FAITH COMMUNITY: KEY PARTNERS FOR AND IN PUBLIC HEALTH STEPHANIE BAILEY, MD, MS DECEMBER 2005, APHA
OBJECTIVES WHY PARTNER THE POWER OF PARTNERING ISSUES ENCOUNTERED
… IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ….
Renaldo, age 11, 6 th grade Mother killed at age 6 Father lives in East Tennessee 3 cousins in household
Amanda, age 8 Mother on disability Old brother, age 17, in jail Older sister, age 15, pregnant All three children have separate dad
Keisha, age 6, 1 st grade Dad incarcerated 5 siblings, older teenage sister has a baby
Raphael, age 10, 4 th Grade Mother incarcerated “waited all day to talk to mentor, wanting only to tell her about seeing his sister being shot the night before” Expelled at end of school year (someone said something about his mother)
Thomas, kindergarten Crack baby Kicked out of school for attacking teacher
Courtney, age 5, kindergarten Mother incarcerated Aunt raising 7 children, none are hers
Jackie, age 12, 4 th grade Family has been put out of MDHA Was in room when uncle was shot Has been raped WHEN SHE GROWS UP…. ……………she wants to be a doctor
Incarceration Handicaps Violence, truancy, suspensions Mixed families Failure (academic) Needing and/or wanting attention Lack of tools Adult indifference Low self-esteem
END POINT TO ELIMINATE DISPARITIES TO IMPROVE HEALTH STATUS TO HAVE HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES ______________________________ REQUIRES: THIS PARTNERSHIP
THE POWER OF PARTNERING Bridges to Care: More than 26,000 uninsured persons enrolled and linked to medical homes Filled >83,000 prescriptions = > $1m Assisted > 2000 to enroll in TennCare Referred > 500 to mental health; >200 for A&D services Provided >2000 transports to the doctor
….partnering All ten Davidson County Hospitals have agreed to provide diagnostic, outpatient and inpatient hospital services free of charge to BTC Plus patients >300 specialists and primary care physicians have agreed to treat >3500 BTC patients over the next year for $10 per visit
…..partnering TWO CLINICS, AS MEMBERS OF THE CONSORTIUM, ARE FAITH-BASED THE SISTERS OF ASCENSION HEALTH SYTEMS THROUGH ST. THOMAS HOSPITAL – started two additional clinics in areas of need AS TENNCARE DISENROLLED TENNESSEANS……..TYING NASHVILLE TOGETHER (TNT)
…..partnering CREATING A NEEDLE EXCHANGE/HARM REDUCTION PROGRAM IN NASHVILLE, TN, 1994 BIBLE BELT CHURCH ON EVERY CORNER SAVED BY METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH
….partnering DEVELOPING REGIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINE PUBLIC HEALTH TEAMS, 1998 BUDGET CUTS TO DEPARTMENT EACH YEAR BY THE THEN MAYOR BUDGET SAVED BY COMMUNITY “MOTHER OF HEALTH”
….partnering NASHVILLE, 1999, NUMBER ONE IN THE NATION IN RATES OF SYPHILIS STIGMA IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY “STDFREE” FEBRUARY 14, 2000, “LOVE SERMON”
Nashville’s Current Syphilis Epidemic Control Efforts
WHY PARTNER WITH THE RELIGION AND CHURCHES?
WHETHER FOR…… INFANT MORTALITY SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES TO DECREASE THE BURDEN OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE/STROKE DIABETES A PRAYER
THE THINGS LISTED ON THE CHURCH BROCHURE WHEN TO CALL YOUR PASTOR: SOMEONE SERIOUSLY ILL PERSONAL PROBLEMS DEPRESSED OR DESPONDENT FAMILY PROBLEMS A BABY IS BORN WORRY OR ANXIETY THINKING OF GETTING MARRIED ETC…
#1 – IT MAKES SENSE, INTUITIVELY, AND ECONOMICALLY! #2 – IT APPEALS TO OUR SENSE OF FAIRNESS! #3 – IT GIVES US A WIDER LENS #4 – IT FUELS OPTIMISM
ISSUES THAT GET IN THE WAY……. MISTRUST OF THE GOVERNMENT SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE FAILURE TO THINK SYSTEMICALLY THE TOPIC “THERE WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH MONEY” POLITICAL POSTURING
…..continue THE SCIENCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE DOLLARS FAILURE TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE COMMON GOAL
“He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how.” Nietzsche
IN CONCLUSION WHAT DO I WANT YOU TO THINK ? WHAT DO I WANT YOU TO FEEL? WHAT DO I WANT YOU TO DO?