She serves as a patient advocate in nonmedical situations, such as accessing community resources and assisting in the processing and tracking of patient accounts. Regardless of where they call home, all patients referred to the Special Services Department share some common concerns. According to Ledbetter, many patients who come to UAMS Medical Center for the first time have gone to private physicians all of their lives, so the size of our campus can be overwhelming. Having someone to call and consult on various matters can be very beneficial. For instance, the department provides patients and their families with information about places to stay, restaurants and stores where they can find the foods they are accustomed to eating, places of worship and means of transportation.
Foreign patients have additional and unique needs.
Our department provides them with cost estimates for their treatment, then makes the necessary financial arrangements. We also work with the U.S. Embassy in the patient's country or with a U.S. senator or congressman if the patient needs help in acquiring a visa to travel to the United States for medical care. Sometimes, when a foreign patient is ready to go home, we assist the physicians and nurses in making arrangements for an air ambulance or in coordinating airline changes for the trip. After the patient is back home, our department serves as a center of communication by overseeing the patient's future medical care needs and answering financial questions. Foreign patients have positive experiences at UAMS Medical Center and often recommend that their friends come here for any type of specialized medical treatment they might need.