Working in concert with Mid-Kentucky
and Transylvania Presbyteries, National Health Ministries has received
word that the Presbyterian
Women’s Birthday Offering will provide the core funding
for a new program that will encourage congregations to partner
in providing health risk screening for congregations and the
communities in which the congregations are located.
This project will be based on development of partnerships
and shared use of a mobile health screening van among congregations
within the two presbyteries. The National Health Ministries office
will serve as fiscal agent for the project and has worked
with
advisors to design the mobile health van. The office will
also develop the promotional materials needed to encourage
the
formation
of congregational partnerships, provide the educational
resources needed as well as make available appropriate
training to the volunteers who will
operate the van and carry out the medical screenings. The
health screening van will be scheduled for blocks of time
within each presbytery and interested contiguous presbyteries
on a rotating basis. Mobile health screenings will routinely include: (1) blood
pressure, (2) glucose, (3) cholesterol, and (4) hearing.
Congregational leaders will be encouraged to utilize local
health professionals and add bone density scans and youth
vision and dental screenings where possible. The mobile health
van will also be used for flu and pneumonia vaccinations
when appropriate.
Volunteers and staff who utilize the Mobile Health Van will
follow accepted protocols for professionalism and confidentiality
of information. Educational counseling will supplement the
screenings and reminders will be sent to those referred to
health care professionals.
Partnerships between congregations that are better resourced
and those that have fewer resources will give the project
the feel of hands-on work and relationship building among
the people involved. In order for congregations to participate
they will have to go beyond financial support and agree to
commit volunteers.
“Once the project is underway, we hope to also develop
medical mission trips involving college-aged youth who wish
to participate in short-term medical mission trips during
school breaks, ” explained Pat Gleich, associate for
National Health Ministries. “Too often we miss the
wonderfully rewarding experience of seeing the result of
our work. As we have been developing this project we have
heard from folks who did medical mission years ago. They
tell of their experiences with an energy that reaffirms the
value of hands-on involvement!”
National Health Ministries will also utilize the van for
health screenings at churchwide events and demonstrate both
the utility of the van and the efficacy of congregational
partnerships for health.
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