back. I was offered a job in the Call Center. When accepting the position over the phone, I told the recruiter that I could do a backflip because I was so excited!” Later, Chasity recalled, “My first day on the job, I was intimidated and scared. But after I started speaking with the patients, I knew this is what I always wanted to do.”
Chasity says that throughout her childhood and early adulthood, she fell on hard times. She recounted, “I know what it feels like to feel worthless and when I started working in the Call Center, I realized that patients who called in seemed to struggle with their sense of worth, too.” She continued, “It is my personal mission to make sure every patient I talk to feels important. Since I cannot pay Neighborhood back with money, I feel like I can give back by treating everyone like they are someone. It makes me feel so good that a patient or coworker can hold their head up a little higher after talking with me.”
After an emotional interview, Chasity concluded by saying, “I feel like this is where I belong. I just love talking to our patients. I want to treat everyone like a superstar. I know that treating them like they belong on the red carpet will attract more people to Neighborhood. I tell patients every step of the way what I am doing. That way, they feel respected and cared for. We are a community, and we need each other. My life has changed completely, both as a patient and as an employee.”
To read more stories like Chasity, please review our Patient Story Book.