When the System Assumes You’re Someone Else – How We at Aslan Health Serve You Instead (Because you matter, exactly as you are.)
Imagine walking into a doctor’s office and immediately sensing: this place was built assuming you have time, a stable home address, a phone that always works, English fluency, and a flexible schedule. That’s exactly the reality that Mitchell Katz shines a light on. TED+1
At Aslan Health, we believe in something different: that you — your story, your circumstances, your whole self — matter and deserve care that meets you where you are.
In this blog, we’ll explore three key assumptions the U.S. health-care system often makes, how they affect real people, and how we at Aslan Health respond — consistent with our pillars of affordable, faith-based, whole-person, primary-care & prevention, walk-in care, and trusted community presence.
1. Assumption: “You have time and flexibility to come in when it suits us.”
Katz points out that the system often presumes patients can take time off work, arrange childcare, attend multiple appointments, pause other responsibilities. TED+1
Why this matters:
For many working in hourly jobs, taking half or full days off can mean lost income, unstable care for children, transportation challenges. If the system only offers appointments during “business hours” or inflexible windows, many will simply skip care.
How Aslan Health does it differently:
- We offer walk-in convenience: no long waits to schedule, so you don’t have to choose between your job and your health.
- We aim to offer flexible hours or scheduling that fit your life, not just the provider’s schedule.
- We proactively ask: “What times work for you?” because your time matters.
Our mission calls us to be accessible — not just in cost, but in practicality.
2. Assumption: “You’ve got a stable address, reliable phone, and speak English.”
In his talk, Katz shares that many systems assume patients have a working phone, address that doesn’t change, literacy, and English language fluency. Glasp+1
Why this matters:
If you don’t answer the phone because it’s been disconnected, or you’ve moved often, or English isn’t your first language, important follow-up instructions, lab results or referrals may be lost. That creates a barrier and a feeling of being invisible to the system.
How Aslan Health does it differently:
- We ask: “What’s the best way to reach you?”—phone, text, email, perhaps a family contact.
- We provide interpreters or translation support so that language is not a barrier.
- We recognize that literacy levels vary — we use plain-language communication, visual aids, and ensure you understand your care plan.
- We account for the fact you may not have a “stable” address; we focus on building a connection regardless of home situation.
This aligns with our whole-person care principle: your lived reality is part of your health story.
3. Assumption: “You have enough food, transportation, stable housing and supportive environment to follow a care plan.”
Katz makes clear: if the system gives you instructions like “take this medication with a full meal” but you are food-insecure, the plan fails.
Why this matters:
Health-care instructions may assume a patient can afford healthy foods, get to pharmacy, pay for co-pays, have support at home. When those assumptions fail, so does the care.
How Aslan Health does it differently:
- As part of primary and prevention care, we screen for social determinants: food insecurity, housing instability, transportation issues.
- We connect you with community resources (food pantries, transit assistance, housing support) because health extends beyond prescriptions.
- We partner with local faith-based and community organizations to build a network of support — reflecting our value of community presence and faith-based care.
In other words, we address not just the “illness” but the person living the illness.
Why This Matters in St. Cloud & for Our Community
At Aslan Health, we serve you — the working parent, the person juggling two jobs, the college student with a part-time schedule, the senior on fixed income, the person with language barriers or housing uncertainty.
When the system assumes you are someone else, you feel unseen. When a clinic acts like you are precisely who you are — unique, worthy, with strengths and challenges — that is the heart of trusted care in our community.
Mitchell Katz reminds us: the system was built for a middle-class model, and many don’t fit it. HMP Global Learning Network+1
Our mission is to change that — to make care fit you, not force you to fit care.
What You Can Do
- Schedule a visit: If you’ve been avoiding care because you didn’t “fit the usual model,” come see us. We are built for you.
- Tell your story: Help us know your schedule, your barriers, your needs — so we can partner in your health journey.
- Bring your questions: Not sure about insurance, cost, transportation? We’ll work through it with you.
- Share the message: If you know someone who feels invisible in the health-care system, invite them to Aslan Health — because sometimes a different assumption makes all the difference.
At Aslan Health, we believe in whole-person wellness, grounded in compassion and community. The system may assume you’re someone else. We assume you are you, exactly and uniquely. And we’re here for you.
Thank you for entrusting us with your health. Together, we’ll build a care experience that honors your time, your story, and your life.