East Alabama Medical Center - Parish Nurse Program

What is it?

East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC) subsidizes a parish nurse program that is very active in area churches as well as in the community. The EAMC Parish Nurses take a leading role in providing free health screenings and health education to the community at the Darden Wellness Clinic. It is located in the historic Darden House, the restored home of the area’s first African-American physician, Dr. J.W. Darden, who practiced here in the early 20th century. The free screenings are a collaborative effort between the EAMC Parish Nurses, the Auburn University School of Nursing, and the J.W. Darden Foundation.

Who is it for?

The uninsured/underinsured, seniors and others with limited income and resources in the community.

Why do they do it?

EAMC started the hospital-based parish nurse program in 2001 as a way for EAMC nurses to give back to the community and help improve overall community health. Since we are located in the Bible belt, outreach in churches is a practical way to help achieve this goal. In 2005, a needs assessment for a community wellness center was conducted by a group of students in the social work program at Auburn University. The students canvassed residents of the area surrounding the Darden House and members of several area churches. Results indicated that people overwhelmingly wanted to see health screenings and education offered at a location in the community. When the first health fair was held at the Darden House in September 2006, approximately 150 people attended for health screenings and flu shots. The majority of the attendees were from Opelika, over age 50 and African American.

The J.W. Darden Community Wellness Center was established to help provide gateway access to health care for medically underserved people, as well as to help others with limited access to medical services receive education and screenings for a variety of health issues and chronic conditions. Health events are staffed by the EAMC Parish Nurses and student volunteers from the Auburn University School of Nursing. The Wellness Center operates under the direction of the Darden Foundation board of directors. EAMC employees have served on the Darden Foundation board of directors since the foundation was established in 2003.

Impact

A monthly screening and education program led by the EAMC Parish Nurses began in spring 2008, after two successful annual health fairs at the Darden House in 2006 and 2007. The intended outcome of providing screenings on a more frequent basis was to enable attendees to better manage their chronic conditions and see a physician before a crisis occurred. Starting in March 2008, the EAMC Parish Nurses held monthly screenings and seminars; while the impact was substantial, more was needed.

In 2009, the Wellness Center became the Darden Wellness Clinic, and is now open every week on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until noon. Additionally, the parish nurses have started a diabetes support and education group that meets at the clinic once a month. This represents a substantial increase in the number of hours for the parish nurses and therefore a financial investment for EAMC; however, the clinic is a means of chronic disease management. Most Wellness Clinic clients suffer from hypertension, diabetes or pre-diabetes, and/or congestive heart failure. The goal of the clinic is to assist people in managing their conditions through frequent monitoring, education, and referral to other health-related resources within the community.

In 2012, approximately 400 clients visited the Darden Wellness Clinic. More than 100 of those clients had no health insurance coverage of any kind. Thirty-one student nurses from the Auburn University School of Nursing assisted each week. The Parish Nurse Program of EAMC contributed 150 hours overseeing the Wednesday morning program. Countless referrals have been made to the local public health department, Mercy Medical Clinic (a charity clinic in the area), and to area physicians. Additionally, the Parish Nurses have arranged for eye exams through the opticians at a local discount store; skin cancer checks from a local dermatologist; hearing screenings; prostate cancer screenings and other health-related screenings and resources at the Darden Wellness Clinic, thus providing broader-based screening than just for diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic conditions that Wellness Clinic clients already have.

The EAMC parish nurses also provide blood pressure screenings several times a month at the Community Market (a division of the Food Bank of East Alabama), the food pantry at one of the area’s largest churches, and at barber and beauty shops. Approximately 50 people are screened each month at these locations, with an average of 8 to 10 people being referred to physicians or to Mercy Medical Clinic. Non-compliance with medication and/or difficulty obtaining medication is a major issue, and health education and referral to other community resources are provided in each of these settings.

Contact: Peggy Hansen, RN
Parish Nurse Coordinator
Telephone: 334-528-4473
E-mail: peggy.hansen@eamc.org