We served our 5,000th patient, THANKS to YOU!
Our 5,000th patient, Jose, is joined by his son (standing) and Katallasso Medical Director Duane Furman (seated left).
As we celebrate the milestone of caring for our 5,000th individual, we are reminded that every person who walks through our doors arrives with a unique story. The journey to Katallasso is rarely ordinary, but the outcome of care, dignity, and hope, is something we strive to make common for everyone we serve. Behind the number 5,000 is a face, with a name, with a story to be told.
Jose’s path to Katallasso was one few could imagine. While living in the Dominican Republic, he suffered a deep cut on his right leg from a piece of glass that became severely infected. Not wanting to worry his family, Jose kept the seriousness of the wound to himself. As the infection worsened, he sought care at a public hospital in the Dominican Republic, where he ultimately underwent an above the knee amputation in an effort to save his life.
Concerned for his well-being and wanting him to receive the best possible care, Jose’s family brought him to York to live with them. Despite treatment with antibiotics and additional surgery, the infection remained severe. He was transferred from York Hospital to Hershey Medical Center, where he underwent further procedures and received intravenous antibiotics before returning to York Hospital to continue his recovery.
During this time, the Care Management team at York Hospital faced the challenge of finding a place where Jose could receive ongoing primary care. His family had already opened their home to him, but they did not know where he could go for continued medical support. The Care Management team reached out to Katallasso to see if we could welcome Jose as a new patient. We were grateful for the opportunity.
New Patients Established with Katallasso
At his first visit with us, Jose received medication samples for prescriptions he could not otherwise afford. We were able to arrange additional laboratory testing to monitor his recovery and assist him in applying for financial relief for the significant hospital bills he faced without health insurance.
Through collaboration with a WellSpan VNA social worker, Jose was able to find his way to Katallasso, an answer to the prayers of his family who longed for compassionate, consistent care for him. His two children often accompanied him to his visits, while his third child joined by phone from overseas, where he was serving in the military. Together, they expressed deep gratitude not only for the medical care Jose received, but for the way he and his family felt seen, valued, encouraged, and loved.
Jose’s journey brought him to Katallasso for a simple but powerful reason: to experience care that reflects the love of God in action. His road here may have looked different than most, but the result was the same, restored dignity, renewed hope, and the reminder that every life we serve matters deeply.
“The miracle in this all is that Katallasso can be here for our 5000th patient and counting because of the faithful support of people like you.”