Member Spotlight: Brittany Lomax

Name: Brittany Lomax

Hometown: Jacksonville, FL

Interesting Fact: My favorite color is ROYGBIV

As a former student of the Duval County Public School system, I had the privilege of attending some of the primer magnet schools in the state.  However, the location of these magnet schools are in Health Zone One; a zone with the highest rates of cancer, heart disease, unemployment, and low educational status among its residents. 

At the age of 22 I ventured back into the zone, not as a student but as a North Florida Health Corps, AmeriCorps Member.  I serve as a Patient Advocate at Jacksonville Health and Transition Services (JaxHATS), a community pediatric clinic that promotes awareness of local resources for youth with chronic disease and special healthcare needs. Some of the resources include educational and vocational programs, legal services, and access to other health services. As an AmeriCorps Patient Advocate, I help patients gain access to health services, assist them in reaching their health care goals, and aid them through the process of transitioning from  pediatric care to adult oriented health care. There are times when patients call the clinic to make an appointment and discover a lapse in their health insurance, resulting in no coverage.  During these times, it is my responsibility to assist them on possible options they have such as applying for Medicaid, utilizing local hospital contract cards and patient medication assistance programs, or using the volunteer health mobile clinics around town. Although many patients are appreciative of the resources and guidance I provide, some are also nervous of how to cope with a chronic illness especially without the direction of a primary care provider.

Serving in this urban community I see the opportunity as an aspiring physician to play a role in empowering others to get back to their loved ones, responsibilities, and enjoyment of life, regardless of socioeconomic standing or zip code. I want to leave a mark on this world and I see the profession of a primary care provider as the route to do so. My service as an AmeriCorps member has helped create this informed decision, and for that I am grateful for the opportunity to service both in North Florida Health Corps and at JaxHATS.