PARTNERS IN HEALTH - Holy Cross Hospital

Health News You Can UseAffordable Care Act continuedin the ACA and ultimately see thelegislation more positively when theyunderstand what it was designed toaccomplish (such as not allowinginsurance companies to deny coveragebased on pre-existing conditions ordropping your insurance if you get sickor because your expenses hit a dollarlimit).Preventive services, a foundation offaith-based health programs, are a keyelement of health care reform. Inaddition to mandating that insurancecompanies cover more preventiveservices with no cost-sharing or co-pays(free), the ACA also provides moreresources to fund public programs thatemphasize preventive care and healthyliving.In reality, the ACA formalizes themission of faith community nursing. Itsgoal is to bring access to health care tothose in need, a long-time effort ofhealth ministries. Under this legislation,more than 30 million people will beadded to health insurance programs.One of our roles will be to help thosewho are new to health insurancenavigate the system. gHealth News You Can UseHealth Ministry Conference RecapThe 2012 Health MinistriesAssociation (HMA) Annual Meetingand Conference held in Nashville,Tenn., June 3 to 5, was a joyful celebrationwith 160 participants gatheringaround the theme Faith Communities:Claiming a Pivotal Role in Healthcare.The conference featured manycommendable models of health ministryand explored the role of health ministriesin the health care continuum locally,regionally and nationally. The primarymessage of the conference was the roleof health ministers, faith communitynurses and spiritual leaders, and theiropportunities to lead in the faith-healthmovement.There were many opportunities tocelebrate but two were particularlymemorable. The first was opening nightwhen Ameldia Brown (of ClintonTownship, Mich.) with the Henry FordHealth System received the Wilkerson-Droege Award. Many of you mayremember Ameldia from her work withBy: Carmella Jones, RN, FCN, MDivour Holy Cross Hospital network whenwe participated in the grant forcomputerized documentation.In honor of deceased faith communitynurses, there was a memorialboard. Participants were invited to writethe names of colleagues from theirnetworks on the board. The list was thenused during our final morningdevotion, which included a reading ofall the names.The keynote speakers, Lisa Carr andSue Polis, were informative and thoughtprovoking about the ever-changing andpolarizing health care conversation andpolitical and government trends.Lisa Carr, associate director at theHHS Partnership Center, spoke onengaging government, community andfaith-based organizations in promotinghealth and wellness. Sue Polis, whomanages the advocacy outreach programof the Trust for America’s Health,spoke on new opportunities for faithcommunity leaders to engage in health,prevention and wellness.Each of their presentations wasfollowed by a panel presentation. Thepanelists included Scott Morris from theChurch Health Network, the new homeof IPNRC, and past HMA presidentsSharon Stanton, Sharon Adkins andPeggy Matteson. The panelists highlightednational movements anddeveloping programs in public health,nursing and hospitals that support thesetrends. gUpcoming HMA ConferenceJune 10-12, 2013South Lake Tahoe, CaliforniaA planning committee for next year'sannual conference will be formingsoon. Visit www.hmassoc.org tosubmit suggestions for the theme,speakers or to submit a proposal fora poster presentation for the 2013conference.Page 4 | Fall 2012Courtesy of Holy Cross Hospital Faith Community Nurse Program

Empowering and EquippingThe Golden Rule and The Importance of RespectResources to Address Bullying and Domestic ViolenceDo unto others as you would have them do unto you. Thisimportant admonition based in sacred scripture is very wellknown. It is also very relevant in today’s society.Small children know when they feel “left out.” Abbey Presshas Care Notes for Kids titled Bye-Bye Bully, which is availablefrom www.carenotes.com. This helpful pamphlet explainsbullying and delves into the who, what and why’s. Kids willlearn nonviolent ways to assert and protect themselves andwhen to ask for adult help. Together, kids and caring grownupscan banish bullies in our schools and neighborhoods. Ithelps to understand that bullies often act superior but actuallythey may feel inferior.Similarly, college-age students also need to treat oneanother with respect. Young people need to note theimportance of being treated well by those whom they date. Ifmistreatment occurs as a pattern, then both people need help.Those of us who work in health ministry can be helpful inobserving situations like this.Likewise, we, in health ministry, can do a lot to promoterespectful treatment in families. It is common to assume thatpeople who attend worship services have good family values.Let us never assume that domestic violence does not existamong our members. The Maryland Network AgainstDomestic Violence has several publications available for yourpamphlet racks. It Shouldn’t Hurt to Go Home and What to DoWhen Your Home Isn’t Safe are brochures published in Englishand Spanish. Placing a few of these in with other pamphletsallowspeople to take them without feeling self conscious.Some are given free each year to faith communities andsimilar groups. The website is www.mnadv.org. The phonenumber is 800-634-3577.Sharon A. O’Brien, PhD, co-founder of InterfaithCommunity Against Domestic Violence (ICADV), is happy toassist those who want information about domestic violenceand how to prevent it. She also has a wealth of knowledge onhow to obtain speakers, etc. Sharon helps organize the ICADVannual spring conference. Her email address issharonaobrien@msn.com.The ICADV’s last conference in April was hosted by theIslamic Society of the Washington area. There wererepresentatives from multiple denominations. The keynotespeaker was Tricia B. Bent-Goodley, MSW, PhD, a social workerwho teaches at Howard University School of Social Work. Shespoke on A Renewed Look at Intimate Partner Violence:Rethinking What We Know to Create Change for theFuture. She emphatically stressed that both the abused and theabuser need help. The current president of ICADV, Rev. ZekeWharton, welcomed the group and encouraged them to get involvedin doing something to end domestic violence.In an effort to accomplish this, there are several goodbooks available. The Ultimate Betrayal: A Renewed Look at IntimatePartner Violence by Tricia B. Bent-Goodley is publishedby NASW Press (National Association of Social Workers),www.naswpress.org. The ISBN number is 978-0-87101-418-4.And My Peace I Give You (Healing Sexual Wounds withthe Help of the Saints) by Dawn Eden is published by AveMaria Press, www.avemariapress.com. The ISBN number is10-1-59471-290-5 and ISBN 13-978-1-59471-290-6. gPage 6 | Fall 2012Courtesy of Holy Cross Hospital Faith Community Nurse Program

Theological ReflectionHoly Cross Hospital Chaplain Contemplates “Prayer as Presence”“Until my father died, I was not sure how I would use mytheology degree,” recalled Susan Catherine Mitchell, BCC.“The experience of being with him through his last dayschanged me. I felt drawn to a deeper part of myself, to a morepersonal ministry.”So Mitchell put herself on a journey of training to becomea chaplain. In 2002, she became board certified by the NationalAssociation of Catholic Chaplains and later supplemented hermaster’s degree in pastoral studies with a certificate in spiritualdirection.Over the years, she gained experience in a variety ofsettings, including a nursing facility for the elderly, Holy CrossHospital, an inpatient hospice unit and hospice patients’homes. In 2008, Mitchell settled into her current position withHoly Cross Home Care and Hospice, a member of TrinityHome Health Services.With patients ranging in age from newborn to 100 yearsold, Mitchell embraces the “prayer of presence” in herministry.“The prayer of presence means deliberately opening myselfup, both to God and to those I serve,” she explained. “I try togo in with no preconceived notions of what a patient needs. Ilisten to anything. I do not make people stick to ostensiblyreligious topics.”In being prayerfully present, Mitchell pays close attention towhat is most important to a person during his or her life,because that is what is most important during the dyingprocess. With her patients, in addition to praying and singing,she looks at pictures of grandchildren and listens to theories ofthe Big Bang, or how the person fought in Vietnam, or howGod has blessed them in their very long lives, and how theyyearn to die.As a chaplain, Mitchell ministers to not just Catholics butthose of any faith, or those with none. Everything is alearning experience.“When I became a chaplain, one of the things I found mostdifficult was to let go of my judgments of how one should practiceone’s faith, particularly Catholicism,” Mitchell said. “Ineeded to let go of my own preconceptions of the dyingprocess and jettison my need to be an expert in faith…or inanything, for that matter.”In 2009, Mitchell took her experiences as a hospicechaplain and authored Through the Valley: The Way of theCross for the End of Life, published by Veritas Press.It is a book of meditations and practical suggestions to helpreaders immerse themselves in Jesus’ path, through all of lifeand especially toward the end, which she calls a “deeply holyand intense time.”Mitchell added, “The hemorrhaging woman in Markchapter 5 had the courage and faith to reach out and touch thehealing presence of Jesus. My prayer is that all of us workingtogether in the spirit of the Gospel will reach out and receivethe healing we need to be a healing presence for others.” gPage 7 | Fall 2012Courtesy of Holy Cross Hospital Faith Community Nurse Program

1500 Forest Glen RoadSilver Spring, MD 20910Holy Cross Germantown HospitalComing in 2014HEALTH CLASSESHoly Cross Hospital offers a wide range of classes throughout theyear. Childbirth and parenting education; fitness and movementclasses; health and wellness education; physical activity, educationand information for seniors; diabetes education; CPR and first aid.For a listing or registration information, call 301-754-8800 or visitwww.holycrosshealth.org.SUPPORT GROUPS4 Expanding our tradition of trusted hospital care to upperMontgomery County4 Six stories, 93 all-private rooms, sustainable design4 Bringing much-needed health care services to the mostrapidly growing and aging region in the countyVisit holycrosshealth.org to watch our progress and learnmore about Montgomery County’s first new hospital in 35years.Bariatric Surgery: 301-754-8800Bereavement: 301-754-7742Breast, Ovarian and Gynecological Cancer:855-HCH-HOPE (424-4673)Caregivers: 301-754-7152Diabetes: 301-754-7448Hematology: 703-399-2959Look Good…Feel Better(cosmetic makeovers for women with cancer):855-HCH-HOPE (424-4673)Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU): 301-754-7724Stroke Support: 301-754-8800Survivors Offering Support (cancer): 301-754-8502Thyroid Cancer (THYCA): 301-943-5419Partners in Health is published by the Holy Cross Hospital Faith Community Nurse Program to assist faith community nurses and health ministry teamsin educating, empowering and equipping members of their faith communities in pursuit of health, healing and wholeness. We encourage you to use the contentsof this newsletter to support and strengthen your ministries so that together we may build healthier communities. When reproducing materials, pleaseuse the following credit line: Used by permission of the Holy Cross Hospital Faith Community Nurse Program. This newsletter is available for downloadat www.holycrosshealth.org. For more information about the Holy Cross Hospital Faith Community Nurse Program, please call 301-754-7066.