Help recognize caregivers during November. Recent statistics indicate that as many as 50 million people in the United States are providing some amount of care for a family member who is chronically ill, has a disability or is experiencing frailty associated with age.
Congregations can decide to do something special to recognize and reach out to caregivers during (and after) this month. Find out more.
Health Mission on the Move coordinator Chandra Kearns teaches two children from the Barundi and Somali communities who reside at New Beginnings St. Louis how to listen for their own heartbeat. Photo by Wanda McKay.
Health Mission on the Move (MoM), the National Health Ministries health van, is in St. Louis serving the community through the United African Presbyterian Church. Services being provided include hypertension screening, blood pressure checks, health education information, clinic referrals and prescription assistance information.
Health professionals and logistical volunteers are still needed for several trips this fall, including a trip to the Gulf Coast in November. If you are interested, please email National Health Ministries for more information.
National Health Ministries spent the summer of 2008 helping communities all across the country. Find out more, view a PowerPoint presentation.
Climate Change: Our Health in the Balance
National Health Ministries encourages congregations to use Climate Change: Our Health in Balance (the theme of the American Public health Association) as their Health Awareness Sunday theme this year. There is a growing awareness of the impact climate change has on the planet and the lives of all who live on it. As Presbyterians, we can use Health Awareness Sunday to remember God’s Covenant.
“God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.”
(Genesis 9:12)
"When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."
(Genesis 9:16)
National Health Ministries is a partner in the Climate Change Campaign launched by the American Public Health Association. APHA has boldly marched into the discussion of climate change with the following statement.
"There is a direct connection between climate change and the health of our nation today. Yet few Americans are aware of the very real consequences of climate change on the health of our communities, our families and our children."
Individual members and congregations can help educate others about the connection between climate change and health.
This information pertains to seasonal flu, not pandemic flu
According to the latest information from the CDC and the Center for Infectious Disease, no shortage of vaccines is expected during the 2007-08 season, with a projected 100 million doses available. However, the CDC is also indicating that distribution and delivery problems might cause some locations to experience a shortage in the supply of vaccine. Because of these expected delays, it is imperative that those individuals at highest risk for complications from the flu act quickly to receive their vaccines. [Learn more]
Preventing cancer - what's a woman to do?
Sandra Brooks, M.D., M.B.A.
Sandra E. Brooks, MD, MBA
Associate Vice President
Norton Cancer Institute
September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness month and October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Even if you don’t walk, race, join a team or wear a pin, you too may become involved in the movement to become aware of the risks of developing cancer in order to take action to reduce those risks and encourage others to do so as well. The time for action is now! [Read more]
Listen, God is Calling By Hollie M. Holt-Woehl
Worship can sometimes be an adventure with my son, Micah, who has mild autism. After 11 years of weekly worship he understands and appreciates the ritual and gets through it, mostly. However, there are days where the comfort of ritual seems to be at odds with the spirit moving inside him. [Read more]
About National Health Ministries
The Office of National Health Ministries
guided by policies adopted by
the General Assembly provides ministry models, program
resources, health awareness information, training and preparation
to encourage, enable and support individual Presbyterians,
congregations and governing bodies in mission focused health
ministry.
Ministries of health express Christ's compassion and caring love, work for
community wholeness, well-being and justice, and show stewardship of our
own lives as we seek health, healing and wholeness in body, mind and
spirit. [Read more about NHM]
- Files marked with this icon can be downloaded in printable Adobe Acrobat format. This file requires the free Acrobat Reader. For best results, right-click the link (or click and hold for Macintosh), select " save target as" and save the document to your desktop for viewing and printing.
