I’m Nancy and I have been a patient of International Community Health Services for about four years. I came to ICHS after several difficult years which sent me into an emotional and physical spiral. My elderly parents, who were suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, needed more and more of my care. In addition, my job as a special education teacher became increasingly stressful, resulting in a medical leave and eventually an inability to return to work. I lost my income, my insurance and hadn’t been to a dentist or doctor in years. My health suffered. Things were not good.

ICHS connected me to the help and community resources I needed. From the moment I walked into the clinic, I felt welcome. I felt supported and confident in the staff. I was not just treated courteously, but the staff went the extra mile to connect me to resources to make sure I had everything I needed — at home, at the pharmacy, and through family and community support. The members of the medical staff didn’t rush me through appointments. Instead, they really listened and took their time to assess my medical, dental and psychological needs. At one check-up, the doctor noticed something, referred me to a specialist and made sure I was seen quickly. I’m so grateful, as it turned out to be skin cancer and in this case, early detection was critical.

I honestly cannot thank the doctors and staff at ICHS enough for their care and support. This is an all-encompassing community service that literally saves lives. I credit it with saving mine.