AdventHealth provided lifeline for patient facing homelessness, cancer

A cancer diagnosis can be life-changing for anyone, but for Jessica Totin, of Orange City, it came with additional challenges: she was experiencing homelessness.

“I was very sick,” Totin said. “I had stomach problems. I was losing weight and couldn’t hold food, but I was homeless and had nowhere else to go.”

It was at this point that Totin received the help she desperately needed at AdventHealth Fish Memorial in Orange City.

“Not a lot of people care about people who don’t have money. If it wasn’t for AdventHealth, I would probably have died.”

“I was diagnosed with liver cancer,” she continued.

Totin’s diagnosis required treatment, medication and an extended hospital stay at AdventHealth Fish Memorial, where she met Vincent Barbieri. As a care management program navigator, Barbieri helps uninsured and underinsured patients get the care they need after leaving the hospital.

“I know what it’s like; I’ve been homeless and lived out of my car,” Barbieri said. “Because I’ve walked in Jessica’s shoes, I could truly understand her struggles. My job was to take care of the clinical side – the doctors’ appointments and other care – so Jessica could focus on getting better.”

In 2023 alone, AdventHealth contributed more than $16 billion to Florida’s economy — and millions more to community programs and unreimbursed care for Floridians like Totin. It’s all part of the organization’s long-standing commitment to improving community health.

“As a non-profit organization, because we have no shareholders to pay, every decision we make and every dollar we earn is reinvested into making our communities healthier,” said Dr. Stephen Knych, AdventHealth Fish Memorial chief medical officer. “Caring for underinsured and uninsured members of the community is just one of the many ways we give back to the community.”

AdventHealth’s approach also recognizes the impact of social determinants of health, from housing and transportation to access to nutritious food. Guided by detailed Community Health Plans, the organization works hand-in-hand with local nonprofits, government agencies, and community groups to address these broader challenges.

“Our commitment to the community means thinking long-term,” Knych continued. “It’s about building healthier, thriving communities.”

For Totin, AdventHealth’s care meant more than just medical treatment – it was a lifeline.

“Not a lot of people care about people who don’t have money,” Totin said. “If it wasn’t for AdventHealth, I would probably have died.”

Her story is a testament to AdventHealth’s mission to extend Christ’s healing ministry to all, regardless of their circumstances.

“Stories like Jessica’s remind us why we do what we do,” Knych shared. “When we serve with compassion and purpose, we make a real difference in people’s lives.”