I am pleased to share that a couple of weeks ago, CBS news reporter Steve Hartman, came to True North and the Hour Exchange Portland (HEP) to do a story primarily on Time Banking and how it can help to strengthen communities. (Time Banking is one of True North's innovative access programs for people of limited economic means to access high-quality health care).
The story was originally going to center on a True North patient, who feels that having access to True North's cutting-edge chronic disease management because of our relationship with HEP literally saved her life. That is how we got to be part of the story. For that portion of the story, Steve Hartman interviewed Bethany Hays, MD, (our Medical Director and the patient's doctor) and stayed long after to ask all sorts of probing questions.
After leaving here, Steve and his camera-man went to the Hour Exchange where they spent nearly 5 hours working on that part of the story.
The story has evolved into a more "360" look at time banking (indirect bartering) and how it can strengthen communities and restore dignity to people who feel they've lost it by being at the bottom of our economic ladder. Our 7+ year relationship with HEP has significantly improved access while maintaining the individuals self-esteem and serving to better position the individual to truly get healthier (as seen in our pilot study outcomes)...so we are huge proponents of more organizations collaborating and engaging with the Hour Exchange.
The upshot of all this, is that hopefully, Hour Exchange Portland and True North will be featured tonight (Monday, October 19th) on the CBS Nightly News with Katie Couric and even more people will begin to consider other ways to provide access that are outside the norm.
For more information about the Hour Exchange Portland please go to: http://www.hourexchangeportland.org/ or contact their Executive Director Linda Hogan at: linda@hourexchangeportland.org. (Both Linda and her organization are amazing and are making great things happen in the community.)
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Tom