Memphis Healthy Churches: Innovations Exchange Webinar

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Memphis Healthy Churches Innovations Exchange
Webinar

• Georgia Oliver, RN, MS
• Patria Johnson, MSSW
• January 27, 2009

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What is Memphis Healthy Churches?

• An outreach program of Christ Community Health
  Services targeting African American Churches with
  health and wellness programs

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Our History

• Began in 1998 as a partnership with Baptist
  Health Care System and CCHS, Inc. as the ACCESS
  (A Community-based Cancer Education and Support
  Service) Program
• In the first year, over 20 churches participated
  in the program

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Our History (continued)

• Due to success, we seized the opportunity to
  include other major diseases that effect African
  Americans, such as diabetes, heart disease,
  HIV/AIDS and obesity
• In 1999, name changed to Memphis Healthy
  Churches
• Today, 100 churches and over 150 health
  representatives participate in the program

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Program Statement

• Memphis Healthy Churches is positioned on the
  front line in the fight against preventable
  diseases in the African American community
  including cancer, cardiovascular disease,
  obesity, diabetes and HIV/AIDS.
• Currently, we provide disease prevention
  education in 100 African American churches.
  Trained health representatives work actively with
  their pastors to promote lifestyle changes and
  healthy behaviors in their congregations.

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Gaining Buy In at the Start

• Identify the target population to be served
• Make cultivation and education of stakeholders a
  top priority.
• Seek external sources of funding to serve as a
  catalyst for individual churches to initially
  participate.
• Cultivate relationships and partnerships with
  other health and community organizations to
  secure resources, in-kind support, and technical
  assistance.
• Dedicate paid staff to the project, focusing
  their work on supporting the volunteers.
• Identify a sponsor with the resources and
  infrastructure to provide support to the program,
  such as trainers for clinical topics.

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Maintaining Buy-In Throughout

• Partnership
• Training
• Technical Assistance
• Incentives
• Recognition

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Garnering Support from New Stakeholders

• Define goal(s)
• Assess available resources to meet goals
• Determine who has resources and develop partners
  accordingly

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Sharing Similarities and Differences Internally
and Externally

• State mission and vision clearly
• Branding program distinctions is key
• Celebrate like interventions and strategies with
  stakeholder (Do not reinvent the wheel)

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Coping with Change in Collaborations/Partnership
Over Time

• Expect change
• Promote autonomy
• Redefine goals and anticipated outcomes

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General Advice

• Start where the people are
• Communicate, communicate
• Acknowledge and celebrate success