Sr. Sara Proctor, DW, Receives Prestigio Hispano 2020 Award

Photo by Lou Ricardo, Catholic Charities, Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida

Congratulations to Sr. Sara K. Proctor, DW, PA who was awarded the Prestigio Hispano 2020 Award by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Tampa Bay, Florida. Sr. Sara, a Physician Assistant and Program Manager of Catholic Charities Free Medical Clinics for Florida’s Hillsborough County, was recognized yesterday for her exemplary work and the positive impact she has had on the Hispanic community. 

Pictured with Sr. Sara is (L) Cynthia Colon, Senior Manager of Multicultural Inclusion, at GTE Financial, an award sponsor, and (R) Tampa Bay Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President, Diane Cortes Rodriguez. 

The following article authored by Sr. Sara Proctor, DW was written for Catholic Charities, Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida’s July 2020 publication.    

Free Medical Services not derailed by Virus! 

by Sr. Sara K. Proctor, DW, PA 
Program Manager, Catholic Charities Free Medical Clinics 

When coronavirus concerns shut down Tampa Bay starting in March, Catholic Charities’ Free Medical Clinics never considered “closing the doors.” Closures of other service providers meant our patients would have few options for care if we were not open. 

Once the stay-at-home order took effect, we “furloughed” our volunteers: physicians, medical support, interpreters, office staff and specialty service providers. Dermatology, ophthalmology, gynecology and ultrasounds were canceled, and we created a plan to offer scaled-back services. 

As a Physician Assistant, I saw and treated our Dover and Wimauma facilities’ patients completely outdoors with the help of two part-time nurses and two part-time patient navigators provided through Baycare’s Faith Community Nursing Program. We continued to see patients for colds, skin rashes, backaches, GI upsets and prescriptions. Fortunately, the number of folks coming for help were fewer and could be processed quickly, so no one was waiting long in the heat.  

It was harder on us workers because of the protective gear we were wearing and the extra steps we had to take to ensure a safe environment. Moving outdoors required moving chairs, tables, treatment areas and supplies outdoors before each session of clinic. To ensure a safe environment, everything had to be sanitized before patients arrived, sanitized regularly during the day, and cleaned again before being brought back indoors at the end of clinic.  

Purchasing disinfectants and other supplies was, and continues to be, very time consuming. New products are constantly being developed, and I have learned to read the labels for mention of effectiveness against COVID-19 - not just a statement about viruses in general - as well as the application method. I review pages and pages of data before selecting products.  

As of June 1, the Dover clinic is back indoors. We only allow eight patients at a time so we can have social distancing. Everyone else waits outside, where we provide water and snacks. Before entering, everyone gets their temperature taken, uses hand sanitizer, and gets a mask. They are not allowed to leave once they are inside until their visit is completed. We do extra cleaning to protect patients and workers. We are still caring for patients at Wimauma outdoors, however, because we feel that is the safest option for now. 

This health crisis shows how important it is for us to keep serving others through challenging times. Patients have said they appreciate that Catholic Charities Free Medical Clinics have stayed open, and we see ourselves how important our services are in the community. It’s just one example, but when we diagnosed cancer in an unfunded patient, we worked to secure services for her to get the treatment she needed. The woman is doing well as of this writing.  

We can all get through this safely – if we work smart!