We Care Faith Partners

Two years age, Dr. Tom Holmes, Director of Covenant Ministries in Lima, Ohio brought together a group of people from faith communities, the Allen County Health Department and the Mental Health Board to study the problem of addiction in Allen County. One of the first programs the group offered was an Addition Training Program. Trainers from the Rush Center of the Johnson Institute came to Lima to assist people in faith communities to develop a conceptual framework for thinking about alcohol and drug related problems and issues.

This program was followed with more educational opportunities for faith community members. Next surveys were conducted in faith communities to gather information about the extent of the problem of addictions. The surveys were completed to bring to the forefront the problem with addictions in faith communities, as well as, in the entire community. After the extent of the problem was delineated, the group moved on to coordinate solutions to the problem of addiction. At the present time work in congregations has started to help individuals and families with prevention, early intervention, referral assistance, recovery support and advocacy related to alcohol and other drug problems. The group that Dr. Holmes started two years ago has grown in numbers of people, faith communities and agencies. The group has broadened their mission to transforming the community, so that no person will fall between the cracks. This group is mobilizing members of faith communities to work on the problems of addiction, as well as, any problem that divides the community which includes the problems of teen pregnancy, truancy, delayed academic progress, loneliness, etc.

Once a month the group meets on Saturday morning to pray, support each other, build relationships and discuss the issues that divide the community. At these meeting the members of We Care Health Partners also give presentations on new and exciting programs being offered in Allen County. In November the following new programs were introduced and discussed: We Care Kids Connection: a mentoring, partnership program for children. Emotions Anonymous: 12 Step Support Group. Externally Focused Church: a way of “rethinking” church to become service oriented and defined by purpose and perspective. Faith Partners in Allen County are mobilizing individuals in faith communities to work together to transform their community. For more information contact Bev Driver, the parish nurse coordinator, by email at wcohmp@embarqmail.com or you may visit the We Care Health Partners Web Site at www.wecarepeople.org

Educational Opportunities

Basic Parish Nurse Education Course

Please spread the word that the next Basic Parish Nurse Education Course will be offered by the Congregational Nurse Project starting on March 5, 2009 in Northwest Ohio. The course will be offered on five consecutive Thursdays. Faith Community Nursing is a specialty area of professional nursing that has as its focus the intentional care of the spirit. The course is a 36 hour course and prepares nurses for practice as a Faith Community Nurse.

16th Annual CNP Spring Seminar

The planning committee for the annual spring seminar is happy to announce that the all day annual Spring Seminar will be held on Wednesday, April 22, 2009. The speaker will be Donald Koepke, Director Emeritus of the Center for Spirituality and Aging in Cerritor, California. Donald will speak on spiritual companioning of the elderly and people with dementia. To find out more about the Basic Parish Nurse Education course and the Annual Spring seminar contact the editor or visit the Congregational Nurse Project Web site www.cnpnwo.org

CNP Annual Appeal

The Congregational Nurse Project Board requests that you carefully consider a donation to the Project. Your donation will assist the Board in furthering their mission of promoting the health and well being of faith communities though outreach, educational and networking opportunities. To donate please send your donation to the Congregational Nurse Project at P.O.Box 1262 Bowling Green, OH 43402.

CNP is a nonprofit 501( c) (3), and your donation is tax deductable. Thank you for your support and prayerful consideration of this request.

“For now, I have a plan!”

I am 82 years old. I live alone in a comfortable home. I have a loving family. I lead an active social life and have good health relative to my age. But I need a plan. A plan about downsizing and simplifying. And this is where a very forward thinking Director of Health Ministry at my church (Sylvania United Church of Christ) comes in . Cathy Hunter thought it would be a good idea for mature folks to look into retirement facilities in our area. Over many months she arranged for all who were interested to visit seven different places offering independent and/or assisted living and nursing care. We were welcomed everywhere that we went with very comprehensive tours and lovely luncheons. Our group consisted of single ladies, a gentlemen and couples. We had a great time and gathered lots of information that we didn’t even know that we needed! Each facility was different and still much the same. But speaking personally, I felt that there were different feelings of community. And now I know which seemed right for me. I don’t know what my future will hold, but for now I have a plan.

Nancy

Prescription Assistance Program

Jill Shafer, Health Ministry Coordinator at Fisher Titus Medical Center in Norwalk, Ohio, discovered that some people in her community were having difficulty purchasing the medications prescribed by their physicians. Whenever Jill sees a need, she tries to find a solution. Jill knew that pharmaceutical companies had programs to assist people who were unable to purchase their prescribed medications. Jill also knew that each company had their own paperwork to complete and eligibility requirements to meet to obtain the medications. When speaking to the staff at physicians’s offices, Jill found out they did not have the time and/or the expertise to research and complete the paperwork required by each pharmaceutical company. Jill set up a program called the Prescription Assistance Program.

The program started in 2006 and helps the person and also the staff in the physicians’s offices. The first step of the program was to learn about the paperwork and eligibility requirements for each pharmaceutical company. Jill, with the assistance of retired nurses, completes the paperwork for each medication based on the requirements of the individual pharmaceutical company. The patient then comes to the Fisher Titus Medical Center to pick up the appropriate paperwork. The person takes the completed paperwork to the physician’s office for a signature. Two hundred people have benefited from this program since the inception of the program. Jill’s interest in finding solutions to problems has enabled the hospital, staff in the physicians’s offices and the pharmaceutical companies to work together to improve the health and well being of the people in need in her community.

CNP Newsletter Deadline March 1, 2009

Upcoming Workshops
Please check the new Congregational Nurse Project Blog in order to keep up-to-date about educational offerings in Northwest Ohio that may be of interest to faith community nurses and health ministers.   Daily the CNP Blog site is updated with information that comes to the attention of CNP Resource Person from throughout the community.  In order to serve you better we have developed this additional service.  If you want to have information posted on the Blog send the information to the editor at Lfulcher@wcnet.org
To visit the Blog go to
http://cnpnwoblog.blogspot.com/

A Newsletter of the Congregational Nurse Project of Northwest Ohio

Sponsored by
Blessed Sacrament Church, Toledo
Catholic Charities
Islamic Center of Greater Toledo
Lutheran Social Services of Northwest Ohio
Maumee Valley Presbytery
Mercy Health Partners
ProMedica Health System
St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center Foundation
Sylvania United Church of Christ
Toledo Area Ministries
Tranquility Incontinence Products
West Central Ohio Health Ministries Program

Editor
Mary Jane Fulcher, RN, MSN
419 262 1462
Lfulcher@wcnet.org
P. O. Box 1262, Bowling Green, OH 43402
Web site www.cnpnwo.org

Blood Pressure Equipment Calibration for Faith Community Nurses

Medical College Hospital of Toledo: Parish Nurses may call Sandra Adcock in
the Pastoral Care Department at 314 383 3851 to make an appointment to have manual and electronic blood
pressure equipment checked.

St. Luke's Hospital of Maumee: Parish nurses in the area may bring their BP
units to St. Luke's to have the calibration checked. They may call
Facilities Management at 419-893-5929 and the secretary will confirm with
Bio-MedServices. Any difficulties call the Pastoral Care
Director at 419-893-5924.

Mercy Hospital of Willard will offer free blood pressure cuff calibration
to the Parish Nurses in the Willard area. Parish Nurses are asked to bring
their BP equipment to the hospital and ask for either Paula Karr or Tim
DeMonte. DeMonte and/or Karr will take responsibility for having the
equipment checked and calibrated by biomed and returned to the nurses.
Loaner equipment may be obtained by contacting Tim DeMonte. This service
can be obtained any time Monday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Paula Karr may be reached at 419-964-5180.

St. Charles Mercy Hospital, St. Anne Mercy
Hospital, and St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center will offer blood pressure
equipment checks. Please call Sr. Dorothy Thum at 419-251-0715 to make an
appointment to have your equipment checked.

By appointment the following hospitals are offering
to check the calibration of manual and electronic blood pressure cuffs in
the BioMed department while you wait:
The Toledo Hospital: Call Tim Pfleghaar in the BioMed department at 419 291 5929 for an appointment.
Bay Park Hospital: Call Scott Yarnell in the BioMed Department at 419 690 8793 for an apppointment
Flower Hospital: Call Greg Cochran in the Bio Med department at 419 824 1494 for an appointment.

CNPNWO is grateful to all of these hospitals for offering this much needed
service to the parish nurses in Northwest OH. If any other hospitals would
like to offer this service to parish nurses in your area, please contact
the editor.