Bon Secours St. Francis Health System’s wellness outreach team is helping Upstate patients in need access help with chronic condition management, establish primary care homes and get connected to other critical resources.
“Our mission efforts extend far beyond the confines of medical treatment, aiming to provide compassionate care and enrich the lives of all those we touch,” says Susannah Hogg, physicians services coordinator for the Bon Secours Medical Group. “We strive to address the multifaceted needs of individuals and communities, recognizing that health is linked to factors such as education, socioeconomic status and access to resources.”
Bon Secours actively engages with underserved populations, even using mobile coaches to deliver essential health care services directly to the communities that need them most. For instance, the goal of the Bon Secours St. Francis Mobile Medical Van is to increase access to high-quality and comprehensive primary care services. No one is denied care due to their inability to pay.
“I am not seeing working on the mobile unit as a job. I see it as a mission – in fact, the mission of Christ. We are making a difference and touching people’s lives,” says Gertrude Bassey, FNP-C, who treats patients on the mobile unit.
Another staff member – Wendell Reynolds, practice manager for Holly Tree Family Practice – feels similarly about the work being done at Bon Secours and volunteers his time creating palm crosses to hand out to patients who visit the mobile unit. The hope is these crosses express empathy and encouragement to these patients.
Bon Secours also has a mobile mammography unit that travels around, providing important preventative care for women. It is often utilized at community events as well. For instance, in partnership with Clemson BCN and Surgeons for Sight Vision Units, the mammography unit provided 100 free mammograms, 28 pelvic exams and PAP smears, 82 vision screenings, chronic condition management education and social services to participants at one such event.
“These interventions improved patient health by helping participants manage conditions and diverted unnecessary emergency room visits,” says Bon Secours St. Francis Community Health Director Sean Dogan. “Throughout the year, our team also offered other events where they provided blood pressure screenings and fresh food boxes to families that were identified as food insecure.”
Recognizing a need for outreach in the Upstate’s growing Hispanic population, the health system also participated in four Hispanic wellness events throughout the past year. At each, the Bon Secours mobile medical van and mobile mammography unit were on site to provide services, in English and Spanish, for uninsured and under-insured individuals. That resulted in:
- 115 attendees receiving free mammograms
- 57 participants receiving care from the mobile medical unit
- 10 community members were connected to permanent medical homes
- 300 free vision screenings were also provided by the Berea Lyons Club
The health system wants to continue expanding upon its efforts to bring good help to those in need, so Bon Secours will soon kick off its 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment. Once again, the health system is partnering with local health departments to identify the top health concerns in Greenville County by gathering community input on items ranging from local health resources, barriers to care and gaps in services to trends regarding health and healthy lifestyles.
A previous assessment led to the development of Bon Secours Legacy Early College Health Center when it indicated the City View community needed more convenient primary care access. Two providers now staff the clinic which supports both the City View and Parker communities along with scholars and staff at the nearby school.
The health system also collaborates with the Greenville Free Medical Clinic to help community members with limited access to health care and who typically have encountered many barriers to their care. The clinic provides a range of services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, mental health, eye and social services.
“It is a privilege to work every day to uphold the well-being and human dignity of our patients through compassionate and holistic care,” Hogg says. “Our efforts are about fostering health, wellness and resilience in individuals and communities alike. As we look to the future, we remain steadfast in our dedication to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve. Together, we will continue to innovate, collaborate and advocate for a healthier, more equitable world.”
Learn about the community health services we offer at Bon Secours.
