Years ago, in her early teens, Louise Brooks adopted purple as her color. It was the peacefulness of purple that drew her, its hints at majesty, the way it always suggested that no matter what, life would be okay. Lilac, boysenberry heather, magenta, grape — today it sparkles on her fingernails, brightens the walls of her much-loved home, accents the pillows, the fireplace, the staircase, the art she beautifully displays.
Born in North Philadelphia, Louise took her love of purple south, to the eastern shore of Virginia, when she was in her early twenties. There she worked alongside her father, a fruits and vegetables contractor who oversaw the harvests of farms that seemed to go on for miles. Row after row after row. Louise would take care of her father’s accounting. She’d keep him company. And every day she’d cook for the two-dozen or more people, mostly men, who’d joined her father’s crew. Grits, toast and eggs for breakfast. Sandwiches packed up for lunch. Dinners of baked chicken and sweet potatoes and cucumbers and tomatoes, often served late at night, after all the crops had been sorted and bagged and loaded up on the eighteen-wheeler trucks that would carry them away.
Sometimes Louise would travel in an adapted school bus with a member of her father’s team to a city like New York, where they would recruit employees for the April-to-October work cycle. She’d speak to men who had no homes or jobs. She’d offer them a chance to travel and to work beneath the sun. A room of their own in the farm barracks, her three meals a day, income.
For a decade or so, even as her own three children were born — Precious, Tiffany and Raheem — this was Louise’s life. A joyful life, she says. But also a life that required her to seamlessly juggle many things. Babies on one hand. Two dozen workers to feed on the other. And then, of course, her father’s books.
Twenty-eight years ago, when Louise was in her early forties, she left the south and returned to Philadelphia. A new Home Depot, her sister said, was opening. They were looking for staff. Louise stepped in, was interviewed, and was hired on the spot — Supervisor of the Returns Desk. It wasn’t just a good job; it was a fun one. And it was a place where she could grow.
Today Louise, nearly 70 (though no one looking at her would know), still works three days a week at Home Depot in the decor department. Her specialty is window treatments and blinds. Each working day her customers arrive, often with photos in hand, and count on her to help them choose the right colors, materials and hardware.
It was, in fact, the arched, decorative windows that sealed the deal for Louise when she and her daughter Precious set out to buy their own home 15 years ago. Precious, who works with children who have cancer in a local hospital, lives upstairs. Louise lives downstairs among all her shades of purple (and some red, and now some peach). Often Tiffany and Raheem and Louise’s grandchildren will stop by, asking Louise to cook them “the meal.” That Mac and cheese. Those sweet potatoes. That baked chicken, stuffing and cabbage. If it gets too late, the family will stay the night. “They’re here all the time,” she says with a smile. “And I love it.”
Searching for a new kind of medical care
It’s been more than a year since Louise began to wish for a new kind of medical care. Her primary care doctor hardly paid her attention, it seemed. She wasn’t getting answers to her questions. She had cardiac issues and was concerned that she wasn’t being heard when she expressed her worries about the abnormal flutters she would feel in her chest. “I need a new doctor,” Louise told Precious, but an obvious solution wasn’t in sight. When a brochure arrived in the mail about a company called Patina, Louise studied it and set it aside — on her bedroom dresser, where she could see it.
“I’m going to call that number,” Louise decided one day, and so she did. She was impressed with the person with whom she spoke. She trusted that Patina was right for her.
“And let me tell you,” she says now, “my experience with Patina has been glorious.”
An empathetic team who listens
Glorious. She smiles at her use of the word, then goes on to speak about her health champion, JaCarla Royall, and her primary care practitioner, Katie Maceyko. “They are involved and interested and genuine,” she says. “Their response time is unbelievable. They listen, and when they listen, they are not just sympathetic. They are always, reliably, empathetic. They hear me when I speak.”
When, for example, her finger recently cramped — when it seemed, in fact, to get stuck— JaCarla answered Louise’s call at once and relayed the concern to Katie. The issue, it seemed, was dietary — and Louise received recommendations at once. “I have my banana and orange juice daily now,” she says. “Even though I don’t really love either one.” She laughs, then shakes her head. “It really has helped.”
“They are involved and interested and genuine. They listen and are always, reliably, empathetic. They hear me when I speak.”
“They are marvelous, just marvelous. I have never been this happy with my healthcare.”
Knowing, as she does, that women can experience heart attack symptoms that differ from the more commonly reported ones, Louise has been worried in the past about unusual heart flutters that she has gone at once to the local hospital emergency room. Early on in her relationship with Patina, she’d be called the next day by JaCarla, who keeps on top of Louise’s medical records. Lately, though, Louise calls Patina at once, before heading to the hospital, knowing they’ll be there to answer, to listen, to guide her through the most helpful and healthful next steps.
“Nothing is ever too small for Patina,” Louise says. “Nothing is ever too simple. Nothing I say to them makes me feel stupid. They are marvelous, just marvelous. I have never been this happy with my healthcare.”
Learn how other Patina patients are enjoying a better healthcare experience in these additional stories.
Enjoy primary care from Patina
Available at the same cost you pay for primary care with your Medicare plan today, Patina is a different kind of primary care that helps you thrive in all aspects of life. You’ll get a dedicated care team that includes a Patina Primary Care Practitioner (PCP) and Patina Health Champion who take the time to know you, understand your needs, and help you navigate the healthcare system – so you get the care you deserve on your terms via video visits, phone, chat and in-person visits, when needed.
Louise's Story
Lives a joyful life in Philadelphia as a doting grandmother and mom of three
Long-time employee of The Home Depot; currently works there part-time in the decor department helping customers make their homes beautiful
Loves the color purple
Has some cardiac health issues; chose Patina as her primary care provider after feeling like her doctor wasn’t really listening to her or understanding her needs
Supported by her Patina Care Team – Primary Care Practitioner Katie Maceyko, NP and Patina Health Champion JaCarla Royall