- [Announcer] NPT Reports: Aging Matters.

(dramatic music) - Our goal is to make sure that every Nashvillian, every middle Tennesseean has a healthcare home without regard to their insurance status or their ability to pay.

- [Narrator] Neighborhood Health is one of the largest safety net providers in Tennessee with 11 locations.

CEO Brian Haile says they have only one requirement for patients to receive medical care.

- [Brian] If you have a pulse, you can be our patient, and that's it.

All we require is a pulse.

I'm not interested in figuring out your legal status.

Our issue is, how's your hypertension?

What's your diabetes look like?

How are you managing your sugar?

What we're trying to do is help people get ahead of those social determinants and we're not always playing catch up.

- I feel like I've neglected some things and maybe they've gotten worse since, between the time my insurance lapsed and now.

(Latrina knocking) Hello.

- [Latrina] Hi, Miss Page.

- [Shemika] How are you?

- [Latrina] I'm doing good.

I'm Latrina.

I'm the nurse practitioner.

I'll be seeing you today.

- [Shemika] Nice to meet you.

- Nice to meet you.

This is a no-judgment zone.

It brings up the whole thing of trust.

We may think that's not a barrier, but for some people it is because they'll come to the doctor and they won't exactly say how they're feeling or what's bothering them because they're afraid.

They're afraid of being judged or they're afraid that they won't get the care that they need.

- [Narrator] Nurse practitioner Latrina Blakemore says bedside manner before treatment can make for better healthcare and a patient who is more willing to follow doctor's orders, so to speak.

- We see people from all different nationalities, cultures.

So I ask them, is there anything in particular that you are expecting?

Is there anything that I shouldn't be doing that may make you feel uncomfortable?

Once I know, I'm gonna make a effort to show you that, hey, I respect you, I respect your culture, and I respect our differences.

The outcome could be that they take their medicine, which in turns could lead to lower blood pressure, which can lead to a better A1C for their diabetes.

If they get that from you, they're gonna come back to their three-month follow-up appointment and then you can stay on track with providing the best care and improving their overall health.

(gentle music)