The Right Door
Too often, we wind up at the health system’s wrong door—the Emergency Room, says the first in a series of new videos. It continues: FaithHealthNC helps us to learn more about ourselves and the care we need—from preventive steps to proper medications. In that way, they we begin to find the right door—such as seeing a primary care doctor or other provider.
New Videos Developed
FaithHealthNC has created a series of five short videos for volunteers who help people navigate towards better health. FaithHealthNC is a program of Wake Forest Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It was developed under the leadership of Gary Gunderson, who also serves as secretary of Stakeholder Health.
The purpose of the video series, says Chris Gambill, director of FaithHealthNC, is “to give an easy introduction to the FaithHealthNC movement and a quick positive overview of the four guiding principles: helping people seeking healthcare get to the right door, at the right time, ready treated and not alone. So if a person looks at all five videos they would have a sense of what this is all about.”
“The videos have at least two primary audiences,” says Gambill. “First, we use them in basic training for caregivers. We also use them for the larger audience of clergy, congregations, and health care and community leaders who may want to join the movement.” “It’s important that they be positive, convey a sense of compassionate caring we want to model for caregivers,” he says. “I think the stories do that.”
What is FaithHealthNC?
FaithHealthNC is a partnership between faith communities, health systems and other healthcare providers focused on improving health in North Carolina. The partnerships combine the caring strengths of congregations, the clinical expertise of health providers and a network of community resources. Volunteers from congregations offer health care ministries for their members and neighbors. When illness strikes, they provide support before, during and after hospitalization. They make home visits, provide emotional and spiritual support, and help with meals, transportation and medications. They also hold educational events on preventive health and wellness.
Wake Forest Baptist provides Health Care Liaisons to help clergy and their volunteers in providing care and ensuring that member needs are met during times of illness. They provide training in respecting patients’ privacy, hospital visitation, care at the end of life, mental health first aide, home health care, and other topics. They ensure that member congregations receive a wealth of educational resources aimed at improving health.
Right Time
Fear, confusion and finances often conspire to have us seek medical help at the wrong time—too late. Through FaithHealthNC, we learn about education and preventive care, and to recognize symptoms and issues so that we seek help earlier, with a supporting team behind us.
Ready to Be Treated
Without support, we frequently wind up in a crisis mode, unable to anticipate what providers need from us or so anxious that we can’t be treated. FaithHealthNC helps prepare us when we need medical help, everything from bringing medications to a facility to understanding financial options to being a calming presence.
Not Alone
When we begin a journey of health by ourselves, we are probably anxious, isolated and distrusting. FaithHealthNC gives us a network to rely on, someone to be with us—compassionate, competent, connected—so that are fears are eased and our journey more smooth.
FaithHealthNC Overview
FaithHealthNC helps ease the journey to health and healing for people and the communities in which they live by connecting the caring strengths of congregations, the clinical expertise of providers and a network of community resources.
Adapt the Videos for your System
The group is happy to share the videos for use in other communities. Member healthcare systems in the Stakeholder Health network can adapt the videos for their own use for the mere cost of production changes. If you’re interested, contact Tom Peterson.