Northwest Parish Nurse News

Transcription

1 Northwest Parish Nurse News Volume 20, Issue 1 February, 2011 Board Begins Search for New Director 7 days At the suggestion of the current Executive Director, Bruce Strade, the Board of Directors of Northwest Parish Nurse Ministries has initiated a process for finding his replacement. After reviewing and refining the job description, the Board put together a Search Committee who will develop the process, conduct the search, evaluate applications, and recommend candidates for final board review. Members of the search committee are: Joanne Warner, Director of the School of Nursing at the University of Portland and NPNM board member, chair. Eunice Rech, Chief Clinical Officer at Tuality Healthcare and NPNM board member. Bob Cornie, retired stockbroker and Legacy Health board member. William Olsen, Chief Financial Officer at Providence Health and Services, and former NPNM board member. Sharon Christianson, Faith Community Nurse at the Downtown Chapel Catholic Parish. The timeline establish by the Committee is to advertise the position and accept applications through the end of February and interview and hire someone by the end of April with the potential start date of June 1, One of the tools that the board will have available for the selection of the new executive is the Report and Recommendations of a Vision for Funding Task Force. This document prioritizes its recommendations into four time frames: 1. Immediate (next 3 months evaluate staff needs, correct technology problems, target and solicit grants and emphasize Board responsibilities in fundraising. 2. Short term (within 6 months) Establish Search Committee, explore the development of an Endowment Fund, grow memberships, increase profitability of Humor & Health Fest, conduct direct appeals to people of means, expand grant writing capacity and seek Bridge Funding. 3. Intermediate (6 to 18 months) Partner with health care organizations to reduce hospital readmissions, solicit funding support from health care facilities outside Portland metropolitan area, document consistence & quality of educational programs, increase congregational funding and solicit beneficiaries of ser- (Continued on page 2) without prayer makes one weak Inside this issue: Anonymous Donate Online Now Praising the Creator 2 Search (cont.) 2 Living Well Coordinator Hired 3 Humor and Health Fest PS Debuts in Seattle 4 New Staff Member Covers Gaps Classes Scheduled 5 Providence Funds Vial of Life Pilot 5 Wheat Ridge Seeds Free Clinic 6 Love and Comfort Reign 6 Bits and Pieces 7 In Honor of 7 Year Ends on + Side 7 Save the Date 8

2 Page 2 Northwest Parish Nurse News Praising the Creator Joan Chittister in her book of meditations on The Psalms states: To praise the Creator it is necessary to care for the creation. (p. 139) When we consider humankind as the crown of creation, made in the image of the Creator, then we have ample reason to praise God by taking good care of ourselves. As stewards of God s creation, we are responsible for managing well what God has entrusted to us. This means that not only are we called to protect the environment, care for and about all of God s creatures, use resources wisely and respect property, but also to manage responsibly our own wellbeing and health. In this context, health ministry is good stewardship. A health ministry program takes health care seriously and sees it as part of our response to God s goodness and grace. It promotes a culture that encourages people to exercise regularly, eat nutritionally, maintain a healthy weight, and not smoke, one or all of which 87% of the population in the U.S. fail to do. It recognizes that just as healing was central to Christ s ministry, so also is the Body of Christ a healing community. By design and intent we are meant to live in relationship to one another. We are called to establish a place of nurture and support where people are validated and consider themselves partners in healing. Health ministry upholds the power of prayer, values the contribution of medicine and health care professionals, connects people to community resources, provides reliable education, and encourages self-responsibility. If your faith community already has a health ministry program, embrace it, support it and sing its praises. If you do not have such a program, consider starting one. Visit our webpage ( for ideas and suggestions, especially the section under Faith Community Tools, where you will find a Startup Toolkit. Pour on the praise. Make health ministry a priority in Search (cont.) vices. 4. Long term (18+ months) Continue to expand funding sources, make better use of social media, engage other health professionals, identify foundations with complementary goals for partnerships, and make website more attractive to outsiders. These recommendations dovetail with the visioning exercise that that Board went through in April, At that time they focused on the future of NPNM, zeroing in specifically on improved IT systems, financial stability, and growth and connections with community/faith organizations and resources. Executive Director, Northwest Parish Nurse Ministries Portland, OR Northwest Parish Nurse Ministries (NPNM) is seeking an Executive Director with vision, strategic thinking, administrative strengths, demonstrated evidence of financial development and a passion for community and/or faith-based health experience. NPNM is an interfaith, non-profit agency that develops and supports faith community nursing/health ministries throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Executive Director represents the organization to partners, donors, community organizations and participating members. Apply if your leadership gifts match the vision of faith communities partnering for wellness. For more information about NPNM, as well as the position responsibilities and qualifications, see To apply, send a cover letter, resume and 3 references to warner@up.edu. Deadline for applications: 1 March 2011 Potential start date: 1 June 2011

3 Volume 20, Issue 1 Living Well Coordinator Hired Page 3 Thanks to an award from the Providence Community Grants Council, NPNM is able to hire a person to coordinate Living Well workshops in Clark County, WA and Washington County, OR. The goals of the two-year, $25,000 grant are to: Increase the number of qualified leaders in Clark and Washington Counties. Provide increased access to Living Well workshops for low-income seniors suffering from chronic conditions. Improve functioning and decrease the dependence of this population on health care services. Develop partnerships with community and health care organizations to promote and support participation in Living Well workshops and lay the groundwork for coordination and sustainability. Filling the position of Living Well Coordinator is Cheryl Bailey-Horner, RN and Faith Community Nurse from Vancouver, WA. Cheryl, a graduate of Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing in Lincoln, NE, completed her Leader Training in Chronic Disease Self-Management in Later that year she also received her Master Trainer Certification from Stanford University. In June of 2008, she completed the Basic Preparation for Faith Community Nurses and Health Ministers. From 2005 until July, 2010, Cheryl served as the RN Project Coordinator for Columbia United Provider. Prior to that she worked as an RN Consultant for Case and Disease Management at Aetna U.S. Healthcare and RN for the Asthma Disease Management Program. In her role as Living Well Coordinator, Cheryl will be responsible for recruiting leaders, scheduling and organizing leadership trainings, promoting workshops and expanding community partnerships in Clark and Washington Counties. She will play a key role in establishing and promoting Living Well workshops within these two areas. Living Well (Stanford University s Chronic Disease Self- Management Program, or CDSMP) is a six-week workshop that provides tools for living a healthy life with chronic health conditions, including diabetes, arthritis, asthma and heart disease. The workshop provides support for normal daily activities and dealing with the emotions that chronic conditions may bring about. NPNM is a licensed provider of these services and recently contracted with Southwest Washington Agency on Aging and Disability to provide Living Well workshops to the elderly population on Medicare/ Medicaid with chronic conditions. NPNM is also a provider for Living Well workshops in a Providence Community Grant Council award to Multnomah County. Both grants provide subsidies for workshop leaders and reimburse some expenses. Anyone wishing more information on Living Well workshops or leadership training, contact: Sandy Madsen at or sandym@npnm.org.

4 Page 4 Humor and Health Fest PS Debuts in Seattle With the Humor and Health Fest in Portland growing from 100 to over 300 in the course of 5 years, the Board of Directors has decided to test this FUNdraising model in the Seattle area. When contracting with Philip Gulley, author, storyteller, humorist and Quaker minister, to headline Humor and Health Fest VI on October 15, 2011 at the Jantzen Beach Red Lion, he also indicated his willingness to do something similar in the Seattle area on October 14, Since then a committee has been formed in the Seattle area and the Museum of Flight has been secured as the site to launch Humor and Health Fest PS (Puget Sound). Under the leadership of board members, Donna Oiland, Julie Burns and Emily Hitchens the goal is to attract a minimum of 100 supporters of Faith Community Nursing and Health Ministry to this inaugural event. Gulley, who kept the audience in stitches at the 2009 Westberg Symposium in St. Louis, is the author of the Porch Talk series of books, he which he evokes a time when life revolved around the front porch, where friends gathered, stories were told, and small moments took on large meaning....gulley's observations are frank Northwest Parish Nurse News and funny, reminding us of the world we once shared, and can again. He also won two Emmys from the National Academy of Television Arts and Science for his Porch Talk with Philip Gulley series on PBS. You can find out more about Gulley on his webpage: The theme of both Fests will be: Laughing for the Health of It. So plan on attending one of these FUNdraisers either in Seattle at the Museum of Flight on Friday, October 14, 2011 or in Portland at the Jantzen Beach Red Lion on October 15, New Staff Member Covers Gaps To accommodate a reduction in hours followed by a medical leave for Sandi Douglas, NPNM Administrative Coordinator, Connie McFall joined the staff to fill in the gaps. After assisting her husband in his insurance business for many years, Connie welcomed the opportunity to explore new opportunities when the business was sold. At the urging of Corrinne Gilbertson, Parish Nurse at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Beaverton, Connie attended the Basic Preparation for Faith Community Nurses and Health Ministers in the Spring of In her capacity as a health minister, she gathers and disseminates health information, is available for home and hospital visits and is involved in a sur- vey assessing the health needs of the congregation. Prior to becoming part of the central office staff, Connie and her daughter, Christy, volunteered their services to the 2010 Conference and Humor and Health Fest V. Beginning February 17 when Sandi goes on medical leave, Connie will cover the office from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. She will also continue to fill in when Sandi returns.

5 Volume 20, Issue Classes Scheduled Page 5 Basic Preparation for Faith Community Nurse & Health Ministry Place/Date University of Portland Portland, OR March 16-19, 2011 Sandy Madsen sandym@npnm.org Contact Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA April & May 16-17, 2011 Health Ministries Network St. Joseph Medical Center Bellingham, WA October 7-9 & Oct Terry Bennett bennettl@plu.edu Jeanne Brotherton jeannebrotherton@gmail.com Providence Funds Vial of Life Pilot A passing comment by Faith Roberts, Parish Nurse Program Coordinator for Carle Foundation Hospital, about the Vial of Life Program in Urbana, IL, at the 2010 Conference in Portland, prompted Elizabeth Lien to pitch the idea to Providence Portland Medical Center. The Faith Community Nurse at Orthodox Church of the Annunciation received a grant to fund a pilot Vial of Life project in the Portland area. The Vial of Life program gives individuals with chronic illnesses, the elderly and persons who live alone a large pill vial in which they place an abbreviated medical history. The form includes information on blood type, allergies, medications, major illnesses and current medical conditions. The vial containing the document is kept in the refrigerator where it may be easily located in the event of an emergency. A decal placed on the front door or window, plus a magnet on the refrigerator door alert emergency personnel (first responders) to its presence. Additional vials are given to individuals to keep in their motor vehicles. In collaboration with Providence Health & Services, Portland Providence Medical Center and NPNM, participating parish nurses from a variety of faith communities will present the program to their local emergency departments and distrib- ute 1,000 vials, information forms, decals and refrigerator magnets to members of their faith groups. An evaluation of the response to the pilot project will then be made to determine the feasibility of expanding the program to the greater Portland area and possibly the Pacific Northwest. In praise of the project, one person who had such a container in their refrigerator shared the following story when her husband suffered a mini-stroke: I threw the container into my purse, got in the car and rushed to the emergency room. I handed them the medical form which contained all the information they needed. Within 20 minutes of arriving at the ER, my husband had completed a CAT scan. She added that this incident is now part of his updated form.

6 Page 6 Wheat Ridge Seeds Free Clinic Northwest Parish Nurse News Love & Comfort Reign When Trinity Lutheran Church, Dallas, OR relocated to a new 20,000 square foot building east of town in 2010, they turned the Barbara McGuffey building over to the Trikerion Fundation, a 501(c)(3) organization established to provide programs and facilities in Polk County that enhance human health and wellbeing. The prospect of the move prompted Trinity s Faith Community Nurse, Barbara McGuffey, to submit a request to Wheat Ridge Ministries to fund the implementation of a Free Medical Clinic for Polk County. In response to the request, Wheat Ridge Ministries awarded the congregation a $40,000 grant over a period of 3 years. The funds will supplement congregational in kind resources, funds from other granting sources and community contributions making it possible for the Faith Community Nurse to dedicate from twelve to twenty hours/week to establish the need and feasibility and lead the implementation of a Free Medical Clinic for Polk County. It will be located in the vacated church building, along with the Dallas Food Bank and the local faithbased soup kitchen, James II. The grant funds will also be used to purchase initial equipment/ supplies. Trinity Lutheran Church and the Polk Area Free Clinic Committee (PAFC), a healthcare access improvement work group, will address access gaps experienced by uninsured and underinsured members in rural Oregon by collaborating with churches in a neighboring county, the local ministerial association, community physicians and the local critical access hospital to open an all volunteer Free Medical Clinic for Polk County. The clinic is projected to begin operation for a few hours per month in mid 2011 offering free primary health care to those in need. It will serve as a place for uninsured community members to receive primary health care that addresses the whole person. The clinic s primary measure of success will be determined yearly by the number of clients seen who would not otherwise receive whole person care. When asked what are the key ingredients of her work as a Parish Nurse at the University Park Baptist Church in North Portland, Murial Amack is quick to saylove and comfort.. Having served her congregation since 1999, Muriel describes her routine on Sunday morning,: I go around at church on Sunday morning asking people how they are and what I can pray for. I see much of what I have to offer is love and comfort to the old people, states the 77 years young church worker. Her monthly activities include: home Muriel Amack and hospital visits, taking people to the doctor and sitting with the family when a member is undergoing a procedure. In addition, she loans out equipment such as wheel chairs, walkers, canes, etc. Wherever there is a need. Frequently she and her husband deliver flowers to the homebound. I know the people and the people know I like to visit. People who are grieving feel comfortable calling Muriel, who insists, It is not a problem for me to have the phone ring and I go and help someone. As a matter of fact, I like doing it.

7 Volume 20, Issue 1 Bits and Pieces The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the publication of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans They can be downloaded at As stated in the introduction: Based on the most recent scientific evidence review, this document provides information and advice for choosing a healthy eating pattern namely, one that focuses on nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and that contributes to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Such a healthy eating pattern also embodies food safety principles to avoid foodborne illness. Diet soda fans who drink the beverages every day may be cutting down on calories, but they also may be boosting the risk of stroke, according to a nine-year study conducted by Hannah Gardener, an epidemiologist at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The study found that those who drank diet soda daily compared to those who drank no soda were 61 percent more likely to have a vascular event. A movie that debuted in Portland kept extending its stay because of sellout screenings. It will be distributed nationally in March. "Forks Over Knives" examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. For more information: Since whopping portions sizes are a big reason people overeat, Nemours Foundation suggests the following to teach children appropriate portion sizes: Put meals on smaller plates Divide snacks into smaller portions, rather than give them the whole bag Separate leftovers into small portion sizes Serve food away from table to limit family members from going back for seconds Produce single-service foods and eat meals slowly Skip the plus-sized value meals. A contribution was made to NPNM In Honor of Dr. & Mrs. Archie Kleingartner by Bill & Naomi Adix Page 7 Year Ends on + Side 2010 ended for NPNM on a positive note thanks to: The support of dedicated donors The generosity of our healthcare funders Paid memberships of Faith Community Nurses/ Health ministers, majority of whom volunteer their professional services The success of Basic Preparation for Faith Community Nurse and Health Minster classes with 105 graduates in 7 classes Subsidy of sponsors for Humor and Health Fest VI and the increased giving of those in attendance The hard work of staff and their persistence in the face of technology barriers. In spite of hard times and grant cutbacks, we were blessed to come out ahead. This year we are looking at additional cuts, so we welcome the continued support of our friends and partners. With your help we are able to educate, nurture and network faith community nurses and health ministers to promote prevention and wholeness. In the process, they extend, enhance and save lives. One cannot even begin to measure the full return on such an investment.

8 Northwest Parish Nurse Ministries 2801 N. Gantenbein, Rm 1072 Portland, OR NONPROFIT US POSTAGE PAID PORTLAND, OR PERMIT NO 5715 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Sponsors Board of Directors Lois Banke, President Cindy Evans, Vice President Mary Waldo, Secretary Martha Conboy, Treasurer Members at Large Julie Burns Emily Hitchens Ed Hoover Donna Oiland Deborah Patterson Eunice Rech Margaret Rystrom Joanne Warner Staff The Rev. Bruce Strade Executive Director Sandy Madsen Education Coordinator Sandra Douglas Connie McFall Administrative Coordinators Cheryl Bailey-Horner Living Well Coordinator Web page: Phone: LAUGHING for the HEALTH of it! October 15, The Red Lion Jantzen Beach, Portland Humor and Health Fest VI October 14, The Museum of Flight Seattle, Washington Humor and Health Fest PS FUNdraiser featuring storyteller Philip Gulley Northwest Parish Nurse Ministries