Study of Healing Healthcare and local congregational actions

A six-lesson study guide, Healing Healthcare: A Study and Action Guide on Healthcare Access in the United States, edited by Joseph J. Kotva, was available for congregational study. This resource, published by Faith and Life Resources, has an accompanying teacher guide by Dale Shenk and was designed to be used by people irrespective of their involvement in healthcare. Chapter headings are:

The Current Situation – Karl Shelly
The Bible and Christian Convictions – Willard Swartley
The Christian and Anabaptist Legacy in Healthcare – John D. Roth
Improving Access Locally – Phyllis J. Miller
Public Policy – Timothy Stoltzfus Yost
What Will We Do? A Call to Action – Joseph J. Kotva

As of February 2007, 80 congregations reported having done the study. In counting only the congregations that reported, we recognize that an unknown number of additional congregations completed the study. There was nearly unanimous agreement among the reporting churches that everyone deserves basic healthcare.

Through this study, members became aware that one in five people under age 65 lack healthcare because they have no insurance. Of these uninsured, about 18,000 die unnecessarily each year. Uninsured people with chronic diseases get less healthcare and their disability worsens. It is estimated that because of the cost of insurance for the working poor and middle class, 150 million are only one serious illness away from financial disaster.

As awareness improves, many churches are responding in a variety of ways to minister to the unmet healthcare needs in their congregations and communities.

Local Access Programs: Congregations Respond to the Call for Action.

While momentum is building to provide healthcare for everyone in the United States, congregations can effectively and at low cost help people gain access to decent healthcare.

Scores of congregations, moved by compassion and a sense of justice, responded to the “Call to Action” with creative and diverse programs that addressed unmet needs in their congregation and local community. These congregations found most or all of the resources already existing in their immediate congregation to implement the following ways to respond:

information provided on wellness to make healthy life choices;
started a parish nurse and parish social worker programs;
participation in community health screening events;
assisted living to help people stay in their own home;
organize to provide respite care for house-bound caretakers;
organize a system to transport people to and from medical care;
equipment closets that make recyclable medical equipment available;
write letters to urge government action to provide for those lacking healthcare access;
join with other community churches in ecumenical programs for clinics for the uninsured;
programs to address the needs of handicapped persons in the community.

What can delegates do?

If your congregation has not done the Healing Healthcare study, provide encouragement to do so.
Become aware of what other congregations are doing in response to the study.
Promote opportunities for individuals and the congregation to minister to healthcare needs from the examples of what other congregations have done.