There are times when a random act of kindness can evolve into something much greater.
When the Eagle Creek Fire darkened the skies over Portland, Oregon in 2017, it burned 50,000 acres over three months. The air was thick and unhealthy, and many people in the region struggled to breathe.
One morning, as she passed the neighboring Portland Bridge Club on her way to class at 黑料不打烊 Portland, Medical Assisting Instructor Tracey Sanchez had an idea.
鈥淢ost of the bridge players are seniors, and I knew the air quality had to be taking a huge toll on them because it was impacting me,鈥� says Sanchez, who has taught at Carrington since 2016. 鈥淚 told our campus director I thought it would be a great idea to offer some of our program鈥檚 face masks to the bridge players. She agreed, so several students and I took dropped by with a box of masks after one of their games.鈥�
What happened next set the stage for an ongoing relationship that continues to this day.
鈥淎s we were talking with the seniors, I mentioned that if any of them wanted their blood pressure taken, we could offer that service to them free of charge,鈥� Sanchez recalls. 鈥淣ot only would it provide them with valuable health information, it would give our Medical Assisting students a chance to experience what it鈥檚 like to interact with 鈥榬eal people鈥� rather than practicing on each other in the classroom.鈥�
Twice a month, Sanchez and a group of six to eight students visit the Bridge Club and perform blood pressure checks on anyone who has signed up.
鈥淲e average 20 blood pressure checks every visit,鈥� says Sanchez. 鈥淲e also have an open-door policy for the seniors, so they can drop by the school whenever they want. Since we started, we鈥檝e performed thousands of blood pressure checks.鈥�
The information they provide the seniors can prove instrumental in helping them monitor their own health.
鈥淛ust the process of having your blood pressure taken regularly can help people become more conscious and aware of their overall health,鈥� Sanchez says. 鈥淎nd while Medical Assistants aren鈥檛 able to diagnose, we can鈥攁nd do鈥攔ecommend follow-up visits with a person鈥檚 health care provider if we notice inconsistencies in his or her blood pressure over multiple visits.鈥�
Student Logan Mercer, who worked as an Army combat medic in Afghanistan and Iraq before enrolling in the Medical Assisting program, says interacting with the seniors offers students a unique opportunity.
鈥淲hen you have students in a classroom taking each other鈥檚 pulse or blood pressure, you learn the mechanics of administering health care, but you don鈥檛 really learn how to interact with patients one-on-one,鈥� says Mercer, who graduates from the Medical Assisting program in June.
鈥淭he seniors have a lot of life experience and wisdom to share,鈥� he says. 鈥淔or us, it鈥檚 a great way to learn how to communicate with different personalities. Talking with people who are generations older also helps us develop more effective communication skills. But beyond that, it鈥檚 a chance to create a human connection. It鈥檚 one of those arrangements where everybody benefits.鈥�
Barry Chapelle couldn鈥檛 agree more. Chapelle, 78, plays bridge at the club every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and has been the program鈥檚 most consistent 鈥減atient鈥� since the informal program began.
鈥淚鈥檓 taking several medications, so I need keep an eye on my blood pressure,鈥� says Chapelle, a retired high school math teacher. 鈥淚 drop by the school twice a week to have it checked and to visit Tracey, Logan and the other students.鈥�
Chapelle, who works part-time as a bus driver for a nearby retirement community, says that while he鈥檚 grateful for the medical information he receives during each visit, there鈥檚 something else he values just as much.
鈥淚 love the friendship I鈥檝e developed over time with Tracey and her students,鈥� says Chapelle. 鈥淚 look forward to seeing them because they鈥檙e always so welcoming and fun to talk with. Visiting them just makes me feel good. Even though I鈥檓 usually there for only 10 to 15 minutes, I鈥檓 always glad I went.鈥�
Chapelle, who drops by the school after his bridge sessions, says he knows the blood pressure checks are accurate for one simple reason.
鈥淲hen they take my blood pressure, they know whether I鈥檝e had a good game,鈥� jokes Chapelle. 鈥淲hen I鈥檝e done well, it鈥檚 normal. If I haven鈥檛 done well, it鈥檚 not!鈥�
