Building Healthy Communities Through Medical-religious Partnerships

This work describes an approach to the development of community-based health education and patient advocacy programmes targeted at disease prevention and management. Partnerships between health systems and religious congregations, the authors show, can be remarkably successful at bringing appropriate care to people who are often difficult to serve. Describing programmes based on a six-year collaboration between health care systems and religious organizations in Florida, the book offers guidance for religious and medical leaders interested in developing similar programmes in their congregations and communities. The book includes practical and easily accessible information for establishing health education programmes as well as important topics to consider. It also provides examples of specific programmes and information about additional resources that can be obtained from local and national organizations. Medical topics include coronary heart disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, depression, dementia, prevention programmes on influenza and pneumonia, accidents and falls, and medication management. The authors include information about preparing advance directives and establishing patient advocacy or health partners programmes, which train individuals within a congregation to assist other members who may not have relatives or close friends to help them navigate a complex health system.