Effort helps people overcome mistrust, connect with health services
By JULIE MINDA
At about two dozen churches in African-American and other minority communities outside of Chicago, congregants receive a dose of health care along with their spiritual nourishment.
A faith community nursing program from Presence Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Ill., brings health care information and medical professionals to the churches to teach congregants about healthy choices and health risks and provide guidance on how to access Aurora's health care system if they have medical problems.
Statistics show that blacks are at greater risk than whites for many health conditions, including obesity, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, and yet many African-Americans have not been screened for, or sought out information on, these conditions because they are not connected to the health care system.
There's a lack of knowledge about medical issues or a lack of confidence in the health care system, or both, explained Toya Johnson, one of two faith community nurses in Presence Mercy's program who focus on churches in predominantly minority communities (Presence Mercy has four additional nurses who work with churches in the broader community). "People don't know what's available to them and there is medical mistrust," or a lack of confidence in medical personnel, she said.
Johnson said many African-Americans will not seek out medical services at a hospital. Many blacks in Aurora, she said, "migrated from the South, and brought our experiences with us, of being denied medical treatment and of medical providers looking down on us. Those beliefs were passed down," and resulted in lingering mistrust. Johnson said the health outreach program aims to move people past those barriers. "We're empowering people to be active in their health care — we're empowering them to make health care decisions."
Reaching people where they are
Maria Aurora Diaz, Presence Mercy director of community health and diabetes, said when the churches open their doors to the Presence Mercy faith community nurses, that is an endorsement that holds sway with church members. "In many of these communities, the church is like a family, and there is trust there," that extends to the nurses. Diaz is among the honorees who will be named Tomorrow's Leaders at the Catholic Health Assembly in June, and the recognition is due in part to her support of faith community nursing.
Allies in health promotion
When the program began under different leadership and staffing nine years ago, the focus was on reducing the high infant mortality rate in Aurora's African-American community, and on promoting cancer screenings in response to the community's high incidence of prostate cancer. Presence Mercy community benefit team members established a relationship with the Fox Valley Christian Ministerial Alliance, a group of pastors representing about two dozen predominantly black, Protestant churches in Aurora. That alliance usually meets monthly to discuss church issues — the group gives Presence Mercy an agenda spot at the meetings once a quarter. Most of the alliance churches also have nurse volunteers who meet as a group monthly, and Presence Mercy is on the agenda at those meetings as well.
Currently, the conversations revolve around a community health needs assessment implementation strategy report Diaz helped develop with Presence Mercy leadership. The report outlines the ministry's plan to help address the top six major health threats to Kane County, Ill., where Aurora is located. Those threats are: obesity, chronic disease, infant mortality, childhood lead poisoning, communicable disease and poor social and emotional wellness.
Pin-a-sister
Johnson is the liaison to nearly 20 churches in the African-American community. The other faith community nurse focused on minority populations, Socorro Bredeweg, is staffing the program at three churches in the Hispanic community.
Johnson is part of a team behind the "Circle of Wise Women" program that recruits black women to teach young women how to care for infants and keep them safe. Johnson and her church contacts promote the program at their churches.
Johnson also has rolled out a "pin-a-sister" initiative. Women take part in a pinning ceremony during a church service and wear their pins to show their commitment to being screened for breast cancer.
And, as part of a "bring-a-sister" event, Presence Mercy and the local Visiting Nurse Association provide cancer screenings, massages, lunch and education on health topics for women in the faith community. Presence Mercy and VNA also help uninsured people access the health care system at a discount or at no cost.
In the Hispanic community, they've recently launched the Madrinas, or Godmother, program. Under that mantle, Presence Mercy sends bilingual health educators to the churches to lead small group discussions about heart disease, a condition with a higher incidence among Hispanics than whites.
The faith community nursing program's marquee event is an annual health fair for all the churches and for the broader community. It took place March 23this year.
Diaz said, "More people are getting services; more people are getting screened; there are more resources available to them" because of the outreach programs.
Home court advantage
As part of her Presence Mercy role, Johnson serves as a nurse for one of the churches in the alliance, Main Baptist Church, which is also the church she attends. Main Baptist's senior pastor, Rev. Julian Spencer, said Johnson is "the leading advocate here for health awareness, and she focuses on conditions prominent in our community."
Johnson maintains office hours at the church, counsels church members on how to access health services and answers their health questions. She accompanies church members on their doctor visits, if they need an advocate.
"They feel as though they have their own nurse," said Johnson, "and that gives them peace and makes them feel valuable."
Spencer said Johnson is "worth her weight in gold. Many in the congregation share their experiences with me — they've gotten tested and we caught some conditions, and people got a plan to get better. Some tell me if it wasn't for Toya they wouldn't have caught the problem."
Faith connection
Johnson said the outreach program is a success because it addresses mind, body and spirit. "I connect with (church members) on a personal level, and our connectedness with God opens the door for a great opportunity" to address the concerns they're having.
"I refer back to spirituality, and it's important to me not to get away from that in promoting health," she said. "God wants us to be strong physically and not just spiritually and mentally."
Spencer agreed, saying, "Not many people make the connection between physical and spiritual health, but when you don't have the energy, you don't focus on your spirituality.
"It's the desire of Christ and God for us to be happy, healthy and whole, including in the body," and the Presence Mercy program helps churchgoers to do that, he said.