Claire McCreavy and Gabrielle (Gabby) Kyle-Lion bring a new attentiveness to the concept of healthcare. Through the Catholic Charities of Pittsburgh Free Health Care Center, Claire and Gabby are working to improve Latina and Hispanic patient turnout for annual mammogram tests, using the “personal touch” strategy: a proactive healthcare initiative intended to replace automated emails and robocalls.
This method involves reaching out to patients in several ways, not only through personalized and translated calls to reduce miscommunication but by informing a family member of the appointment and reminding the patient during their in-person doctor’s visits. By simply tailoring the reminder to the patient’s needs, turnout for annual mammograms has increased from less than 55% to over 80%. “The hope is that we can create a protocol and implement it at other clinics,” Gabby stated.
Both Gabby and Claire have a personal connection to the cause through past service work. Gabby, a graduate of American University with a degree in public health, became dedicated to the fight against breast cancer during her work at the Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer. Gabby was inspired by the foundation’s medical director, a radiology specialist who had accidentally discovered her own breast cancer while testing a new imaging technology. “Breast cancer is 95% curable if detected early,” Gabby said. “We noticed that a large portion of the people who relied on the foundation’s financial support were Hispanic women.”
Claire, a graduate of West Chester University of PA honors college in Public Health, discovered the Catholic Charities cause through the church community and was inspired by its medical director, Dr. Michael Lamb. “He makes a huge effort to incorporate culture into healthcare,” she stated. “He assesses their needs and meets them where they are at.”
Claire sought service work in Pittsburgh as a way to meet people as well. “I was really impressed by one graduate student who was a year above me,” she recounted. “She was so open and encouraging, and she was involved in the Christian community.” Gabby and Claire, two out of the three students in their Infectious Disease and Microbiology Department program at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, became close friends and discovered their mutual dedication to the Catholic Charities cause along the way.
On their love of service, Claire and Gabby have backgrounds in various forms of service but were most moved when they can see the impact of their efforts. “Every spring, my sorority would host a bocce ball tournament for special olympians,” Gabby recounted. “We would play a bunch of games and pause for lunch, and the athletes would have a dance party. They were all just so happy to be there. The atmosphere of all the different organizations getting involved, everyone coming together, really reminds you of the community you live in.”
Claire worked at a meal center during her undergraduate studies, where she was moved by its welcoming, “family table” style of philanthropy. She recalled, “I recognized some of the people who came in to eat because they worked in the dining halls at my university. It broke my heart because they were serving me when they couldn’t even serve themselves.”
Gabby and Claire hope to continue Albert Schweitzer’s legacy of service with the simple mantra, “leave things better than you found them.”
