More Than Medicine: Inside BHCHP’s Service Programs

Maggie, a volunteer at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program (pictured on left), has a talent for helping patients get exactly what they need. A few months ago, she spent nearly an hour helping a nervous man find the perfect outfit for a court appearance—professional but not too flashy. The next day, he returned after a successful hearing, expressing his gratitude for Maggie’s care and attention.

Clothing Closet, hosted twice a week, is one of the many activities offered by our Service Programs staff at BHCHP’s respite facility, the Barbara McInnis House (BMH). The service allows patients — who are often admitted in nothing but a hospital gown — to get clothes their size

and style. Patients receive a t-shirt, a pair of pants, two pairs of underwear, and two pairs of socks. Service programs such as Clothing Closet help address non-medical needs of patients that may prevent them from accessing or accepting our health care services.

Dan Maloney, manager of service programs shared, “Clothing Closet goes beyond the fact that people feel better about themselves because they’ve finally got real clothes to wear. Sometimes, we can really help people out and make a difference.”

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, respite patients were confined to their rooms for safety reasons. Many patients found this challenging as they missed the socialization and sense of community that had always been present at BMH. Some ended up leaving against medical advice. To keep our patients socially fulfilled and engaged with their care plans, staff made extra effort with new activity offerings such as clothing closet, writing group, karaoke, and others, complementing existing favorites such as bingo. “Patients really look forward to [bingo], to the point where people who are depressed and in bed will likely get up and go,” said Carmen McCall, manager of respite case management services. “It is huge for helping get people out of that funk.”

At the writing group, which patients attend religiously, they receive a notebook, a pen, and a prompt, and spend time writing and sharing their work with each other. BHCHP partners with an outside group called Writers Without Margins, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to the literary arts for unheard and under-resourced communities. They provide workshops and mentors to help patients develop their creative voice. Three times a year, patients are chosen to be published by WWM.

Additionally, service programs regularly supply spiritual care, yoga classes, open mic nights, comedy nights, and arts and crafts. The team is constantly working to provide new and exciting offerings for patients. “The most important way to generate ideas for things to do is to ask the patients,” Maloney said. Surveys are filled out by patients and this year, it revealed that patients loved watching the Celtics Championship game together. Thus, the team hosted an Indianapolis 500 watch party.

The work of of our service programs team highlights BHCHP’s commitment to providing health care that is holistic and rooted in patient experience.When patients have something productive to do, they interact better with their care providers, finding common ground with the staff. In addition, these activities help patients form a connection with each other. Sharing vulnerable stories in writing groups, sitting at a table doing crafts together, or laughing while singing a duet during karaoke makes an invaluable impact on building a supportive sense of community at BMH.

“Hands down, the best treatment that you can give is the treatment that a patient will receive,” Maloney said.

If you are interested in helping with the clothing closet and other service programs, please reach out to volunteer@bhchp.org. A big thank you to Circle of Hope for helping to make Clothing Closet possible.