Discovering More: One Provider’s Journey to Give Back
dr. kacy borba spann (she/they/two spirit) is a naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist working in Portland, Oregon. This 3-part series takes you on her journey to becoming an RVP Volunteer Provider. Take the journey with dr. kacy to find out how she got started and why volunteering for the Returning Veterans Project is so meaningful.
Note: dr. kacy writes her name in all lowercase letters as a symbol of her efforts to combat the doctor-driven mentality of Western medicine. She believes doing so “helps humble me in the eyes of others and within myself to stay grounded in patient-led, patient-centered care that honors their intelligence, intuition and choice.”
Part 1: When Just Doing Your Job Doesn’t Feel Like Enough
There are cracks in our health care system. They stood out to dr. kacy borba spann before she even began studying to become a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist.
As an industry and as a profession, it doesn’t serve underserved populations well.
dr. kacy always saw herself working in a medical profession. But when she entered her field, she saw exactly what the founder of the Returning Veterans Project witnessed more than 15 years ago – that despite our best intentions, health services are still unreachable for many people.
Our veterans get a really raw deal.
dr. kacy saw firsthand what veterans were up against when they returned home. She watched a group of her peers leave and come back from Iraq and Iran changed. Struggling with untreated mental or physical injuries, many veterans return home with mental or physical pain that makes it difficult to work, maintain housing, or sustain healthy relationships.
“There’s very little support to integrate into society when you’ve been so traumatized. There’s so many mental health issues that surface and there’s no support or conversation around that.”
I feel for veterans.
Once she saw the visible and invisible wounds of war, dr. kacy also saw that places like the Veterans Administration (VA) couldn’t support everyone in need. Some veterans couldn’t travel to a regional VA, some didn’t trust the VA, and some needed care simply not offered at the VA or not covered by insurance.
dr. kacy felt strongly that she needed a way to give back. And so began a journey that would ultimately bring her to the Returning Veterans Project – a nonprofit organization offering a simple way for community health providers to support veterans and military families unable to find the care they need anywhere else.
Part 2: Becoming Part of Something Bigger
As a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist, dr. kacy borba spann wanted to support people who typically couldn’t access or afford her services. But she struggled to find a volunteer opportunity that was a good fit.
This is a small way that I can freely give my service to those who wouldn’t normally be able to afford it or know that it’s there.
As a student, dr. kacy volunteered at homeless clinics and drug rehabilitation clinics. Once licensed, she explored volunteering with nonprofits, but their rigid scheduling or spur-of-the-moment events didn’t work with her practice schedule or her family life.
RVP asks practitioners what we are able to give and doesn’t have minimum requirements. It’s a lot different.
dr. kacy began serving RVP Clients for free in 2014. In fact, she completed her volunteer application before she even had a job in a clinic.
Volunteering with the Returning Veterans Project was just the right fit. Now, she volunteers as much or as little as she can by offering open appointment slots in her schedule to local veterans and families.
RVP’s flexibility allows dr. kacy to choose when to serve and how many RVP Clients to serve. Through an online portal, dr. kacy can easily update her profile, indicate when she’s accepting new clients, and report her volunteer hours.
Controlling my own schedule and who I see makes such a difference.
Volunteering with RVP weaves seamlessly into dr. kacy’s practice. She uses the same scheduling approach with her RVP Clients as she does with her other clients. And she supports her clients for as long as they need.
dr. kacy only takes one RVP Client at a time because that’s what works for her practice and for her family life. “I had one person for 9 months. I had one person for 3 years. We do it according to their schedule and how we can make it work.”
Volunteering with the Returning Veterans Project has been easier than with any other organization dr. kacy found because RVP’s model allows her to see however many RVP Clients that can fit into her regular schedule.
Part 3: When Giving to Others Brings Something in Return
dr. kacy borba spann has unique insight into what’s missing for veterans and military families in our health care system. And she doesn’t mince words about it: “I’ve had some people be the only living survivor of events overseas. Military folks don’t get very much help reintegrating into our society after having these horrifically traumatic experiences.”
I know veterans don’t expect to have so much trauma and pain when they’re on the other side.
Not all veterans, service members, and military families are able to access care that addresses their pain by tending to their body and soul. That’s why dr. kacy finds enormous meaning in serving her RVP Clients.
It’s so enriching in your own learning experience.
As an RVP Volunteer Provider, dr. kacy has served many clients she wouldn’t otherwise work with. Her volunteer experience has enriched her own learning and practice-building; and it’s been healing for her, too. “It’s so beautiful how, as practitioners, we get to heal when we work with veterans and their families.”
As an RVP Volunteer Provider, dr. kacy hoped to learn about the after-effects of military service and what it’s like to reintegrate into society.
Over six years later, dr. kacy has learned about post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other conditions that come along with military service. “And it’s enriched my practice for my other patients.”
If I can make a difference in one person, that can ripple into their family, which could ripple into their community.
Through volunteering, dr. kacy wanted to make a difference. And she is getting what she hoped for!
Seeing her RVP Clients thrive makes it easy to see the impact of her volunteer work. “They feel supported in my office in ways they don’t feel supported in the rest of their lives. And the support that I have seen them receive from me has helped them navigate other aspects of their lives with more clarity and ease.”
Volunteer Provider Spotlight >
See how volunteering works >
What health providers need to know about volunteering >
