Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:07] Speaker B: Hello there and welcome back to another episode of Just say Something podcast.
Before we get into today's show, please be sure to subscribe, like and share this podcast so your those that follow you will also hear hear the same information.
So today we have a repeat guest, but she's also one of our greatest partners and Norma Jean Suarez from Unity Health on Main. Welcome back.
[00:00:39] Speaker A: Hi, Phil. Good morning, and thank you for having me back.
[00:00:42] Speaker B: So since you were here last, tell us a little bit about what's going on at Unity Health on Main.
[00:00:48] Speaker A: Okay, so with Unity Health on Main, we're still downtown, although our building has been sold and we're going to be looking for a new location. We're still in place for now.
We have opened our satellite location at Upstate Circle of Friends, and right now we're only providing mental health services on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, starting mid January, we'll start adding primary care.
And we'll probably do that maybe two half days, but that's probably the biggest change that we've had.
[00:01:17] Speaker B: That's awesome.
[00:01:18] Speaker A: Yeah. So we're excited about it.
[00:01:20] Speaker B: Yeah. So if someone needs to come to the doctor and see y', all, how do they do that?
[00:01:27] Speaker A: They can just give us a call. I mean, 864-232-2734. Give us a call, let us know. One, if you're a new patient and we can get you. Right now. I think our new patient is like a week. Okay, wait at the latest.
[00:01:40] Speaker B: So if I have a cold or if I'm suffering from high blood pressure.
[00:01:51] Speaker A: We still want you to come in and set up as a new patient, especially if you don't have a PCP anywhere.
Our whole goal is to set you up with a medical home, and we hope Unity Health on Main will be your medical home.
[00:02:00] Speaker B: Right.
[00:02:01] Speaker A: And once you get established, then you're easy to call in and say, I need. I need a sick visit. We'll get you in same day.
And if we can't fit you into the schedule to come into the clinic, then we can do a telehealth with our patients.
[00:02:13] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:02:14] Speaker A: Yeah. So we make it easy. I mean, we do accept Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, and then we have a sliding scale for our families that don't have insurance.
[00:02:21] Speaker B: Oh. So instead of what we call going to the doctor's office, we come to Unity Health on Main, and y' all can see me for whatever.
[00:02:33] Speaker A: Right. We do, like, as we do primary care, so we do adults, we do pediatrics, we do women's health, geriatrics, we do intensive case management. We do have behavioral health services and we also have a psychiatrist.
And then another added, we try to. Again, our whole goal is a holistic approach to medicine, wraparound services. So we do have the case managers. If there's a food insecurity or they're diagnosed with obesity, diabetes or hypertension, then we provide them with a fresh produce box two times a month. So that's just part of.
We call it Food is medicine program.
[00:03:08] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. Well, that's awesome that y' all are able to.
To provide that, especially in the downtown area.
For those of you that are listening, that don't know, Unity Health on Main is located in the same shopping center as the former Baby Bala.
And so with that building being purchased, then Norma Jean is looking for a new office location.
[00:03:38] Speaker A: Yeah, we're looking for a new home.
[00:03:40] Speaker B: And so with that, Norma Jean and I and several others in the nonprofit space have been talking about an idea that we have that, you know, obviously everything needs money, but we've talked about and we're going to pursue a community hub.
[00:04:07] Speaker A: A community nonprofit hub.
[00:04:08] Speaker B: Yeah, community non profit hub where corporate America has next and they can go in and rent a desk and spend the day and network.
Our goal is to have that for the nonprofit world. Except for those smaller nonprofits. I'd like for it to be free, but for them to have a home instead of their kitchen table or their car.
But the ultimate winner are the families and people we serve in the community.
[00:04:38] Speaker A: Absolutely. So if we are a one stop shop, community nonprofit hub, just say something's there. Unity Health on Main is there. We can have other, you know, mental health America could be there. We could have WIC services, We could have a small market to be able to provide healthy food options for our families. And we're a one stop shop. And again, having that office space available for our smaller nonprofits. And we're in a shared space. So the true benefactor is, are the residents, our patients, our clients that we all serve. It makes it so much easier for them because if we're trying to remove barriers, we'll be in proximity, we'll remove the transportation barrier, we can remove the language barrier because we can have bilingual, multilingual staff members to be able to provide those services. So, yeah, definitely.
[00:05:27] Speaker B: And then another key and key part of that is meeting space.
I know right now it just say something. We have three different size meeting spaces that is free for any and everybody from the community to come and use.
And so we're, we're getting more and more requests for our meeting space. So meeting free, available meeting space is very important to those of us in the nonprofit world as well, to have.
[00:05:59] Speaker A: A boardroom available for us, to have board meetings, to have meeting space, to have our workshops and our classes and our trainings in. And then, like you said, the smaller ones to where someone just needs to have a meeting with four to five people.
[00:06:10] Speaker B: Right?
[00:06:10] Speaker A: So, yeah, absolutely. That's. That's all inclusive that this wonderful nonprofit hub that we. We envision for our future. So, yes.
[00:06:19] Speaker B: Yeah. And I know Mr. Stacy would love to have a basketball court as part of that for our Impact Sports program.
So we're dreaming, we're planning, and this will be a reality as those of us that are leading nonprofits continue to talk, continue engage with community members and leaders.
[00:06:47] Speaker A: Because, I mean, Greer has. Greer has it with Career Relief.
[00:06:50] Speaker B: Right.
[00:06:51] Speaker A: With Caroline, is it. Simpsonville has one as well.
[00:06:56] Speaker B: Right.
[00:06:57] Speaker A: Spartanburg has one. The one, the only one that's lacking is Greenville.
[00:07:00] Speaker B: So come on, Greenville. We can do.
We can do better.
[00:07:04] Speaker A: Exactly. You know, and I think if community realizes the need, then I think others will come on on board and support, you know, what we've been talking about for. Gosh, you know, I've been talking about it for at least three to four years.
[00:07:18] Speaker B: Right, right.
[00:07:18] Speaker A: So, yeah, definitely.
[00:07:20] Speaker B: All right, so back to Unity Health Domain Main.
If there's one thing that you would like for our listeners to know about Unity Health Domain that maybe they don't know, what would that one thing be?
[00:07:35] Speaker A: I think a big part of why we're a trusted source in the community is because our families trust us. We are a safe space.
We've got a wonderful and awesome team, and we're really. We generally care, and we want to be able to help our families. So I think more than anything is just to know that they have a safe space that they can trust.
[00:07:56] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:07:57] Speaker A: And Your website is www.unityhealthonmain.org.
[00:08:04] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:08:04] Speaker A: And your phone number, once again, 864-232-2734.
[00:08:10] Speaker B: Well, as always, it's a pleasure to see you and it's a pleasure to have you with us.
[00:08:16] Speaker A: Thank you, Phil.
And we've been great partners for the past few years, so I love that. And, you know, and going into the future, yeah, we just look forward to a stronger collaboration and partnership.
[00:08:26] Speaker B: And just for those of you that are listening, Norma Jean and I were meeting this morning, and I would like for us to hire a grant writer for our collective work. So if any of you are out there that might be interested get in touch. Phillipustsaysomethingsc.org I'd love to hear from you. Well, thanks again as always. It's always a pleasure to be with you, and you light up a room when you walk in, and I smile instantly when you walk into a room. So I appreciate your partnership and your collaboration and what you do for the community.
[00:09:05] Speaker A: Thank you so much, Phil. Phil's mutual.
[00:09:08] Speaker B: Okay, well, that will wrap up another episode of Just say Something podcast. Again, please be sure to share like and subscribe.
Until next time. We'll see you then. Bye. Bye.
