‘Get back on their own two feet’
Hardin pharmacist reflects on importance of Medicaid for her patients, young family
Charlotte Jefferson, PharmD, 60
Hardin
Director of Pharmacy, Big Horn Hospital
Enrolled in Montana’s Medicaid program in the early 1990s
“You’d be surprised at how many people are in a similar situation I was in. They just need help to get back on their own two feet.”
As the Director of Pharmacy at Big Horn Hospital, Charolotte Jefferson regularly sees the important impact Medicaid coverage has on patients.
“I see patients with asthma, patients with diabetes and I think, how would they make it otherwise?” she said. “There’s a lot of people who are working and they still need Medicaid. You wouldn’t think they would need it, but people don’t realize how helpful it is especially for single working parents.”
Charlotte also sees a lot of herself in them.
Before graduating from pharmacy school in 2000, Charlotte was a single mom of 3 who had recently left an abusive relationship. Charlotte and her family were covered by several support programs, including Montana’s Medicaid program, during this difficult time.
Medicaid provided critical coverage to help her family access preventive healthcare services. At one point, Charlotte was treated after a routine screening detected precancerous cervical cells. Most importantly? Her kids didn’t miss their regular appointments with pediatricians and dentists. Charlotte remembers one checkup detected unsafe levels of lead in their blood.
“We moved from the trailer we lived in so that resolved the lead issue.”
“It gave me peace of mind for my children,” she said. “I feel like it set the foundation for the kids to be healthier.”
Charlotte transitioned off Medicaid after enrolling in the Doctor of Pharmacy program at University of Montana in Missoula. She completed pharmacy school in seven years while raising her family. She has worked as the Director of Pharmacy at Big Horn Hospital for the past 15 years.
It’s work that has continually reinforced the critical support Medicaid offers during times of need.
“You’d be surprised at how many are in a similar situation I was in. They just need help to get back on their own two feet. [Medicaid] helps people get out of a situation they don’t want to be in,” Charlotte said. “There are so many people who need it. They don’t want it. It’s a need.”
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