Tristan Follows Up at Baker County

Name: Tristan Morioka

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH

Education: Kalamazoo College, BA Psychology

Position: Case manager at Baker County Health Department

Favorite Part of Jacksonville: Beaches Adult Soccer League recreational co-ed soccer, Yates YMCA

I serve in the medial clinic of the BCHD in the referrals department. Baker County is a rural underserved community 25 miles west of Jacksonville. Our clinic provides primary care to a majority of the county’s residents,  however for specialty care patients are referred to physicians typically located in Jacksonville. I provide follow up services to ensure patients are scheduled for and have reliable transportation to their appointments. Patients who have missed their appointments were simply unaware that they had an appointment scheduled, were unable to find transportation, or are intimidated by the task of scheduling an appointment. Although a majority of my day is spent on the phone scheduling appointments I have come to realize that I provide an essential service for those in the community who are in need of assistance. Through my service this year I have learned that transportation and scheduling issues are major barriers to access to care and ultimately improving health outcomes in this community.