Written by Guethshina Altena, American Red Cross Public Affairs

Since 1881, the American Red Cross has been dedicated to serving people in need. Communities across the nation rely on Red Cross services and support, especially in times of crisis. In order to extend its reach, the Red Cross partners with local organizations to enhance the services they provide such as health and mental health support, nutritious food and secure housing for underserved local families. This is an immersive collaboration with local community nonprofits called the “Community Adaptation Program” (CAP).

This month, we feature a community health CAP partner, the Samaritan Health and Wellness Center. They are a nonprofit, faith-based primary care center that offers health services and counseling to uninsured and underinsured women, men and children at an affordable cost.

Dr. Susan Hook is the founder, executive director and family nurse practitioner at Samaritan Health and Wellness.

Samaritan Health and Wellness maintains a strict continuity of care, with an entire staff of medical practitioners and counselors. They serve a diverse community of patients from newborns to the elderly. The primary demographic is individuals aged 26, who lose parental healthcare to age 64 before they go on to Medicare.

“We are a safety net clinic. The patients we take care of are working, uninsured people… they make enough to pay their bills, their rent and buy groceries, but they don’t have enough money to purchase health insurance,” Dr. Hook explained.

Patients come into the center with varying health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease as well as mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and insomnia.

The partnership with the Red Cross started in April 2024 in an effort to strengthen recovery and resilience efforts by expanding access to healthcare.

“The Red Cross has come alongside us and helped us purchase equipment and medical necessities that we need to outfit the satellite locations, so we can see more patients in these communities that do not have access to the care that they need,” Dr. Hook said.

Patients at Samaritan Health and Wellness pay a small service fee, which accounts for half of the center’s operating budget, while the other source of funding for the center comes from grants and donations.

“The beauty of what we do is getting to meet so many different kinds of people and so many people that are truly appreciative to have the care that we are able to provide.” Dr. Hook said.

The Red Cross has helped Samaritan Health and Wellness with acquiring new equipment for their Cape Coral location as well as the two satellite clinics. Through this partnership, the center has purchased new exam tables, computers and furniture for their exam room.

“All of our patients benefit [from the support of the Red Cross]. You have to have an exam table to do the exam on the patient, you need otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes and scales, and those all came from the American Red Cross,” Dr. Hook said. “We have an electronic health record, and we can access it through the laptops and computers provided by the Red Cross.”

The satellite offices, now equipped to run diagnostics and serve communities unable to commute to the main center in Cape Coral, have expanded the center’s reach. At one satellite office, a patient was found to have a large tumor and thanks to the center’s resources, they received the care that was needed.

Beyond medical support, the partnership has extended to community wellness initiatives. This past summer, Samaritan Health and Wellness provided 1,500 cooling kits which were utilized in Red Cross Disaster Resilience Kits shared with vulnerable seniors. Kits included Liquid IV and educational materials on heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

As the partnership between the Red Cross and Samaritan Health and Wellness continues to grow, the impact on the community is visible. By expanding access to essential healthcare, this collaboration is helping to build a healthier, more resilient future for the residents of Cape Coral, Pine Island and Fort Myers.