Case #1: The patient is 18 years old and suffers from cystic fibrosis (CF). He was diagnosed at two years of age and required twice-daily respiratory vest treatments (30 minutes each), inhaled and oral medications, and oral enzymes before consuming food with fat, protein, or starch. Also, he requires quarterly visits to the ACH Cystic Fibrosis Care Center and hospitalizations when he is ill. In addition, he struggles to kick the common cold and requires admission to the hospital for 10-14 days of IV antibiotics when outpatient medications do not suffice.
The patient recently had a 14-day admission that caused him to miss two weeks of work. He has been responsible for his finances since obtaining his GED and living independently for two years.
He owes $550 in rent, a $50 electric bill, a $60 gas bill, a $100 car payment, and a $45 phone bill. These total $805, which is requested to cover a month of bills to offset his long admission and inability to work.
Total asked: $805 APPROVED
Case #2: The patient is six months old and has spent his entire life in the NICU, having been born at 28 weeks gestation. He now has a tracheostomy and will go ultimately be discharged home with a ventilator once he is in appropriate settings and his mom is trained to care for him. The patient's mom is a single mother of 3 children, ages 10, 8, and 6 months (Patient). Her ten y/o has Down's syndrome and requires 24/7 care due to his special needs.
Mom also works part-time as a caregiver for a home health agency and has continued working throughout the hospitalization to afford bills, utilities, etc. However, once Kobe is discharged home, she will no longer be able to work and will be reliant on the patient and his sibling's SSI, SNAP, etc., since the patient will also require 24/7 trach care.
The request is for four months of rent so the mother can catch up on finances and maintain her visitation and training. (total request $550x4=$2200 in rent). The committee approved two months’ rent.
Total asked: $1,100 APPROVED
Case #3: The patient is a kidney transplant recipient who has had a difficult journey since her transplant. Her disease recurrence immediately following the transplant caused her to continue to lose protein from her transplanted kidney and required apheresis treatment 2 -3 times per week. She still requires these treatments to manage the disease but has yet to bring her disease into remission successfully. They will need to travel to Dallas for treatments that are not available at ACH.
The patient's mother has minimal resources and will likely be forced to use unpaid FMLA for the nine weeks they will be required to be in Dallas. Parents plan to use Ronald McDonald House for lodging while getting these treatments.
These monthly expenses are currently the only barrier to the patient being able to get treatment. I am requesting to cover two months of the monthly expenses for this family. The rent is $450, electricity is $200, water is $100, car payment is $350, phone is $116, internet is $45, and car insurance is $145 for a total of $2,722. The committee approved $1100 for two months’ rent and electricity.
Total asked: $1,100 APPROVED
Case #4: The patient was brought to the ED at ACH due to respiratory distress. The patient is an 8-month-old male with a history of Dandy-Walker malformation, PHACE syndrome, dural AV fistula, facial hemangiomas, seizures, hearing loss, and optic nerve hypoplasia, initially presenting with abnormal behavior at home. He is also hypothermic and hypotensive and was first admitted to the PICU in April 2022 for concerns of seizures with an initial for pneumonia concern.
Because of no income, the parents got behind for two months with their mortgage. They are requesting assistance with two months of mortgage payments, $1,903.73. ($1,270.94 + a late fee of $632.79.) The committee approved $1270.94 and asked ACH social work or the Medical, legal team to work with the mortgage company regarding the excessive late fee..
Total asked: $1,270.94 APPROVED
Case #5: The patient is a 3-month-old who has been at ACH since birth. His parents found out very late in pregnancy about his myelomeningocele (spina bifida) diagnosis and did not find out the severity until he was born. So they were surprised to find that he would be tracheostomy and ventilator dependent, blind, deaf, and unable to walk for the rest of his life due to the combination of spina bifida and other brain malformations.
They would benefit from financial support so that they do not fall behind and risk eviction while he is hospitalized, and I am asking for three months of rent for them ($850x3=$2550.) The committee approved $1700 for two months’ rent.
Total asked: $1,700 APPROVED
Case #6: The patient is a 15-year-old who has a severe developmental delay due to Autism Spectrum Disorder and requires significant behavioral support from her parents. She also has sleep apnea and aortic valve insufficiency, among other chronic medical problems. Unfortunately, due to her needs, the mother had to quit her job to be home full-time with the patient. Mother also had the onset of her disability, which further complicated her ability to meet all of her family’s needs. As a result, the father has had to take unplanned time off work to help meet these needs,
The request is to cover their car payment for one month to help them catch up on their finances, which is $625. The committee approved the request.
Total asked: $625 APPROVED
Case #7: The patient is eight weeks old and has been in the NICU since birth. She was born at 30 weeks gestation at Baptist Hospital but transferred to ACH NICU at 25 days old. The patient has developed post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus and symptoms of possible sepsis. The patient continues to require oxygen support and has ongoing respiratory distress. Her newborn screen was positive for Cystic Fibrosis, and they are waiting on the results of further testing to confirm that diagnosis. The patient attempts oral feeds twice daily but has done poorly thus far. She will likely need a shunt and a g-tube before discharging home.
The patient's mother typically can cover her bills. However, she had a C-section, so she could not work for several weeks and was not paid during this time. The patient's mother typically can cover her bills. However, the mother could not work for several weeks and was not paid during this time.
The family's gas bill is approximately $1,700. I was hoping we could pay the gas bill so it could be turned back on. I am also requesting to pay a month's rent of $825 + a $25 fee so the mother can get back on her feet. The request is for $2,550. The committee approved a total of $1050 for the rent and $200 to assist with the cost of the gas bill.
Total asked: $1,250 APPROVED
Case #8: The patient is eight weeks old and has been in the NICU since birth. She was born at 35 weeks gestation and was prenatally diagnosed with hydrops, ascites, hydramnios, and growth lag. In addition, she has cerebral ventriculomegaly, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease, pulmonary hypertension, and cholestatic jaundice. Her most recent MRI shows concerns for brain development. She remains on a ventilator and receives all feeds through an orogastric tube. The Palliative Care team is involved in helping support the family with long-term goals for the patient, as she will likely be here for several more months.
The patient, her mother, and her two brothers comprise the family. The patient's mother has been unemployed for the last four months. Her doctor instructed her to stop working two months before the patient's birth. This month, the patient's mother will not have enough money to cover the bill or rent. Therefore, the request is to pay the electric bill of $104.28 and 3 months' rent at $500/month, totaling $1,603.28. The committee approved $1103.28 to support two months’ rent and the electric bill.
Total asked: $1,103.28 APPROVED
