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now, I think they need to see that more human side of us, and treat us in that manner, you know? Like,
value us. That's what it is, they need to value us more.”
Norfolk participant: “Um, and I also think that when an employer comes to the HR or to the head person
and complain about how someone is being racist or being not nice or keeping stuff stirred up in the
department or something, I think they should listen and make sure they check it out completely. And that
keeps down a lot of stuff in our office.”
Topic 2: Access to healthcare
Participants described their proximity to healthcare facilities, successes and challenges of accessing facilities and
healthcare providers, and smoothness or difficulty communicating with healthcare providers.
Theme: Distance to services is a barrier
Some participants shared that the closest healthcare facilities were far away and that medical insurance makes it
easier for them to travel to appointments.
Norfolk participant: “Humana has a great ride and pick up service and they on time, they pick you back up
and because I have so many, I'm thankful.”
Other participants shared the challenges of not having reliable transportation. Notably, these difficulties were
reported across the entire region, even in more densely populated areas.
Suffolk participant: “Where I'm at. I'm on the west part of town and there's nothing in distance where I can
go to. I've always gotta have transportation to go out to those places. There's a pharmacy, I guess, maybe
you could say maybe two or three miles from here, but that's about it. There's a clinic, it's about a mile
and a half from me, but without transportation, it's not in walking distance for me.”
Norfolk participant: “But that's my only problem, you know, I had to have my complete physical this year
and my Medicaid rides, they don't never show. And so, I have to report the company every time I call,
they keep taking me back to the same transportation department. Because now that that ride didn't come,
made me behind on seeing my specialists and everything, all because that ride didn't show.”
Norfolk participant: “And I think that's mainly because of the pandemic with the ride situation, as far as
Medicare cabs and you know, things like that. Where it used to be they would pick up four or five different
people at one time, now they're limiting it to maybe one or two people, so it's taking longer for you to get
to your appointments.”
Theme: Provider availability depends on established relationships
Some participants described the ease of accessing providers with whom they had established relationships,
indicating that they did not have to wait long to be seen or make appointments.
Norfolk participant: “Well, for me it's not hard at all because I can go in and if I got an 8:00 appointment,
I'm out of there before 9:00.”
Norfolk participant: “I been going to the same doctors for years, so they pretty much know who I am. So, I
probably sit there good 5 or 10 minutes, and if my appointment at 8:00, I probably be outta there by 8:30.”
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