Eleven nurses and a physician from seven local parishes across Jefferson County recently participated in the Foundations of Faith Nursing program, according to information released by FortHealthcare.
The program operates in partnership with Fort HealthCare and Rainbow Hospice, the release noted.
As stated in the release, the Faith Community Nursing Program allows for the extension of health care into the community through the use of faith community nurses. In addition to medical care for their elderly populations, members of the congregations also will be able to receive the social and spiritual connections which can play a critical healthcare role.
“With this program, admissions to the hospital can be reduced, and stays decreased in length. The program can help identify those at high risk for admission to a hospital or nursing facility and then work to provide support and guidance to those patients, securing services such as home delivered meals, transportation support and health/nutritional education. They may also notify churches when their members are hospitalized in an effort to improve the transition from hospital to home,” the release stated.
Liz Collins, retired MSN and Faith Nurse from St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, was quoted in the release as saying: “It’s wonderful to live in a community with such a progressive healthcare system that supports a program like Faith Community Nursing. I feel so grateful to have been a part of this first group, and I look forward seeing how it will grow and evolve in the future.”
As stated in the release, “through a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant, the Rock River Health Care Network (RRHCN) was able to provide a 10-week Foundations of Faith Community Nursing course to the nurses through the Wisconsin Nurses Association. The RRHCN is comprised of eight local organizations that have a long history of collaboration, and include Fort HealthCare (FHC), Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation, Jefferson County Health and Human Services Department, Rainbow Hospice, Rock River Community Clinic (RRCC), Watertown Health Department, and Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC). The grant also allowed for mental health first aid training, CPR and AED training, and bags for nurses to utilize to access patient needs that included equipment such as pulse oximeters, blood pressure cuffs, scales, and more.”
Some of the nurses’ duties may include providing home and hospital visits or phone calls, providing blood pressure checks and other health screenings, providing health education and resources, and also acting as a referral source. The nurses may also provide links to existing support and health care programs, as well as promote preventative care to their entire congregation, the release continued.
Recently, according to the release, the group of Faith Community Nurses had a dedication ceremony to recognize the accomplishments and celebrate the official start of the program. Britanie Peaslee, the community resource liaison at Rainbow Hospice and coordinator for the Community Health Ministry Program, spoke at the ceremony.
“We’ll be continuing to build relationships with each other, the congregations, and our communities. We’ll be working together to create a world where everyone has access to the care they need, regardless of their background or circumstances,” the release noted Peaslee said during the ceremony.
Betty Cloute, Abiding Shepherd Lutheran Church, Fort Atkinson, front row, from left; Britanie Peaslee, Community Health Ministry Program coordinator, Rainbow Hospice; Liz Collins, St. Peters Episcopal Church, Fort Atkinson; Jill Buss, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Fort Atkinson; Debra Floerke, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Fort Atkinson, and Terri Nelson, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Fort Atkinson, along with Shirley Brown, Faith Community Church, Fort Atkinson, back row, from left; Michele Ebben, Faith Community Church, Fort Atkinson; Dede Van Loenen, St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, Watertown; Christie Tooke, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Fort Atkinson; Maisie Allie, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Fort Atkinson; Mary Therese Rinzel, Wisconsin Nurses Association Instructor, and Bill Cannon, MD, St. Peters Episcopal Church, Fort Atkinson, gather during a recently held Faith Community Nurses’ Dedication Ceremony. Contributed photo.
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