March 19th is World Social Worker Day. At Innovative Renal Care, we value the amazing contributions of social workers and invite you to join us as we highlight their work.
Social workers are essential members of our team at Innovative Renal Care, providing compassionate support and assistance to our patients in many ways. Their amazing work may not always be visible, but it is critical.
They serve our patients at IRC in many ways. Navigating life with end-stage renal disease and adjusting to dialysis can be daunting for patients. Our social workers help patients get the ongoing care they need by overcoming challenges and finding solutions to needs that arise:
- Education
Ensuring our patients understand their condition and treatment is important to us at IRC. Education is a team effort, and our teams take an active role in teaching our patients and ensuring their questions are answered. - Insurance
Health insurance can be daunting. Our social workers have experience navigating insurance coverage and work with our patients to secure and understand coverage. - Transportation
Having reliable transportation to dialysis appointments is essential, but it can be challenging for many patients. Our social workers assist patients in arranging the transportation they need. - Home Care
Some of our patients may need home health care or other assistance in their home to ensure their needs are met. Our staff can help by discussing these needs with patients and family members and finding resources. - Advocacy
Compassion is one of our core values at IRC. Our social workers embody this value, working tirelessly as patient advocates. Coming alongside our patients to ensure their needs are met is the heartbeat of our social workers.
Before becoming a social worker, Aisha Franklin-Onyeugwo worked as a dialysis patient care technician. She wanted to stay in the dialysis field while helping patients in a new way. Now a social worker, Aisha has served our IRC patients for three years.
Aisha finds satisfaction in the impact she makes. “I find dialysis social work compelling because of the assistance and resources I provide to the dialysis patients,” says Aisha. She enjoys being an advocate for “individuals who lack the voice, power, time, or resources to maintain peace within themselves.”
Aisha believes social work is essential. “Social workers are important to society because we provide advocacy to those who are overlooked and without power and care.”
Social workers like Aisha serve our patients with dedication and compassion. The impact of their work on the lives of patients is profound. We invite you to join us in celebrating and thanking them today.
Join Us in Celebrating World Social Worker Day
World Social Worker Day was introduced by the International Federation of Social Workers and was first celebrated in 2007. A global event, World Social Worker Day, is a time to focus on the accomplishments of social work, emphasize social justice, and highlight the importance of social workers in building a better world. The theme of this year’s World Social Worker Day is Buen Vivir(Living Well): Shared Future for Transformative Change.
Social workers help members of a community address their challenges and find a positive path forward. Working in a variety of settings, social workers strive to better the lives of those they serve. Health care is one field where social workers have a profound impact.
Social workers work in many health care settings, including clinics, hospitals, long-term care facilities, acute rehabilitation units, and dialysis centers. Residents and patients at these facilities have unique needs and face specific challenges. Social workers come alongside them to help in myriad ways, including finding resources, advocating for improvements, navigating challenges, and providing counsel and support.
The field of health care would not be the same without social workers. Please join all of us at Innovative Renal Care in recognizing and thanking social workers for the many ways they change lives.
