Nurse's Notes

by Kate Reeves

March 2006 View

The Church and Health Ministry

 

On January 31 I had the opportunity to meet with several interested people from the San Diego Diocese concerning the establishment of a Diocesan Health Ministry Advisory Board. It seems that in the San Diego Diocese, only eleven churches (and only St. Margaret’s here in our valley) have established Health Ministries. Some of these churches have Parish Nurses, some have non-professionals who serve as Health Ministers. Most of the non-professionals have some tie with the health care industry.

Why is this a priority? To quote from the Mission Statement, “The Diocesan Health and Wellness Advisory Board serves the people of the Diocese by advocating and supporting wellness at the parish and mission church levels as well as through other denominations, faith communities, healthcare organizations and outreach groups.”

The Health and Wellness group recognizes that God works with us for well-being and wholeness, and that a well person strengthens the whole community. One great plus factor is that health and wellness can be supported without financial drain on a parish, especially with the use of volunteer nurses and others who have interest in community outreach and community health.

We are proud of our established Health Ministry here at St. Margaret’s and some of what we do may serve as a template for other churches. Our program is part of the Pastoral Care committee—we meet weekly, we have good communication between the members and we document our contacts. We already incorporate other denominations—for example our three volunteer Parish Nurses are of differing faiths. We do community outreach by the use of this newsletter, by serving on community committees such as the Partnership for End of Life (PELC) and by sponsoring first aid classes, flu shot clinics and other ways to enhance the health of our parishioners and their neighbors. St. Margaret’s has an Automatic External Defibrillator, and staff trained to use it if necessary. First Aid kits are available throughout the campus. We are always striving to improve our outreach and our services.

The Diocesan Board will meet at least quarterly and it is their hope, and my hope, that each parish in our Diocese will establish a Health ministry to better serve the community around them.

 

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