While Catholic Health is grounded in the tradition and teachings of the Catholic Church, we also recognize that many faith traditions have a link in their beliefs to the health and care of the believer. Churches have always been places of healing and wholeness so it seems appropriate that Catholic Health initiated a Faith Community Nurse Program to work within existing church communities to train nurses to be health educators, counselors, and resources for members of their congregations.
Churches are and have always been places of healing. By creating a health ministry, you can care for the whole person: mind, body and spirit.
As a member of our program, you’ll bring health screenings and presentations to your congregation and to the surrounding area. We’ll work with you to assess your congregation’s health needs and develop your program.
A Faith Community Nurse acts as your health educator, counselor and coordinator. He or she does not provide hands-on care, but will refer you to healthcare providers and resources. This person should be a member of your congregation. Training information will be provided.
While Catholic Health is grounded in the Judeo Christian tradition “to preach the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:2), we know that many faith traditions have a link in their beliefs to the health and care of the believer.
We will assist communities of all faiths in establishing health communities.
Many churches and faith organizations have found value in integrating the Faith Community Nurse Program into their congregations. Please take a moment to review the following list of previous participants in the program.
Upcoming events with Catholic Health staff may be viewed on our events calendar.
Informal caregivers struggle with making sure their loved one is safe at home, has transportation to their clinical visits, and making sense of the multiple components of a complex system. In 2015, twelve nurses spent 4,600 hours serving 2,410 individuals within the Catholic Health’s Faith Community Nurse Program. The healthcare silos erected mean doctors see patients in their offices, home care workers see patients in their homes and efficiently communicate with neither each other nor the patient’s caregiver. With Social Determinants of Health noting the different aspects that effect a person health, a caregiver requires a complete picture of their loved one’s condition and the best resources to meet their health care and daily living needs.
Over the two years of the “Faith Community Nurse Connections” pilot study; supported by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Fund for Caregiving-administered by the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, it addresses the unmet needs expressed by the patients and caregivers served. With the resulting articles referenced, the study attempts to answer those caregiver questions.”
Sessanna, L., Pomeroy, S.H, Askew, Y.D. (2021). “I Don’t Want to See It End”: A Faith Community Nurse Intervention for Older Adults and Family Caregivers. Innovations in Aging, Issue Supplement (2021, in press).
Sessanna, L., Pomeroy, S.H, Askew, Y.D. (November 2020). “I Don’t Want to See It End”: A Faith Community Nurse Intervention for Older Adults and Family Caregivers. Gerontological Society of America, Annual Scientific Meeting Online, Turning 75: Why Age Matters. Philadelphia, PA. [Referred]
Contact Yvonne Askew, MSN Ed., RN-BC Faith Community Nurse Program Coordinator at (716) 923-9672 or at yaskew@chsbuffalo.org.
