Page 16 - WesternU View - Fall 2017
P. 16
Longitudinal It started with Oreos.


Chronic Care College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific graduate
Elysia Chin, DO ’17, was paired with a WesternU Western

Course sets Diabetes Institute (WDI) patient as part of COMP’s
Longitudinal Chronic Care Course (LC3). Chin spent four
the foundation years with Sherryl, who was diagnosed with diabetes and
had many other health issues. The first time Chin visited
Sherryl at her assisted living facility in Claremont, Sherryl
for COMP’s broke out a bag of double-stuffed Oreos.


Longitudinal “I told her, ‘Sherryl, you’re not supposed to have that at the

dining table,’” Chin said. “She sneaks me a couple and she
Tracks says, ‘Well, since I can’t have them then I guess you can have
them.’ She’s always been a little mischievous that way.”
Programs Sherryl had suffered a stroke 10 years prior, had coronary


artery disease and had suffered a pulmonary embolism. In
By Rodney Tanaka her first year in the LC3 program, Chin would visit Sherryl
every week, have a meal with her and check her blood
pressure.


“The real strength in our relationship was not necessarily
working on health goals. We were able to be companions,”
Chin added. “A lot of the time when we talked, it had very
little to do with health care and more to do with her mood,
talking about things that made her laugh and made her
spunky personality come out. That offered her more
encouragement and more indirect help with her health
because her spirits were better.”



















Elysia Chin, DO ’17






COMP-Northwest students held a rural health fair at a local
14 Walmart. Photo by Michelle Steinhebel.
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