The Core Competency of Life

When I first began my service at the Stephen Klein Wellness Center (SKWC), I was admittedly clueless about how successful the service term was going to be for both me and the Wellness Center. Armed with the knowledge that the majority of our patients are from the Northern Philadelphia area, I was quite nervous about how well I would be received by both the staff members and the patients of SKWC. There I was, a 23 year old Asian man with a handful of experiences in the health industry, and I just barged into a 1800+ patient clinic proclaiming how I was going to make the Wellness Center that much better. When first confronted with my role as a referral and insurance specialist, while I knew what my goals were, I had little idea of how I would be achieving those goals.

Therefore, during the first few weeks of service, I was frantically studying every tiny nuance of my service activities and walking on eggshells in an attempt to avoid one of those embarrassing moments that would keep me awake at night years down the road. The most daunting moments were my interactions with patients. Whether I was assisting a patient with specialist appointments or simply conversing with one, I was always extremely cautious with what I said and how I presented myself. Thoughts such as, “Am I offending anyone?” and “I hope I don’t sound rude” consistently raced through my head. Time and time again, I went back to the “Cultural Competency” skills that we learned during our AmeriCorps Pre-Service Orientation. According to the guidelines, I was supposed to practice and increase my “knowledge and skills about how to communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds” and learn about “the concept of diversity and how it applies to individuals and populations”. At first, I tried to keep all these points in mind. As I became more comfortable in my role and got to know the patients better, though, I realized that The Core Competencies we National Health Corps members learn about and adhere to ultimately boils down to the concepts of respect and equality.

This may sound painfully simple, but when wading amidst blurbs about “Public Health Practice Skills”, “Civic Engagement”, and “Professional Development”, it can be easy for a member to lose focus on the essence of our Core Competencies. The skills and lessons I’ve learned about the healthcare system and health insurance are not only vital for my current position but also for my upcoming endeavors as well. My essential takeaway from the core of these lessons is that health is a human right and we ought to treat it as such. Borrowing from a more eloquent speaker, John Locke—philosopher and physician, deems the natural rights of man as the same as “the means to that survival are my life, health, liberty and property…I don’t want anyone to violate my rights to those things”. In this respect, it is only natural that we should try to obtain the highest standard of healthcare for everyone.

When I realized this overarching principle, my worries of embarrassing myself or offending someone suddenly disappeared; the patient and I were now working towards the same goal and we both knew that everything I said or did was in his/her best health interest. Thus, effortlessly, I was able treat the people I served with the respect and equality they deserved. While the National Health Corps program only lasts for ten months (although it definitely feels shorter!), I know that the aforementioned principle I’m developing will prove to be invaluable for my future in healthcare.
 

This blog post was written by NHC Philadelphia member Zhewen Zhang.
Zhewen serves as a Patient Support Specialist at Project HOME: Stephen Klein Wellness Center.