Health Mission on the Move

The Health Mission on the Move mobile health education unit provides health education resources and congregational program models and arranges for the involvement of local health services and health-related providers.

• Why is Health Mission on the Move needed?
• Why is it important to provide health education, prevention and wellness information?
• Does Health Mission on the Move provide actual medical services?
• What are the dates of the trips already scheduled?
• How are the mission trip sites selected?
• How can you help?
• What can you expect as a Health Mission on the Move volunteer?
• Are there costs associated with volunteering?
• How are volunteers chosen?
• I think I want to volunteer, now what?
• What financial support is needed for this project?

Watch Health Mission on the Move

Watch a short video below highlighting the work of the Health Mission on the Move mobile health education unit.

From Presbyterian News Service | November 16, 2007

PC(USA)’s mobile health van works in Arizona’s borderlands

Project provides health education, screenings in remote areas

A National Health Ministries volunteer gives a Tucson resident a hypertension assessment during Mission on the Move’s visit to the Arizona borderlands. Photo by Chandra Kearns.

by Jerry Van Marter

LOUISVILLE — Working in partnership with local Presbyterian churches and community service agencies, “Mission on the Move” (MoM) — the General Assembly Council’s National Health Ministries mobile health unit — is spending this week providing health education and screening services to people in the border regions of Arizona.  

Volunteer health and service professionals from several
presbyteries in the region have converged to spend the week teaching some of the country’s most vulnerable people how they can improve their health through simple screenings that are too frequently inaccessible to them, such as for diabetes and hypertension. [Continue reading this story]

The Health Mission on the Move unit

The Health Mission on the Move mobile health unit, affectionately named MOM, was purchased with grant funds from the 2004 Presbyterian Women’s birthday offering and placed in service in early 2006. Following a number of mission trips ranging from Tempe, Arizona, and Pikeville, Kentucky, to Biloxi, Mississippi, during her first year, “Mom” is beginning her second year of service.

Health Mission on the Move is focused on providing health education, wellness and health risk reduction information through Presbyterian churches and contacts to the 28 percent of the United States' population who live in health care underserved areas and people who lack access to care because of an inability to pay for it. Individuals living in these situations often not only lack access to quality health care and but also to prevention and health education. The National Health Ministries, with MOM's help, also strives to be an advocate on behalf of those individuals.

View a slideshow of the heath van in action

MOM provides quality health education, blood pressure screenings and a comprehensive health risk assessment. At the completion of the risk assessment, the participants receive a ten page report of their health.  The report addresses possible improvement — risk reduction areas or tips in maintaining good health. MOM is not a licensed health care provider and therefore cannot provide health testing that requires breaking the skin. However as each mission trip is being planned, the National Health Ministries staff identifies health services/health-related providers near the site of the trip. Those providers are contacted to participate, so that a wider range of services can be offered. These services could include local follow-ups, resources related to the specific area and invasive screenings (blood glucose, cholesterol). 

MOM is always on a mission of advocacy and justice for all of God’s people. An important component of MOM’s work includes enabling people to become more empowered around their own health statistics by teaching people how changing behavior and being good stewards of their health can help prevent illness. MOM provides comprehensive and holistic approaches to health, focusing on prevention, wellness and personal empowerment through health education.

Health Mission on the Move is a program of the National Health Ministries, which is housed in the Relief and Development area of The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

If you are interested in more information about the Health Mission on the Move program, please contact:

Chandra Kearns, Program Resource Development Assistant
(502) 569-5267 or 1-888-728-7288 ext. 5267 or email Chandra.

Get on board with Health Mission on the Move, a grassroots, and “hands-on” mission program from PC(USA) National Health Ministries.

• Volunteer opportunity
• “Hands-on” mission at home
• Congregation sponsorship
• Mission trips
• Outreach to medically under-served areas
• Service to others
• Sharing your faith through good works

Health Mission on the Move offers you and your congregation the opportunity to create life-changing experiences and bring God’s message of abundant life to all people through volunteer and financial support.

Health Mission on the Move is an important way for Presbyterians to share their faith, address the health needs of people living in medically under-served areas, and to get involved in direct mission at home.

Health Mission on the Move mission trips will enable volunteers — both health professionals and those who bring other experiences — to go to under-served areas to help address unmet health needs and assist people who may feel isolated or alone.

Health Mission on the Move services include health risk assessments, blood pressure checks, and basic vision screenings. People discovered to have medical issues will be referred to health specialists for follow-up.

One-on-one support will be offered to individuals whose health risks can be addressed through prevention and wellness education, diet, and lifestyle changes. As a volunteer, you will help people learn how to make life-changing health decisions.

In partnership with local health professionals, Health Mission on the Move also coordinates other special services, such as dental, glaucoma, cholesterol, bone density and auditory screenings.

As the following map displays, many under-served areas exist throughout the U.S.

Why is Health Mission on the Move needed?

• One in five persons in the United States lives in medically under-served areas. Sufficient health personnel, therapists, health educators, and medical facilities for residents in those areas are lacking.
• Many medically under-served areas are rural and sparsely populated.
• In medically under-served areas, people who are poor, frail elderly, immigrants, unemployed adults, and children are most likely to be at risk.
• Early detection through screening, diagnosis, and treatment of health conditions can result in longer and higher quality life, fewer hospitalizations, and decreased health care costs. Prevention and wellness education help decrease “high risk” behaviors.
• 45% of all Presbyterian congregations describe themselves as located in a “rural” community; thus, health disparities are affecting people within our denomination.

How can you help?

• Sign up to be a mission volunteer. Volunteers from all backgrounds and professions are needed.
• Provide financial support to help underwrite the costs of mission trips, to increase the number of mission trips and expand the areas served. Send a donation to the Extra Commitment Opportunity (ECO) for Health Ministries in Medically Underserved Areas #051450.
• Encourage members of your congregation to participate, either as volunteers or through their financial support. Help spread the word about Health Mission on the Move. Use your networks and contacts to show others how their lives can be enriched by joining this important program.

Working with Health Mission on the Move

Mission on the Move is made possible through a 2004 PW Birthday Offering Grant that provided funding for the purchase and equipping of a vehicle. The proposal stipulated that the unit be shared between service in Mid-Kentucky and Transylvania Presbyteries and the National Health Ministries office.

The use of the unit is coordinated by the National Health Ministries which can include health fairs, demonstration events at church-wide gatherings and several national mission trips, known as the Health Mission on the Move program.

What drives Health Mission on the Move?

Working with local congregations, middle governing bodies and Presbyterian Women’s groups, the project provides five important services:

1. Health Mission on the Move has visibility that calls attention to critical health issues in rural areas and among under-served population groups — an often forgotten topic.
2. Health Mission on the Move provides important health education, wellness and screening services.
3. Health Mission on the Move demonstrates significant witness, outreach and compassion within this denomination to people who often feel isolated and forgotten.
4. Health Mission on the Move provides an opportunity for Presbyterians to support financially critical health-related mission that will positively impact people’s lives.
5. Health Mission on the Move provides an occasion for Presbyterians throughout the U.S. to become involved as volunteers in “hands-on” medical mission — service to people, congregations and communities.

How are the volunteers chosen?

Volunteer positions are open to those who are health professionals, as well as individuals who come from different educational backgrounds and experiences. In addition to health professionals, volunteers are needed to manage the logistics of the trips, provide registration and process clients for screenings. Volunteers who are comfortable using computers are needed to assist individuals as they complete the Health Risk Assessment forms.

As is received and the trips are scheduled, prospective volunteers are contacted and asked about their availability. They are advised of upcoming mission trips and encouraged to participate.

Pre-trip training and orientation is tailored to the situation and the individual needs of the volunteers.

How are mission trip sites selected?

Sites for the Health Mission on the Move must meet the requirement of being in the geographic areas lacking heath care services or be in rural, underserved areas.

The site locations for these mission trips are selected cooperatively with the congregation or other group(s) underwriting the trip; the National Health Ministries, with representation and input from middle-governing bodies; and the Presbyterian Women.

The basics of requesting the Mobile Health Van

What financial support is needed for this project?

An ECO (extra commitment offering) — Health Ministries in Medically Under-served Areas #051450 has been established to fund mission trips. Any individual or congregation can provide support through this designated fund.

Funds requested would be used to organize, coordinate and support national trips each year to rural areas or under-served population groups that have a definite Presbyterian presence, yet lack access to health services.

National Health Ministries will use existing funds to cover approximately one-third of the cost of the trip — $5,000. The remainder of cost for each trip — $12,500 is funded by individuals, congregations, and other groups within the PC(USA).      

I think I want to volunteer, now what?

Volunteer positions:

Logistical Generalist
Health Professionals
Driving Team Members

You may read a description of these positions and apply on line using the procedures below.

We have set up an on-line volunteer application process as a part of "One-Door," the church-wide application tool. You may find one-door by going to our volunteer opportunities page.

We recruit volunteers to serve for the duration of each mission trips.

Download an application.

What are the dates of the trips already scheduled?

All sites are confirmed, but solid dates have not been set. 

March 10-14
South Texas colonias, Pharr, McAllen and Mission

March 18-23
New Orleans

April 1-5
Raleigh, North Carolina

April 17-28
New Jersey

May
Tucson/Sells, Arizona

June 11-13
Big Tent Event, Atlanta, Georgia

July 11-15
Presbyterian Women Gathering, Louisville, Kentucky

July 29-31
Exhibit at the National Black Presbyterian Caucus

September 19-22
Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Are there costs associated with volunteering?

Mission trips are funded in part through the NHM budget, however, a portion of the costs of each trip needs to be supported either through sponsorship or by those who wish to volunteer. Because the costs vary with the location/site and the distance that must be traveled to reach that site, there is no one answer to this question. The costs for each trip are calculated and made available to prospective volunteers, as the trips are planned.

Does Health Mission on the Move provide actual medical services?

No. Health Mission on the Move is not a licensed health care provider and is not allowed to do any invasive testing.

Health Mission on the Move is a mission project that brings health education, prevention, and wellness information to areas of the U.S. that lack health and mental health services. As we prepare for and organize the mission trip, the National Health Ministries staff:

1. Investigate and identify the significant health risks of the population we are serving — actually completing a simple community health assessment. To do this we talk with the church leaders — and use health status information from local, state and national sources, as well as talk with health providers and other key individuals in the community we visit. This helps us gear the resources, education and prevention information to specific health risks and needs of the group we are serving and being of the most help to the congregation(s).
2. Locate heath and health education services that either serve the population routinely or are willing to make themselves available. This helps assure that follow-up services will be available for people screened at the event, who appear to need follow-up care.

Why is it important to provide health education, prevention and wellness information?

Typically communities that lack health services also do not have prevention education available. Individuals who live in underserved areas may not be aware of the causal relationship between poor diet, insufficient exercise, excessive alcohol use, smoking, etc., and cardiovascular issues, diabetes, pulmonary disease, hypertension and other serious illness. They may also not be aware of the importance of screening, may not be fully aware of the types of screening and the value of early detection in the treatment and positive outcome of major illnesses.

While none of us can change our genetic predispositions and family history, we can make significant changes in our health and health status by working on our reducible health risks. At a time when health care costs continue to escalate and health care access remains difficult for many people, prevention is extremely important.

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