Margaret Green didn’t know what she was selling was slowly killing her.
Green was the sweets lady in Red Top, a black community in rural Charleston County. She sold candy bars and ice cream and ate a lot herself, a habit that her granddaughter believes contributed to Green developing diabetes and hypertension, which led to a host of other health issues.
Green rarely visited the doctor. The nearest physician was a white man many miles away in Hollywood. He prioritized serving white patients and saw others when he got around to it. Also, a doctor trip meant missing a day’s work and a day’s wages.
She prioritized her daily survival over her long-term well-being. Consequently, she died at the young age of 58. Her granddaughter, Fetter Healthcare Network adult nurse practitioner Richetta Deas, witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of inadequate health care on her grandmother’s life. It inspired Deas to pursue a career in nursing, driven by a determination to prevent others from enduring the same suffering her grandmother faced.
Unfortunately, despite Deas’ efforts and those of her colleagues, many individuals in underserved communities still struggle with similar challenges today. Many lack access to proper care, leading to poorer health outcomes and shorter life expectancies. Black people still suffer disproportionately from certain diseases and are more likely to be uninsured.
During the pandemic, Fetter Healthcare Network, which is committed to providing care to all, especially the uninsured and underinsured, realized just how effective its mobile units are in addressing these disparities. The network has two dental and three medical mobile units that come to schools, community centers and public events, especially in minority and migrant communities. The units offer people physical exams, laboratory services and women’s wellness care. The network conducted 10,000 mobile visits and reached 2,300 people last year through community engagement efforts in Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester and Colleton counties.
Fetter plans to expand its reach. Two more units are on the way, thanks to help from the Charleston Area Justice Ministry, which advocated since 2021 for the Medical University of South Carolina to fund two mobile health units. The ministry noted more than 100,000 people in the tri-county are uninsured, 10% to 20% of those who make appointments in free clinics miss them because of a lack of transportation, and many in the black community don’t feel comfortable navigating the health system.
When efforts with MUSC stalled, Roper St. Francis stepped up to fund a unit. Then state Reps. Wendell Gilliard and Leon Stavrinakis helped ensure funds were designated in MUSC’s budget to fund another unit at Fetter.
During the pandemic, the units served many patients who also needed shelter, food and financial help. It was not uncommon for the staff to buy groceries or clothes for patients. The units build trust with minority communities by serving them with doctors who look like them.
At a Unity Event held on Charleston’s East Side, an elderly gentleman wearing a green cap, windbreaker and faded jeans approached Fetter’s tent, with its table full of registration forms, vitamins, medicines and other utensils. He hadn’t seen a doctor in 20 years and complained about internal pain. In addition to drawing blood and checking his blood pressure, Deas arranged an appointment with a physician at Fetter so he could be routinely checked.
Shortly after, a Hispanic woman approached the table, a young girl tugging at her shirt while her siblings stood nearby. The mother told Fetter staff of her difficulties affording health care, noting how she had gotten Medicaid coverage for her six children. Staff members told her she was also eligible for coverage as a U.S. citizen, promising to help her apply for government aid.
Overall, 42 patients stopped by the unit and received wellness checks and free vitamins or scheduled appointments.
All of this is a cause for celebration. At 6:30 p.m. May 20, the Charleston Area Justice Ministry will host our annual celebration at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church and applaud the work on our various campaigns, including health care. Fetter will be there with a mobile unit, so we all can see what’s to come thanks to many years of advocacy.