The HouseCalls difference: Kim's story

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[light music]

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- This is definitely my mobile office.

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I drive between 100 and 120 miles a day.

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My name is Kim DeMasie,

and I am a nurse practitioner in Indiana.

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[music continues]

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I've been with Optum for about four years.

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I think seeing people in their home

is so important,

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because we have to see people

where they are.

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You find out what kind of neighborhood

that they live in,

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if they feel safe in their neighborhood.

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You get the whole picture.

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This is where they live, and just treat

them with dignity and kindness.

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[music continues]

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Hi. How are you?

[chuckles]

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Okay, we're going to review your medication,

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so if you can pass your bottles

over here...

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[music continues]

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Take a deep breath and hold it.

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I'm going to write down

all your vital signs for you.

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If we can make a difference

in somebody's life,

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then that is the greatest reward

that I can get.

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I'm going to look in your ears and your eyes.

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Well, I can see clear through there.

- [laughing]

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Whether you've been healthy or not,

just to be reminded it's good to be alive.

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- And you can just feel

that when she's here,

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it's all about you.

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You just feel loved and cared for.

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- We're not just treating

their blood pressure that day.

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It really opened my eyes

how important that is

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to be that support person for other people

that are going through things.

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[serious music]

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I got the diagnosis--

"You have breast cancer."

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And it was really earth-shattering

because I had always been the caregiver.

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I had to go through four months of chemo.

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We decided to do a mastectomy.

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[music continues]

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After the second breast cancer scare,

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it makes you think about your life.

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And life is very short.

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We only have a certain number of days,

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and you have to wake up every day

and make the most of that day

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and just live it to its fullest.

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[upbeat music]

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Well, today is actually our 14th

anniversary of having the food pantry,

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so it's a pretty big week for us.

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I started it 14 years ago

in memory of my dad.

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It's just steadily grown

with the community's help.

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We have the Optum team here today,

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some fellow nurse practitioners

that are helping serve the community.

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[music continues]

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Everybody has to feel accepted

and cared for.

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A good day is when I feel

like I've helped somebody.

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It's very fulfilling.

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[music continues]