Karen Angelini
Board Member
From classroom to corporate office: A look inside Methodist Healthcare Ministries
Having recently graduated from Texas Lutheran University in December 2015, the transition into my professional career was an exciting challenge. The change from college student to communications professional was quite an adjustment in the thought process. I reached my one-year anniversary at Methodist Healthcare Ministries last December, where I have had many new opportunities to learn and grow, but one particular project has helped me gain a new level of understanding of how internal communications plays a role in an organization’s success. Preparing for Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ first town hall, for instance, was not what I imagined I would be doing the first year into my career, but it taught me so much.
Every year Methodist Healthcare Ministries hosts an employee retreat to provide a day for fellowship and team building. With team members spread across South Texas, it can be difficult maintaining relationships. The retreat provides the space for us to connect with each other. We have a lot of fun playing games, eating and recognizing the many blessings in our life. It is evident Methodist Healthcare Ministries recognizes that in order for team members to provide quality care for patient/clients, they must first take care of themselves. For team members to better understand how their role affects the community we serve, I was tasked with finding a way to create an open line of communication at the retreat. It was with that goal in mind that we decided to host the organization’s first-ever town hall.
Where to start?
This event was a first for me as much as it was for the organization. Keeping the overall objective in mind I asked myself two questions: What is the goal of this town hall? What will team members and the executive staff want from this type of event? I then moved on to creating a project outline that entailed all the moving pieces it would take to make this town hall successful. From sending invites to speaking with leadership, it can get crazy!
Execution
When the day of the event came I felt as prepared as I could be, my only fear was running out of time. Everyone loved the vibe (the theme was “Serv-ivor” a play on the organization’s tagline and of the hit reality show) and the program ran smoothly. Both team members and leadership participated in the Q&A session and interactive polls, which made the environment comfortable. The moderator set the tone with a positive approach to open communication and got the audience engaged. The event was executed on time and there were smiles among the crowd along with lots of laughter.
Understanding organizational priorities
As with any project, whether it be college or career, I learned you must stay open to constructive feedback and be ready to modify your plans. When I worked on my senior thesis, it was subject to peer reviews and professors’ notes. Now, executive staff and employees influence my work. As a student, I knew the edits I had received affected my grades. In the professional environment, I have to consider the impact my work has on our team members and executive leadership. I had to understand both side’s needs and create a balance between the two; our leadership wanted to hear from employees, but they needed team members to listen too.
The town hall represented a step towards creating an open line of communication. Having open communication keeps our team members feeling engaged. When team members feel engaged they have a stronger connection to our mission of “Serving Humanity to Honor God,” which helps them build a strong relationship with their patients/clients. All health care organizations have a focus on their patients/clients, but for our leadership it was and is especially important to extend that same care to team members.
I am happy to be in an environment where leadership continuously looks for opportunities to better connect with the team, thus providing a great place to work while serving others.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries awards $26.7 million in health care grants
More than 85 grantees funded across South Texas
Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc., a private, faith-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating access to health care for uninsured and low-income families through direct services, community partnerships and strategic grant-making, will award $26.7 million in community grants to more than 85 agencies to assist the health care needs of hundreds of thousands of Texans throughout its 74-county service area. View 2017 funded partners.
Given annually, these grants are rooted in partnerships that support access to care, integrated delivery systems and patient-centered models. In partnership with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), safety-net clinics, counseling services and regional community projects, Methodist Healthcare Ministries' goal is to create measurable impact at the community and regional levels to further establish health care networks. Awards are based on five core areas of giving: Primary & Preventive Care, Dental Services, Regionalization & Community Engagement, Social Services & Behavioral Health and Health Care Professional Shortages.
"We at Methodist Healthcare Ministries have always been committed to ensuring all people and families have access to quality care, regardless of where they live or ability to pay," said Methodist Healthcare Ministries' President & CEO, Kevin C. Moriarty. "We know the need for care is tremendous yet the accessibility of it, for far too many, is very limited. No one entity can meet this need alone, so for us, partnering with the more than 85 agencies that we fund, all of whom share in our mission to improve the health of our communities, is the only way we can together meet the need."
Funding is allocated to approximately 122 grant programs to deepen collaborative efforts, incentivize quality health outcomes, leverage and strengthen health care delivery systems and promote sustainable systems change.
The single largest area of giving this year is to Primary & Preventive Care. More than $12 million will be awarded to support programs designed to promote health, wellness and primary medical care services. Funding to Social Services & Behavioral Health is the second largest area with awards totaling $8 million to support integrated health care programs.
A San Antonio-based FQHC with a long-standing partnership with Methodist Healthcare Ministries, CommuniCare Health Centers, will receive the largest award, $2,031,000, for primary and preventive care and dental services.
"We are pleased to once again partner with Methodist Healthcare Ministries," said Paul Nguyen, MHA, President & CEO at CommuniCare. "This funding will enable us to provide services to thousands of patients, to promote patient health improvement and more in-depth tracking of outcomes."
A new funded partner this year, though not an unfamiliar partner due to previous ties through Methodist Healthcare Ministries' parenting programs, is Magdalena House, a transitional home in San Antonio that serves mothers and children who have fled dangerous and abusive lives by providing transformation through education, nurturing community and programming.
"This funding will enable Magdalena House to build a new facility to provide holistic care for families that have experienced some form of trauma," said Greg Stroud, president of the board of directors at Magdalena House. "We're appreciative and look forward to our partnership."
Methodist Healthcare Ministries provides funding and/or works in partnership with 15 of the 22 FQHCs located in its service area. "Our FQHC partners play a vital role in our mission of serving the underserved, especially by serving rural communities where access to care is limited," said Moriarty.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries seeks partnerships that align with its mission and services and support its objectives. Methodist Healthcare Ministries' board of directors oversees the selection of funded partners and requests are considered on an annual basis by invitation only; unsolicited proposals are not accepted.
Since inception, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has invested more than $255 million in grant-making to improve community health care in its 74-county service area which makes up 29 percent of Texas counties.
In addition to grant-making, Methodist Healthcare Ministries operates two San Antonio-based primary health care clinics: Wesley Health & Wellness Center and Bishop Ernest T. Dixon, Jr. Clinic, and two School Based Health Centers: School Based Health Center at Krueger Elementary and School Based Health Center at Schertz Elementary. The clinics address the needs of uninsured and low-income families by providing services at no cost or on a sliding scale fee. The health care services Methodist Healthcare Ministries provides are a cornerstone of its charitable mission of creating access to care. In total, the organization has invested over $600 million in services for unfunded patients.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries' mission also includes its one-half ownership of the Methodist Healthcare System – the largest healthcare system in South Texas. This creates a unique avenue to ensure the Methodist Healthcare System continues to be a benefit to the community by providing quality care to all, and revenue to Methodist Healthcare Ministries for its programs and services.
Wesley Nurse program celebrates 20 years of faith community nursing
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Methodist Healthcare Ministries' Wesley Nurse Program, a faith community nursing program committed to providing holistic care – body, mind and spirit – through education, health promotion and facilitation of community resources. The program is Methodist Healthcare Ministries' largest program geographically with plans to expand to 83 church sites in 2017.
Wesley Nurses are registered nurses employed by Methodist Healthcare Ministries but situated at churches throughout 74 counties in South Texas. They work with pastoral staff and community leaders to identify health care needs in the area and advocate for the health care needs of low-income and underinsured individuals and families. Their scope of practice focuses on the intentional care of the spirit, promotion of an integrative model of health and prevention and minimization of illness of individuals, families and communities.
"For the past 20 years, the Wesley Nurse program has done a tremendous job at building lasting and trusting relationships that allow us to successfully partner with individuals, families and communities, in rural and urban settings, to help address health needs beyond health care access.," explained Catalina Schultze-Kraft, director of regional nursing & wellness programs.
In honor of the program anniversary, Methodist Healthcare Ministries produced a special gallery entitled, "With these hands," which tells the story of Wesley Nurses through photography.
To learn more about the Wesley Nurse program, visit http://www.mhm.org/services/wesley-nurse.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries congratulates HCA for “World’s Most Ethical Company” honor
Methodist Healthcare Ministries is pleased to congratulate its partner Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) for being recognized as a 2017 World's Most Ethical Company® by the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.
HCA is one of only seven companies honored in the health care provider category this year. This marks the eighth consecutive year the award is granted to HCA – a leading health care provider with 171 hospitals and 118 freestanding surgery centers in 20 states and the United Kingdom. The award is designated for organizations that have had a material impact on the way business is conducted by fostering a culture of ethics and transparency at every level of the company.
Together, HCA and Methodist Healthcare Ministries equally own the Methodist Healthcare System, the largest faith-based health care provider in San Antonio and South Texas.
"Congratulations to our partner, HCA, for this prestigious recognition," said Kevin C. Moriarty, President/CEO for Methodist Healthcare Ministries. "This honor calls attention to HCA's continuous commitment to ethical business practices and the excellent care that is provided to our shared patients. Methodist Healthcare Ministries is proud to have a partner whose high ethical standards are aligned with our own principles and commitment to quality and excellence."
In 1955, the Rio Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church chartered the Southwest Texas Methodist Hospital; it opened in 1963. Its purpose was to deliver and promote improved health care as well as enhance access to health care, with concern to include those least served. From this charter and that first hospital, Methodist Healthcare System was formed in 1995 and today is the largest health care provider in San Antonio and 24 surrounding counties. Since 1995, in joint partnership with HCA, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has retained one-half ownership of the Methodist Healthcare System and provides the local governance to ensure that the Methodist Healthcare System continues to be a benefit to the community by providing quality care to all and charitable care when needed.
To read the full release honoring HCA, click here.
Hundreds receive free dental care from mobile dental clinic in Kerrville, Texas
By Theresa Standage, RN, Wesley Nurse (Kerrville, Texas)
When I saw the Texas Mission of Mercy (TMOM) trailer pull into the parking lot of Kerrville First United Methodist Church, my two-year aspiration became a reality. I had a vision of bringing mobile dentistry to Kerrville after several of my uninsured patients expressed a need for dental care and shared stories of self-care treatments and going to the Peterson Regional Medical Center's emergency room in search of relief from painful toothaches. With the help of donations from Methodist Healthcare Ministries, the Perry & Ruby Stevens Charitable Foundation, and the Hal & Charlie Peterson Foundation, the event was placed on the calendar for March 2017 and I was delighted to serve as lead organizer.
As a Wesley Nurse, I'm committed to helping the least served through education, health promotion and collaboration with key organizations. Once I was introduced to TMOM, I knew how beneficial it would be to Kerrville community members. Texas Mission of Mercy is a mobile dental clinic that travels around the state providing basic dental care (including cleanings, fillings, or extractions), free of charge, to uninsured Texans. They provide services without any pre-qualifications; therefore, patients do not have to prove their poverty or residency.
The event had the help of 529 volunteers, including 161 community members and 59 dental professionals (pediatric dentists, orthodontists, and oral surgeons). The two-day event brought dental staff from all over the state of Texas, with some traveling from as far as Brady, Texas. Local dentists, Dr. Jennifer Bone and Dr. Jamie Bone, were the dental chairpersons for the event.
"It's amazing to see the community support for this event — from the financial support of our major sponsors to the in-kind contributions of local businesses and countless volunteers giving their time to help Friday and Saturday," said Dr. Jamie Bone. "It's a tremendous undertaking, and it's heartwarming to see people coming together for such a good cause."
As early as 8 p.m. the night before, patients with blankets in hand started lining the sidewalks of Kerrville First United Methodist Church. Dental chairs had been assembled, water had been piped in, and the gym had been transformed into a 20-chair dental clinic. By 5 a.m., patients were being checked in and receiving dental consultations, x-rays, and even extractions. For many, it was the first time they had ever seen a dentist.
"An urgent dental problem can have a major impact on a person's life; it can affect a person's confidence, mood, job and school/work performance," explained Chairperson Dr. Jennifer Bone. "Kerrville's TMOM was just a two-day event but it helped make a big difference for the people who received treatment."
At closing Saturday evening, it was evident how the community had come together. A total of 445 patients received treatment; we averaged six people every 15 minutes. The event provided $281,835 in free dental services, about $633.34 per patient. However, the greatest thing about the event was everyone's spirit. Both event days were nonstop, but the patients and volunteers alike all had smiles on their faces and a spring in their step. It was incredible to see. View more event photos on Methodist Healthcare Ministries' Facebook page.
The TMOM Committee would like to express appreciation to:
• Acapulco Restaurant
• Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country
• Community Volunteers
• Five Star Rental
• Hill Country Dental Associates
• Kerrville First United Methodist Church
• Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.
• Peterson Regional Medical Center
• San Saba Cap Company
• Texas Dental Association/Smiles Foundation
• The Hal & Charlie Peterson Foundation
• The Perry & Ruby Stevens Charitable Foundation
Wesley Nurse Theresa Whitley is working with her community for TMOM's San Angelo event, Oct. 13-14, 2017. For more information or to volunteer, please email twhitley@mhm.org or register at https://tmomvolunteer.org.
Theresa Standage, RN, is a Wesley Nurse with Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. Methodist Healthcare Ministries' Wesley Nurse program is a faith-based, holistic health and wellness program committed to serving the least served through education, health promotion and collaboration with individual and community in achieving improved wellness through self-empowerment. Learn more at www.mhm.org.
