Fall 2007Letter from the PresidentThe Courage of Conversation In her book Turning to one Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future, Margaret Wheatley talks about the importance of something as simple as listening. She writes: It’s not easy to begin talking to one another again. We stay silent and apart for many reasons…I find it takes just one person to have the courage to begin a conversation. When we humans don’t talk to one another, we stop acting intelligently…we give up the capacity to think about what’s going on. We don’t act to change anything…I think the greatest source of courage is to realize that if we don’t act nothing will change for the better. Reality doesn’t change itself. It needs us to act. This issue of the HMA newsletter focuses on vulnerable populations. When we mention vulnerable populations, we think of the homeless and the frail elderly and the abused souls of the world. But the term ‘vulnerable’ can also apply to each of us in terms of our relationships to each other and to each other within organizations which we support. HMA is an organization with a lot of potential. That potential cannot be actualized unless individuals become active to support the mission of a multi faith membership group reaching out to the world. What often happens is that “little groups” form because of their own belief or loyalty to “the way it should be” and conversation ceases between and among those groups. We need to be open to our differences and acknowledge them and move through them. Anytime you have more than one person, you have opportunity to dialogue and really “hear the other out”. Differences of opinion are healthy…dialogue is needed and compromise is an art that needs to be practiced. Again, Margaret Wheatly says it so well in another part of her book on Conversations. “One of the easiest human acts is also the most healing. Listening to someone, simply listening. Not advising or coaching, but silently and fully listening. Why is being heard so healing? Because relationships form.” Consider making an intentional commitment to communicate, dialogue and have conversations. You will be a better person because of it, and so will HMA! From the HMA Vice PresidentHealth Ministry in Action We know that health ministry programs promote health and prevent illness, and have even begun to measure monetary savings because of direct interventions. Bonnie (name changed), a 39-year old African American single mom, wasn’t feeling well the evening she brought her three kids to Bible School. She asked the Faith Community Nurse to take her blood pressure. It was 210/104. This was a surprise to her—but she had no doctor and hadn’t been keeping track. Sylvia, the nurse, connected her with a federally funded clinic and she got right in (sometimes the wait is four weeks). Bonnie was started on medication immediately. Sylvia followed up, offering nutrition counseling, encouraging Bonnie to join the church’s walking program, and continuing to monitor her blood pressure. Bonnie, a school cook, was intrigued by healthier food choices, different cooking methods, and ingredient substitution. Incorporating these new habits into her life, she was losing about three pounds a week, and by the end of four months had lost fifty pounds. She felt good, and her blood pressure was within normal limits. The church may soon start televising its services, and when it does, the pastor wants Bonnie to do some healthy cooking demonstrations after the main service. She has become the “poster child” for healthy changes. We can’t say for sure this ministry saved Bonnie from having a stroke—but we can suggest it prevented an emergency room visit and many complications. Bonnie’s quality of life is much improved, and her testimony is having a rippling effect in the community. And on a much deeper level, we know that love heals. HMA AnnouncementHMA Partners With A New Management Company HMA has contracted with a new management company located in Philadelphia. Fernley and Fernley is a premier management company which specializes in managing small not-for-profit organizations. The company has been in business for over 150 years and currently manages 35 organizations. Having the distinction of dual charter accreditation, Fernley and Fernley has the availability of all potential services that an organization could use including skilled executive leadership, expert technical assistance, conference planning and management, e-commerce capabilities and strategic partnerships. Molly Pappas has been appointed as the Executive Director of HMA. She brings exceptional leadership expertise to the management of HMA and is totally committed to the HMA mission. You will have the opportunity to meet her at the HMA annual conference which will be held in Irvine CA June 12-15, titled ‘The Healing Power of Gratitude’. Please welcome Molly and Fernley and Fernley!
Faculty UpdateAffirm Them In Their Goodness As faculty members we feel joy and experience tremendous fulfillment when motivated and inspired students arrive ready and eager to learn. Challenges, however, can emerge that dampen our joy and impart anxiety particularly when we find that a student arrives wounded or afflicted due to life’s circumstances. Indeed, it may escape us from time to time that our students are but representative of the greater constituency and are likewise representative of various vulnerable populations. Mental illness, physical limitations, poverty, single-parenthood, and abusive relationships are some of the experiences our students may be living out which make it difficult for them to participate and complete course objectives. As faculty engaged in faith and health education we are certainly accountable to the institutions that support us but equally so to the students who access our services. What, then, is the proper response when a vulnerable student is finding it difficult to meet the demands of course work due to overwhelming personal issues? In some instances guidelines are provided within institutional policies. It is often left, however, to the faculty member to wade through the concerns and make final decisions which ideally communicate caring and respect for all involved. Affirmation is a term that emerged in the 1980’s and surged in popularity a decade later when self-help groups of every kind sprouted up and books touting the benefits of self-affirmation multiplied. Dr. Conrad Baars, in his book titled Born Only Once, the Miracle of Affirmation (1975), asserted that it is only through human relationships that one is either affirmed or denied and that self-affirmation is futile. He continued that authentic affirmation is that which unconditionally communicates acceptance and recognizes goodness in another. It is a life-giving act that tends to the worth of another, that finds delight in another’s being and current circumstances without desiring to change or possess the other. Affirmation means giving another person the gift of themselves. In the midst of grief and pain, affirmation and tender acceptance can have a profound impact on a student trapped in a life of oppression. It may be the vehicle that puts them on the path to a new beginning as they seek a way out of their current existence. Our response, rooted in compassion and caring, models health ministry and becomes a lesson in itself. It is not in any way incongruent or inappropriate, but it does require a balanced perspective and responsible approach; one that results in accountability to all involved. I would heartily encourage you to nurture an affirming attitude which can have a positive impact on student outcomes and become a source of joy for faculty even in the midst of difficulties and challenges. PopulationsThe Hindering of American Children As people of faith working together for healthier communities' we are called to be Christ's ambassadors in a hurting and fallen world. The Bible is replete with directives for us, e.g., to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, to comfort all who mourn, to care for the sick, to visit the prisoner, to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to not withhold good from those who deserve it, and to not hinder the little children " for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these"(Matt 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16). Webster's Dictionary defines hinder "as to cause delay or difficulty in; hamper; impede; to prevent from doing or happening". Our society is not only hindering and preventing millions of children from realizing their God-given potential, but leaving them emotionally, mentally and physically scarred for life. About 4,000 children a year never have the chance to experience the full abundant life through Christ due to premature death. Michael Petit reports in his book Homeland Insecurity......American Children at Risk that in the five year period from 2001-2005, more than 20,000 American children have paid the ultimate price in a homeland that was anything but secure for them, they were murdered on their neighborhood streets, killed in their own homes, or took their own lives. Interestingly, during this same five-year period, the U.S. government dispersed over $5 billion to public health departments to protect us from bioterrorist attack or flu pandemic. Daily news reports focus on national terrorism and homeland security while many children are victimized in their own homes and communities. Millions, not thousands or hundreds of thousands, but millions of children today are reported abused and neglected, millions are left unsupervised everyday after school, millions have been displaced from families and are living with grandparents, extended families or foster families, millions have one or both parents incarcerated, and millions are without health insurance. Of all the wealthy democracies worldwide, America has the highest child abuse death rate, 3 times higher than 2nd place Canada. This troublesome picture of hindering our children from realizing their God-given potential and experiencing the abundant life is compounded in rural areas. Rural children are more likely than their urban counterparts to live in low-income or poor families, to be substance abusers, to be more involved in crime, to suffer from low self-esteem, emotional problems, depression and to experience more frequent suicide attempts, to be victims of child abuse, to be absent from school, to repeat a grade in school, to drop out of school, to have lower educational attainment, to live in households where someone smokes, to stay at home alone without the supervision, and to have higher mortality rates. The plight of rural children has drawn the attention of a number of researchers and organizations recently, including the Carsey Institute, the Rural AssistanceCenter and the federal government resulting in the following publications.
As people of faith we need to revisit the sacredness of life and do a better job of protecting our children, especially in rural areas. This means focusing on active prevention and early intervention measures that effectively counteract the daily seduction and enticements of our youth by media and peers that promote unhealthy behaviors and lifestyles. People of faith need to be a unified voice that speaks against addictive substances, internet pornography, sexual immorality, child sexual abuse and movies that glamorize the rape of young pre-teen girls. When our Lord separates the people, may we never have to say ALord, when did we see you?. (Matt 25: 31-46)
Worthy to Serve the Least of These “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these, who are members Whatever title we bear in our roles of health ministry, as pastor, chaplain, health educator, faith community nurse, healing touch therapist, lay health minister, or one of many possibilities, we are all privileged to enter into the sacred space of another at times of greatest vulnerability. In the presence of the “vulnerable one’s” brokenness and pain, normal everyday “masks” fall away exposing carefully guarded deep secrets, hurts, and hopes that the soul holds. The trust, hope, and confidence placed in the caregiver/ minister by the “vulnerable one” and their loved ones is amazing and humbling. I remind my puffed-up ego, it is not me but God that is using me to facilitate healing. Often I find myself asking for the right words, for the right timing, for insight, understanding, and strength even as I accompany “one of the least of these”, praying that I may be worthy of the situation set before me. Serving Our Most Vulnerable Populations: Children and Older Adults Derryl Block and La Vohn Josten, public health nurse educators, developed an ethical theory of population-focused nursing that is based on the intersecting fields of public health and nursing. Block and Josten suggest three essential elements of population-focused nursing that stem from these two fields: an obligation to population, the primacy of prevention, and the centrality of relationship-based care. The first two fields stem from public health, and the third is integral to all of nursing (Block & Josten, 1999). This theory has important applications for faith community nursing. Obligation to population and emphasis on prevention are basic for faith community nursing, relationship-based care is underscored with the added dimension of spirituality being central to faith community nurse practice. When we speak of ethics in faith community nursing, we speak of nursing in a setting that shapes and informs our practice. Children and adolescents are, particularly, important segments of the population because their physical and emotional health is vital to the future of society and because they are unable to help themselves without guidance and direction. Since we serve as liaison between the congregation and community, faith community nurses are making a significant contribution to the health of children, as well as older adults who are often impacted by the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes. Each day in the U.S., approximately 3,900 youths aged 12-17 try their first cigarette. If current patterns of smoking behaviors continue, an estimated 6.4 million of today’s children can be expected to die prematurely from a smoking-related disease. Children and teenagers constitute the majority of all new smokers, and the industry’s advertising and promotion campaigns often have special appeal to these young people. An educational outreach to disseminate comprehensive, concise and useful information to both populations would encourage, at least, one positive change. Many of you attended our Faith Community Nurse Network meeting at our “Navigating the River” conference and expressed the need for nurses to be more proactive. By designing interventions that maximize nursing’s resources, we can provide the greatest benefit to publicizing our specialty practice and value to all we serve. After polling nurses present, it was decided that the two national health initiatives we will address are tobacco cessation and decreasing obesity incidence. Bring your report of the number of clients seen over the year to Conference 2008 to demonstrate to federal government representatives who we are and what we do. Furthermore, we will convert the cost of care into monetary saving for maximum evidence. Please contact me to contribute to the body of knowledge and best practice. Who is Vulnerable? What’s included when we talk of vulnerable people? Is it the homeless, the sick, the lonely, the children, the elderly? Of course, all of these individuals are among the vulnerable – often marginalized, that we in health ministry work with in our congregations and community. But consider how each of you is vulnerable. We, the health ministry team. We, who often don’t take care of ourselves, who burn the candle at both ends, who spend all of our energy and resources on everyone else. We care. We relentlessly go about doing the work we have been called to do for our fellowmen. Our vulnerability often puts us at risk. Often we suffer the same symptoms as those individuals listed at the beginning, all because we don’t care enough for ourselves. So what can we do to take care of ourselves so we’re able to serve the most vulnerable? For starters, you can start planning to meet in Irvine, CA at the HMA conference. To dream ahead and make plans for the future is part of the adventure. That in itself often gives us relief from the stress of everyday life. The conference theme this year is The Healing Power of Gratitude. Some ways to take care of yourself are to have fun with colleagues, find mentors, explore new territory, deepen experiences and grow spiritually as someone holds your hand. This journey we are on is meant to be shared. We offer many opportunities in a setting that you will love. Come to sunny California to heal your body and your soul. Bask in the sun …feel the warmth, not only from the sun but from others sent by God. You might also want to consider stretching yourself by sharing your skills, talents, and your journey with us. Go to the website (www.hmassoc.org) and submit a proposal. New people, cultures, religions, disciplines are all welcome and encouraged to be part of the presenting team this year. It’s okay to open yourself to new possibilities, new beginnings. It’s okay to be vulnerable. Meeting the Realities of Aging People age 65+ occupy about 50% of all hospital beds, represent 25% of all physician office visits and consume about 60% of all healthcare dollars. For these reasons alone, quality eldercare is imperative. Yet, according to Patricia Franklin, Program Manager, American Academy of Nursing Coordinating Center, prior to 2006, less than one third of baccalaureate level nursing programs offered even one geriatric nursing faculty. Out of 7000,000 doctors, only 900 are formally trained geriatric specialists. Ageism remains rampant and is a significant barrier to providing quality eldercare. Sharon Inouye, MD says, “Time and again I saw older people (usually age 70+) admitted to the hospital for acute problems and then, almost invariably, these people would do very poorly. I asked myself, ‘What is it that we are doing that causes hospital care to become almost toxic for an older person?’” The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) she founded at Yale University Hospital has been adopted by more than 50 healthcare organizations nationally. Although physiological changes associated with aging can impact quality-of-life, access to elder healthcare is becoming more limited. Seattle Times Growing Older columnist Liz Taylor reports, “According to many of my readers, including physicians, it has [the number of doctors willing to accept Medicare] become a crisis in many parts of our state and nation and will continue as Medicare payment levels to physicians decline.” Additionally, elders and their families are frequently unaware of existing resources and information related to aging.
Jim and Linda Henry are authors of Transformational Eldercare from the Inside Out, Strengths-Based Strategies for Caring, ANA www. Nursesbooks.org, 2007 and The Soul of the Caring Nurse, ANA 2004. They conduct workshops nationally and can be reached at jlhenry@aol.com. Did You Know?Alyson Breisch, RN, MSN Practice and Education Chair Did you know that persons 85 years of age or older are members of the fastest growing segment in United States population? Did you know that the number of elderly who live alone is increasing? Of those who live alone, 18% have no relative on whom they could depend for support over a period of several days. Did you know that HMA was a participant in the national Nurse Competency in Aging Project sponsored by ANA, ANCC, ANF and the Hartford Institute on Aging? HMA was one of 22 nursing specialty organizations participating in this national project. As a result of the funding and participation, educational modules were developed to increase nurse competence in dealing with the geriatric population. Did you know that these modules are available on the Continuing Education section of the HMA website (www.hmassoc.org) and can be taken for continuing education credit? a. Purposeful Aging Did you know each of these three on-line CE programs provide 2 contact hours at a cost of $10 for HMA members? I invite you to visit the HMA website and consider completing all three modules. Imagine all the “Did you know…” information that you could share with parishioners and their families about purposeful aging, negotiating elder care, and special needs at end of life. Member NewsYou Are Invited! As the newly elected Public Relations Committee Chair, my responsibilities include sharing information with individuals who are involved in health ministry and the public on the many resources and opportunities that are available through membership in the national Health Ministries Association (HMA). I invite you to share information with me and I will share information with you.
HMA needs your support as a member of HMA in order to move the work of our professions and organization ahead. Each one makes a difference through health ministry! I look forward to hearing from you and working with you. |
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People of Faith Working Together for Healthier Communities | www.hmassoc.org |
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This publication or any parts of it may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. For permission to reprint articles or to send correspondence, write to: HMA, 100 North 20th Street, 4th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19103-1443 Phone: (215) 564-3484 Fax: (215) 963-9785 The opinion expressed in any articles by outside consultants are their own views and not necessarily those of the HMA. |
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