Throughout February WNED/WBFO is recognizing everyday citizens of Western New York who are doing amazing things in their communities. Our “Making a Difference” project emphasizes the importance of volunteerism and encourage others to lend a helping hand. Here is the story of a community champion who is “making a difference”.
Dr. Myron Glick says his desire to go into medicine came from growing up a missionary kid in Belize, Central America.
“So I, grew up as a missionary kid in Belize, in Central America, got the desire to be a doctor, thought that I would go back to a country like Belize someday after I got my training, but when I ended up in medical school in Buffalo, I realized that the poor weren’t treated that well here.”
So nearly 20 years ago, Dr. Glick opened the Jericho Road Family Practice, aimed at improving the lives of the poor and refugee communities in Buffalo by giving them access to quality healthcare.
“I delivered a baby awhile back and the grandma was in the back of the room, and when the delivery was finished, she looked at me and she said, Dr. Glick, you delivered 11 of my 12 grandkids. There’s no price for what that relationship then is and how I can affect the family by them trusting me.”
Dr. Glick says Jericho Road patients come from more than 70 nations. He uses interpreters to converse with them when necessary.
“We have over 70 nations that are represented in our practice, and our most common languages, aside from English, are Burmese, Karen, which is another Burmese language, Swahili, Arabic, Somali, and Nepali. Spanish isn’t even on the top six.”
In addition to battling the health care system, Dr. Glick notes refugees often struggle with situations normally outside the scope of a doctor’s practice.
“Many times it’s not a medical problem. It’s a heat bill that they don’t know what to do about, or a letter from school that they don’t know how to read… and that if we really wanted to see transformation of individuals, of families, of communities, we had to become more than a medical provider.”
So, he says they started a second organization called Jericho Road Ministries to help people with other problems.
“We feel that if… we help with those situations, we see transformation happen. Families get a little healthier, and ultimately the community, I think, benefits.
“There is a huge need for the medical community as a whole to step up around the issues of people who have little access to the system, around providing excellent care for the poor, around taking care of the refugee.”
Dr. Glick says that’s not something Jericho Road can do alone.
“This involves all of us working together to make a difference.”
Listen to WBFO throughout February for more stories of people who are Making a Difference in Western New York. Screen the Making a Difference video and audio stories at wned.org.
You can also nominate someone for next year’s production of “Making a Difference”. Visit wned.org/makingadifference to submit your nomination by February 28th.