Meet Maryse.
When Maryse Joseph moved to Wake County, she, like many, did not have health insurance.
In 2008, WakeMed Hospital referred her to Alliance Medical Ministry after a brief hospitalization. She has been a patient of Dr. Sheryl Joyner since that time -- 10 years!
A few years ago, Maryse became critically ill and was hospitalized again. "Dr. Joyner told me that every day while I was in the hospital, she checked up on me. She encouraged me. 'Maryse, if you can leave the hospital, you need to keep fighting. You can make it!' That changed my life."
"Dr. Joyner takes time to listen to me. It's personal."
In 2017, Dr. Joyner told Maryse she was pre-diabetic, and prescribed Cooking Matters @ Alliance and the Million Step Challenge.
Maryse is from Haiti, and said it is very normal in her culture to cook home-prepared meals. She enjoyed taking the Cooking Matters class, offered in partnership with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, picking up favorite recipes like quiche."Everyone can participate. Families come with their kids! I take recipes home to my own family."
"We learned we don’t need a lot of money to eat healthy."
Through the 2017 Million Step Challenge initiative, Maryse received a FitBit, and walked 1,785,204 in 112 days, taking second place in the Million Step Challenge. Over the past year, Maryse has changed her exercise and eating habits as a result of these programs. Every morning, she wakes up between 4:30 and 5:00 am daily to walk. This Spring, she joined fellow patients Teresa. Michelle, and Flor in leading other women in a Million Step Challenge. Maryse remains the top walker in the competition!
In the 2017 Million Step Challenge, Maryse was one of the top walkers!
In 2018, Maryse joins fellow Million Step Challege alumni Teresa and Michelle in leading a team in this Spring's challenge.
Maryse works as a CNA at a nursing home, and her daughter wants to be a doctor. Maryse translates Dr. Joyner's compassion into her own work, and encourages her daughter to do the same.
"Dr. Joyner taught me to do everything with my heart. I try to show the same compassion to my patients, and hope my daughter will do the same."
To our Alliance family:
Over 15 years, a strong common thread weaves through the comprehensive primary medical care Alliance has provided: each day, we walk alongside our patients on their journey to improved health, building strong relationships with them to help them reach their goals and overcome barriers.
Every new medical service and program added, new staff member hired, and new row planted in the garden has been to meet our patients’ needs and support them in achieving better health outcomes.
The statistics speak for themselves.
Over 15 years, Alliance has cared for -- and saved the lives of -- tens of thousands of our neighbors, providing over 100,000 patient visits, millions of dollars in medication, thousands of counseling sessions and referrals for specialty care, and a comprehensive variety of wellness offerings to help change patient behaviors.
And over 15 years, here’s what we have learned:
Providing medical care and medication is often not enough to manage and overcome poor health issues. We must help patients identify and address the economic and social barriers they face. By tackling both through Alliance and the support of our community partners, patients are better providers for their families, stronger employees and community members, are more productive, and are able to navigate the path toward economic sustainability.
Alliance must raise $30,000 by June 30. We need your support more than ever.
Please make a gift today.
Megg Rader, Executive Director