Homeless Clinic

Today was a good today at the homeless clinic Greater Lakes Mental Healthcare is contracted to run (the Psych part). First, I saw one of the clients from last week. This Hispanic guy has symptomatic dilated cardiomyopathy at 42. I thought of Chaga's dz after the meeting last week, so I asked him where he's from. Nicaragua! So I immediately asked the PA I work with how we can order a bleed screen. I may have just made my first save :-).

I also got to run through several evaluations with new patients, including typing in all the notes. The ARNP (nurse practionerer) I'm working with changed a few things and then we agreed on medication plan. Pretty cool. Of there were some hard luck stories, but I hope we are helping them improve their lives.

The afternoon went kinda slow, so I worked with the PA on the medical side of the building and helped unpack and repack a nasty injection site abscess that was drained a couple days ago. I then got to inject lidocaine and cut open a guy's ear that had a large, nasty sebaceous cyst. He had "popped" out most of the gunk, so it was inflamed and refilled with mostly blood. A pretty messy hematoma, but a great experience for me. Looks like I'll be spending my last day of this rotation, next Friday, with the PA. Should be great!

Tomorrow is the last day for me to spend with NP I've been shadowing (the meds team lead) since he's on vacation next week. Hopefully I can get the rest of the week scheduled. Right after work it's off to the airport to pick up Becky. Then it's off to my brother-in-law's vacation house on the Columbia River, actually a portion of it that is damned up so it's basically a large water-ski lake in Eastern Washington.