About Church Health

About Church Health

As a faith-based health care not-for-profit, Church Health believes in caring for one another as we’d all like to be cared for. That’s why we commit every day to making the highest quality health care accessible to more Memphians—especially those facing social and economic challenges—so we can all live our lives with dignity, vitality and joy.

With services that span all ages, including the youngest of us, and that treat the whole person, we make it possible for more Memphians to live fully. Today, with the support of our partners, volunteers and donors, we conduct over 61,300 patient visits a year in Memphis and serve as a model for countless communities across the nation.

Learn more about Church Health’s history (Links to an external site.) and facilities at Crosstown Concourse (Links to an external site.).

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Church Health. We’re able to best serve those in need because of the service provided by people like you who are connected to our mission of health and healing.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life, but their common commitment and motivation enables Church Health to grow and impact more people right here in Memphis.

Nonmedical Volunteers

Because of the variety of services we provide, we’re fortunate to offer many opportunities for you to volunteer with us. If you love Church Health and want to help us promote our services to the community, we have the perfect spot for you as a Church Health volunteer!

Interview with Dr. Fedoria Rugless Chapter

The purpose of this chapter is to inform students of non-traditional care that ensures DEI tactics are included in care delivery.

• Objectives
  • Increase awareness of new populations e.g. underserved and uninsured.
  • Learn about whole-person integrated care.
  • Incorporate the practice cultural humility when interacting with patients.
•  What would you like the students will be able to do with it
  • To be able to incorporate this new knowledge into everyday practice and approach.
  • To be culturally sensitive towards all individuals students would come in contact with.
  • Gain an appreciation of whole health and inclusion.
•  Exercises/Case Scenarios to follow up to make sure students have comprehended the material.

The content:

1- What do you do for church health/any organization and how does it impact the community?

I serve in a dual role as the Director of Research at Church Health, and as a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis College of Health Sciences, which has encapsulated my passions and areas of service in the healthcare, research, and academic arenas. In this role, I oversee the Healthy Memphis Initiative and work as a liaison between various investigators, university faculty and students, along with community partners and organizations, with the goal of building a strong, nationally recognized, collaborative research program and network that enhances the community-based and clinical work being done locally within model organizations.  The Healthy Memphis Initiative is a collaboration of Church Health and the University of Memphis, along with other institutions and community partners, whose missions neatly intersect to provide a variety of programs and services to a wide range of populations in the Memphis area. While the various departments and schools within the University of Memphis have had relationships with Church Health for a long time, the partnership was formalized to strengthen and consolidate existing partnerships, as well as expanding to include other organizations, departments, and schools in the partnership in innovative ways.

The Healthy Memphis Initiative includes dozens of existing collaborations that help a wide range of populations, including children, the elderly, the impoverished, and the underserved population. Most of the partnerships work to improve the health, education, and quality of life outcomes for the Memphis community. Some of these partnerships are manifested in a variety of projects and programs which include: Faith Community Nursing Transitional Care; Culinary Medicine; Chronic Pain Assessment in Integrated Primary Care; Mid-South Congregational Church Health Needs Assessment; Diabetes Wellness, Intervention, and Prevention; and Development of a Measure for Perceived Normality of Adverse Childhood Events.

The vision of the Healthy Memphis Initiative is to develop strong partnerships and commitment within the Memphis metropolitan area, that provide improved experiences in the care, life, health, and well-being of the population by pursuing new knowledge through integrated collaborative research along with interdisciplinary study and discovery beyond our walls.

The primary goals of this partnership are:

• Develop a nationally recognized collaborative research program between the University of Memphis, Church Health, and other institutions.
• With focus on community health research, form a bridge of collaboration between various Memphis researchers and investigators to develop projects with the ultimate goal of improving the health of Memphis and Shelby County residents.
• To strengthen and consolidate existing partnerships, as well as expansion to include other university departments and schools in innovative ways.

Education and innovation go hand-in-hand with healthcare and is a major component of the collaborative initiative. Many students can participate in internships, scholarships, practica, and fellowships. Church Health also provides affordable health coverage for UofM graduate students through its Memphis Plan. This partnership looks to continue expanding the educational relationship between all institutions involved.

The best part of this relationship is that it benefits not just the Church Health Center and the University of Memphis, but the entire Memphis area community.  Areas of community impact include:

• Achievement of health equity through trusted collaborations, direct services and partnerships.
• Improvements in the outreach and management of community resources.
• Targeted collaborative research programming that addresses health care disparities and communicable diseases within the community.
• Improvement of the overall health of Memphis and Shelby County residents.
• Reduction of chronic diseases and the impact of social determinants on health.

The Healthy Memphis Initiative meets quarterly and provides a healthy medium called “The Hive”.  Within “The Hive” many individuals and experts in the field can come together in a central location to brainstorm, create new ideas, review projects before implementation, increase the number of collaborations, and produce studies that display strong outcomes.

Through leveraging our networks, and maintaining unified collaborative efforts, the Healthy Memphis Initiative has a tremendous impact not only in the Mid-South, but will be influential on a national level.

2-How can we incorporate DEI in healthcare?

Church Health is a model example of the incorporation of DEI in healthcare.  It is a faith-based non-profit health care organization that cares for the whole person in an integrated care model for healthy living.  Through this model they can make connections across the domains of faith, medicine, movement, work, emotions, nutrition, friends and family.  Church health provides medical services, behavioral health, optometry, dentistry, physical rehabilitation, urgent care, and nutrition support for its patients.  The patients that visit Church Health are the underserved and uninsured population.  It is designated as a patient-centered medical home from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and provides care that puts patients at the forefront of services regardless of race, nationality, status, or background.  The providers at Church Health ensure that they highest quality of health care is accessible to all Memphians, especially those who may be facing various social and economic challenges.  Church Health believes in caring for one another as we’d all like to be cared for.  They make it possible for many Memphians to live fully by providing services that span all ages and treat the whole person.  To date, they conduct an average of 60,000 patient visit a year.

3-What are some real-life situations (change names) you had to navigate and solve in terms of this theme?

Denise spent many years without the confidence and assurance of a bright, healthy smile. For a time, even with health insurance, she couldn’t find consistent and complete dental care in Shelby County.  Through her own research for a new health care provider, she learned about Church Health online. After she became a medical patient, she was able to seek treatments for several dental issues.  “Here I am, going to try and find a dentist, and I found out about all these other services available to me,” Denise stated. “Mental health, family and faith, nutrition, medical, I was going to have everything all encompassed by becoming a patient at Church Health. It seemed unbelievable to me; I had never known of such a program.”  Denise connected with Dr. Thompson at Church Health to plan out her extensive dental care needs. It was a year and a half worth of care needed.  “When she first took over my case, she had a different point of view on how my dental plan should work,” Denise said. “She really took the time to explain to me why she wanted to do it the way she wanted to do it. Even though I didn’t always like the answer, she was absolutely right about the course that we took. I needed crowns, fillings, a partial, a root canal. All this was going wrong in my mouth at the same time and my dental bite had changed.”  Dr. Thompson instilled hope to Denise with the care plan she developed for the 71-year-old.  “We rehabilitated her dentition by opening her bite, replacing crowns, and fabricating new partial for missing teeth,” Dr. Thompson explained. “She now has a stronger, healthier and more confident smile thanks to Church Health programs and teamwork that help support our processes here.”  No longer does Denise have to worry about being self-conscious enough to not even smile in a family photo.  “It means everything to me because I do feel more confident to smile on when I meet people. It puts people in a much better mood when you greet them with a smile,” Denise said. “I didn’t realize it until I started looking at my family pictures that I wasn’t smiling. People do notice it now.”  It has even impacted Denise’s ability to obtain a new job as a result of her new smile.  With a new perspective on inclusive health care, Denise says “Thank you to everyone at Church Health for all that has been done for me to improve my physical and mental health as well as my spiritual well-being!”

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For most of her life, Valencia has been caring for others. In fact, she cared so much for those around her that she didn’t realize her own health was declining.   As a certified nursing assistant, she made a career in helping children with special needs, the elderly and her neighbors.  “I live in an area of Memphis where my neighbors are generally 62 and older,” Valencia said. “I often check on them and help them with their doctor appointments and visits to the grocery store. Sometimes I will also help them bathe or anything else they might need.”  When her own health started to fail, Valencia learned the hard lesson to care for her own wellness first. Valencia’s high blood pressure and extreme anxiety alerted her that she needed medical attention. Under the care of Dr. Smith at Church Health, she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Following a regimen of medication and a lower-stress lifestyle, Valencia experienced healing through this intervention. “Valencia and I have a special relationship. While sometimes reluctant, she has done everything I asked her to do including changing her habits to lower stress,” says Dr. Smith.  Valencia is now able to continue her passion to care for others. “My health care journey at Church Health has been rewarding and I’m so grateful,” Valencia added. “I’m doing well and I’m feeling good.” Valencia’s journey with us has been about much more than her hyperthyroidism. Her eyesight has improved with treatment for glaucoma, cataracts, and new glasses from our eye clinic. Her smile shines brighter than ever because she can get regular dental care at our dental clinic. Valencia knows we are here for her mind and body. “Church Health has taken such good care of me,” Valencia said. “I’m especially grateful for Dr. Smith who has been my provider and friend for so many years.”

4-What advice do you have for medical interpreters in general?

It is important for medical interpreters to see the whole person.  Interpreters should always read the room and assess the state of their patient or persons that they are interacting with.  Be sure to leave any bias or preconceived notions or ideas outside and use all sensory elements when engaging.  Meet the person where they are and be able to explain things in a way that a student in elementary school can understand.  Advancing health equity requires taking specific steps to mitigate bias in processes and protocols, designing programs and approaches to prevent and reduce health inequities.  Ultimately, it is crucial for the medical interpreter to have a strong love for people, a desire to reduce healthcare disparities within underserved populations, and a burden for all to obtain holistic optimal health and wellness.

5-How does your research impact your practice?

My research interests have spanned from studying exposure effects and neuromotor performance, to patient centered outcomes, cancer research, HIV behavioral surveillance, and community based participatory research.  I have presented my research in several publications, and at various conferences nationally and internationally which include the American Public Health Association Annual meeting & Expo, Center for Environmental Genetics Regional Showcase, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference, American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, and the Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health. I am also a Certified Clinical Research Professional through the Society of Clinical Research Associates.  Regionally, I have previously led out in clinical research at the Baptist Memorial Hospital Cancer Center and the State of Tennessee Department of Health.  I have a strong passion for patient-centered outcomes research, in that I’m able to implement new findings very quickly within our patient population and improve their overall health and wellness.   I am also driven when it comes to community-based research.  I believe that everyone should have a voice and input when conducting research, and it is important to incorporate the community voice in research study design and methodology.  The community members then feel like that play a role in the research process, and the research model is then sustainable.

6-Please develop case scenarios where students have to critical think a situation in terms of health and DEI

Mr. Johnson, a thirty-three-year-old African American patient had been deemed a “frequent flyer” (a term used to describe those who keep coming to the hospital for the same reason, often assumed to be drug seekers) by the nurses and doctors in the emergency department. Each time he came in complaining of extreme headaches he was given pain medication and sent home. On this last admission, he was admitted to the ICU, where Courtney, a nurse, had just begun working. When she heard him described as a frequent flyer, she asked another nurse why he was thought to be a drug seeker. She was told, “He has nothing else better to do; I’m not sure why he thinks we can supply his drug habits.” Although Courtney says her instincts told her that something else was going on, she saw his tattoos, observed his rough demeanor, and went along with what everyone else was saying. While she was wheeling him to get a CT scan, Mr. Johnson herniated and died.  What could have been Mr. Johnson’s cause of death and how his death have been prevented?

Answer: It turned out that he had a rare form of meningitis and truly was suffering from severe headaches. If some of the staff had not stereotyped him as a drug seeker on one of his earlier visits, perhaps his life could have been saved. This incident left a lasting impression on Courtney, who vowed not ever to judge a patient on his looks, and to trust her instincts, rather than let others influence her nursing care.

A nurse named Anike went into the room of an African-American male who presented with a swollen left foot. The patient, Mr. Bell, kept ringing the call light and asking for more pain medication. Anike assumed Mr. Bell was merely seeking pain meds. Another nurse came on shift and reassessed the patient. He discovered that Mr. Bell’s fourth and fifth toes were red and swollen and had pus. This nurse summoned the physician and Mr. Bell was eventually taken to the operating room for incision and drainage of his left foot.  What role did stereotyping affect the patient?

Answer: Stereotyping severely harmed the patient; Anike could have assessed the situation and patient better and caught the situation with Mr. Bell’s toes earlier before it escalated into a surgical procedure.

Jen, a second-year medical student, was on a pediatrics visit learning how to perform a newborn exam. As she followed the attending into the patient’s room, she noticed that the baby’s mother was sitting on the side of the crib talking in Spanish to her husband. The attending started to explain to Jen what is important to notice about a baby and what to look for on the physical exam, and proceeded to ask her questions about the causes of pneumonia and meningitis in the newborn period. As they were talking, the infant’s mother came over to the crib. In an attempt to welcome her into their conversation, Jen said “hello,” and proceeded to compliment her on her beautiful child. As soon as she finished the sentence, the mother said “thank you,” but frowned, and her demeanor changed slightly—she stopped smiling, and looked nervous. What did Jen do wrong?

Answer: Jen suddenly realized that the family was Mexican, and her complimentary words, intended as a tool to gain the mother’s trust, resulted in causing her distress. Remembering what she had learned about Mexican culture and mal de ojo (evil eye), she touched the baby’s hand, and looked back at the mother. The change was remarkable—the mother smiled back at her, and nodded her head. She did not say anything, but her smile and nod tacitly communicated her gratitude for preventing mal de ojo.

Emma Chapman was a sixty-two-year-old African American woman admitted to the coronary care unit because she had continued episodes of acute chest pain after two heart attacks. Her physician recommended an angiogram with a possible cardiac bypass or angioplasty to follow. Mrs. Chapman refused, saying, “If my faith is strong enough and if it is meant to be, God will cure me.”  When Judy, her nurse, asked her what she thought had caused the problem, she said she had sinned and her illness was a punishment. According to her beliefs, illnesses from “natural causes” can be treated through nature (e.g., herbal remedies), but diseases caused by “sin” can be cured only through God’s intervention. Remember, treatment must be appropriate to the cause. In addition, Mrs. Chapman may have felt that to accept medical treatment would be perceived by God as a lack of faith.  What should Judy do in this scenario?

Answer: Judy decided to call Mrs. Chapman’s minister to come to the hospital; Mrs. Chapman finally agreed to the surgery after speaking with her minister.

7- Include an exercise/activity to include student perspectives on healthcare and diversity, where we can hear their voices

Discussion questions for students:

Describe a time when you felt that you were being judgmental or stereotyping a patient.

What are some steps that you can take to ensure that you remain open-minded towards patients?

What do you feel are cultural aspects that you need to be aware of in the healthcare setting?

Bibliography:

https://www.memphis.edu/hmi/

https://churchhealth.org/stories/

Caring for Patients from Different Cultures, by Geri-Ann Galanti. 5th Edition.

INTERPRETING EXERCISE

Cultural note: While in the USA, most doctors measure pregnancies in weeks, in Latin America and Spain, people use months. So four weeks equals one month. Additionally, these countries use the metric system to measure height and weight. Take this into account when interpreting or translating. Consider how people measure in different parts of the world.

TASK

Client information

The client you have is a Latinx woman having an eight-week pregnancy ultrasound.

Translate the following phrase into Spanish in your own words and then using Google translate:

In this ultrasound, you can see your baby. The baby measures ½ inch long and weighs approximately .04 oz—the average size for an eight-week pregnancy. Oh, wait! I see baby number two. Congratulations, you are having twins!

Interpreting Exercise #12 (Video)

TASKS

Compare and contrast the two situations shown in the video below.

Check your understanding of what each person says using captions.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. The following video has 2 situations: A & B. Please watch both situations carefully.
2. Next, watch the captioned video
   • Note since the video is in both Spanish and English, you need to watch the specially captioned video containing captions in both languages.
     • do not just turn captions on in YouTube!
3. Write a short paragraph, create a video, OR a graphic comparing and contrasting situations A & B.
   • Indicate which situation you would choose for your professional practice.
   • Briefly describe how/if the captions helped you.
     • Did you miss any information? If so, why?

Video without Captions

Video with Captions in Spanish and English