“The doctors, it seemed, never really had enough time for all the patients, try as they might. And over the course of six months, I would corner them in the hallway and ask them a sort of naive, but fundamental question. If you had unlimited resources, what’s the one thing you would give your patients? And I heard the same story again and again, a story we’ve heard hundreds of times since then… ‘Child has an ear infection. I prescribe antibiotics, but the real issue is there’s no food at home. The real issue is that child is living with 12 other people in a two-bedroom apartment, and I don’t even ask about those issues because there’s nothing I can do. I have 13 minutes with each patient. Patients are piling up in the clinic waiting room. I have no idea where the nearest food pantry is, and I don’t even have any help.’”

 — Rebecca Onie talking about a program she started, Health Leads, that trains college students to help patients find ways to get food, heating, water - basic living requirements allowing doctors at partner institutions (my hospital is one of them!) to give such “prescriptions.”

This is a real problem - as I have seen personally rotating in Baltimore hospitals and clinics. I’m so glad there are programs like these out there. I hope it expands to include many other institutions and/or other people are inspired to do something similar for their hospitals/clinics.

But I would also argue that something else a doctor always wishes he/she could give more of to their patients is time. I’m sure Rebecca Onie also got that answer when she asked her naive, fundamental question to those doctors.