The St Johns River Rural Health Network (SJRRHN) received grant funding in February 2009 from the Florida Diabetes Prevention and Control Program to assess interest and lay the groundwork for a Health Ministry Network in Northeast Florida. In a 2008 health needs assessment survey, more than 200 random survey respondents ranked “access to churches and other places of worship” as the second highest attribute of a healthy community, behind only “access to health care services”.
Baker County Selected
Baker County, the region’s smallest and most rural county, with a finite number of churches and faith organizations, was selected to pilot the Health Ministry project. It was introduced to the County Health Department and Health Baker, Inc., a coalition of representatives from the Health Department, behavioral health providers, Baker County Public Schools, the Florida Department of Children and Families, faith organizations, and others with an interest in the county’s health. His Hand Ministries (HHM), a qualified and culturally competent faith-based social services provider, was contracted to execute planned outreach activities.
Outreach Begins
While the SJRRHN delivered educational materials to be shared with church contacts and provided general oversight, His Hand Ministries began to conduct outreach activities. The contacted more than 45 Baker County churches and faith organization to inventory existing health ministry efforts and determine interest in establishing health ministries among churches without an existing program. Established and will-known in the community, HHM was able to provide information about previous faith-based networking efforts in Baker County.
Needs Are Identified
The needs in Baker County are significant. Eighteen churches have expressed an interest in forming a health ministry and requested information about them. Primary health issues and topics of interest identified among faith leaders include general nutrition, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Support needs include participant training and education, and topic development. At least five participants enrolled in the Parish Nurse training program offered through St. Vincent’s Medical Center and the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. One existing ministry identified significant financial support needs and requested assistance with grant seeking and grant writing.
Program Suffers Lack of Funding
An example of a current health ministry is at Faith Bible Church in Sanderson, a small, minority community in Baker County. Geographically separated from the vast majority of health and social services available, this city suffers the county’s highest rates of poverty, uninsured, and disease-related death rates. The Baker County Commission had funded a Senior Center offering education, food, physical activity, ans socialization with peers in the vulnerable and underserved community, but was forced to discontinue the program due to the declining economy. Recognizing the potential adverse impacts on the community, Faith Bible Church continues to provide limited services to local seniors, operating on volunteer hours and donations from the community. Requests to the county for supplemental funding have been denied.
St. Johns River Rural Health Network’s ongoing Health Ministry support efforts are conducted by the Baker County Health Department. Initially, the Health Department is working closely with St. Vincent’s Medical Center and the University of North Florida to support participants enrolled in the Parish Nurse training program.