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Who's Who: Cindy Glista
Duffy Health Center
 | | Duffy's new health center |
The saying, "once you get sand in your shoes - you never leave," refers to folks like Cindy Glista, a five generation "Cape Codder" who lives in Barnstable. Having grown up in this beautiful ocean-side community, Cindy's colleagues know who to ask when they have a question about Hyannis.
The phrase also harkens back to Cindy's commitment to serving the homeless on Cape Cod. As an RN on staff at Duffy Health Center, Cindy knows just about everyone and has seen the community and Duffy through many changes.
Cindy started at Duffy back in 1995 when it was O'Neill Health Center, a small clinic at the local homeless shelter founded by Judy Best-Lavigniac, a nurse practitioner. Having no support staff initially, Judy and Cindy were an unstoppable duo, providing medical care, case management and even transportation. When they outgrew the site, Judy's family enabled them to open a second -- Duffy Health Center -- which became the center patients were transferred to once they became more stable. As more staff were hired, the health center purchased a mobile medical van for outreach and converted the clinic space into a dormitory for homeless women recovering from addiction.
Duffy's clientele has continued to grow over the years. What started as Judy and Cindy tracking patients down at local homeless camps to deliver basic healthcare has evolved into a multidisciplinary facility that serves not just those who are currently homeless -- but those at risk for homelessness. "We have expanded so much that we now have a broad clientele that includes low income, marginal housing, and subsidized housing patients," says Cindy.
With this expansion, Duffy also has seen its services grow. In addition to primary, preventive and episodic health care, Duffy also offers behavioral health, case management, assistance with health insurance and even chiropractic and acupuncture services. "One of our volunteer physicians actually does the acupuncture," explains Cindy. "He calls himself the doctor of 'lumps, bumps and toenails!'"
Thankfully this expansion can now rest comfortably in Duffy's new building which opened in April. According to Cindy, the center not only looks great, it feels good, too. Wrapped in hues reminiscent of sand, water, and grass, the color scheme provides a soothing backdrop to patient care.
"It's bright. It's warm. It's welcoming. Yet it still has a very professional feel. Patients say, 'Hey, this looks like a real doctor's office!" laughs Cindy. It is also more user-friendly. Cindy explains: "We're all in one building now. Before, patients had to cross the street to access case management and even though it was close, we would lose patients on their walk over. Now we can just escort people up a floor."
Fortunately for Cindy, the new center is still only a stone's throw from the beach, where she eats her lunch every chance she gets. Her day starts early. At 8:00 a.m. her patients' charts are open. She triages phone calls, prescriptions for providers and assists with EMR entries. Most of her time, however, is spent working directly with patients. "I get them ready to see providers. I take their height and weight, conduct urine and drug tests, see how everything is going for them, check their upcoming appointments and ask them if there is anything that they need," says Cindy.
While Cindy loves working in homeless healthcare, it can be challenging. "We see individuals with such complex needs. Many have serious chronic health issues. Many are uninsured, without a safe place to live. Trying to help and empower individuals while meeting all of their needs in a timely manner can be difficult," she acknowledges.
According to Lisa Zandonella-Huhta, Medical Director at Duffy, "Cindy brings all that is good to her profession. She works tirelessly to serve the homeless population, warmly welcoming all that come through our door. All are treated in a non-judgmental and gracious way with respect and dignity."
One of the projects Cindy is heavily involved with is Pilot House, a joint program between Duffy and the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod for homeless men in recovery. Unlike similar programs that require patients to be clean and sober for a period of time before they can be served, Pilot House provides transitional housing to persons who are in the early stages of treatment, and relapse is not an immediate cause for eviction. Duffy follows a 'Housing First' model, offering help to anyone who makes a commitment to change regardless of their recovery stage.
In Hope Pilot House, patients find a safe place to sleep, a warm meal, and their guardian angel Cindy, the liaison to the program. "She is such a good listener," Zandonella-Huhta says of Cindy. "When a patient is talking she is completely focused on them. That is a wonderful feeling for our patients who often feel like they are invisible. Many patients return just to see Cindy - either to thank her or to seek her comfort and support."
Cindy's patience, persistence and compassion are attested by many; however, it sounds best coming from those she serves. "Cindy used to chase me through the woods to get me to come to Duffy," says one of Cindy's former patients. "One day I decided to let her catch me. I don't know why, but I decided I was sick of the streets and she was right there for me." Remarkably, this gentleman now runs a peer-led homeless service organization.
In her free time, Cindy enjoys being with her family, gardening, taking Sunday drives down the Cape and, of course, emptying the sand out of her shoes. |
