‘Angel’ from Connected Care helps outpatients

ASTORIA, Ore. (KOIN) — Earle Felkins has to frequently go to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria for treatment of his edema, but getting there twice a week was difficult.

"The pain was pretty bad," Felkins told KOIN 6 News, "and I had to walk a half a mile or so from my apartment to the bus stop."

And then, "out of the blue," he said, Kristina Kansteiner called him.

Kansteiner works with the Connected Care program Columbia Memorial Hospital , a pilot program that goes beyond the services provided inside the hospital.

"There's a certain amount the doctors and nurses can do inside the clinic. So outside the clinic we help bridge that gap and that communication," she said.

In Felkins' case, she arranged for a paratransit to come directly to his apartment so he no longer had to walk in pain to the bus stop. She also reached out to Meals on Wheels.

"Now we've got it set up to where he gets a week's worth of food delivered to his home," she told KOIN 6 News.

Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette heard about Connected Care and recently donated $1500 to the program at Columbia Memorial. That money goes to necessary items like clothing, air conditioning units, installing guard rails and more.

The Connected Care program is used in several medical facilities in Oregon. Kansteiner said monetary donations are great but they also need volunteers to spend time with some of the patients they serve.

In Felkins' case, Kristina Kansteiner and Connected Care were game changers.

"She's been an angel. I'm not kidding you. She works her tail off," he said. "Now I'm on the road to recovery and I'm feeling a lot better. The people at Columbia Memorial have been fantastic."