Blog – Page 13 – Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.

What I learned from my internship at Methodist Healthcare Ministries

DW Admin on September 18, 2017

Having recently graduated from high school, I embarked on a new journey working as an intern with Methodist Healthcare Ministries through SA Works, an internship program that connects students with some of the top companies in San Antonio. I had the honor of working with the human resources department and experience what it is like working alongside professionals. As soon as I was hired, I realized joining Methodist Healthcare Ministries would help me evolve my skills, and prepare me for entering the workforce.

On the first day of my internship, I was given a list of goals. My biggest assignment was to gather video footage that would be used to create a video that highlighted the SA Works program at Methodist Healthcare Ministries. I was tasked to record interviews of all 11 interns detailing their internship experience. It was the first time a video of the sort was created for Methodist Healthcare Ministries. I interviewed the interns, recorded the footage and also took pictures of the interns working. There was so much to learn. Throughout the project, I gained more and more experience and understood key points of human resources, such as employee relations, scheduling, organization skills, interviewing and interpersonal skills.

During my first week, I created an eight-week schedule to help me better my time management skills. I set reminders, coordinated schedules, set up meetings and scheduled interviews.

We attended professional development workshops about twice a week. They were a great way to interact with the other interns. The workshops offered fundamental learning about leadership, our community and teamwork. One of the workshops, “Leadership 101,” went over key traits of being a leader. We began by reading quotes from notable leaders and then participated in activities that revealed our strengths. I learned there is no definite definition of a leader; a leader could be anyone who puts in the effort. From this experience, I think being a leader means being there for your team and participating while also guiding.

I want to thank my co-workers and managers for welcoming and guiding me. I loved how cooperative everyone was. Working with the human resources department helped me understand collaboration and the value of teamwork. I chose to work at Methodist Healthcare Ministries because of the face-to-face experience. I liked that I wasn’t just ‘behind the scenes.’ I actually had the chance to engage with professionals and feel like I was a part of the team. I enjoyed my internship at Methodist Healthcare Ministries, I learned a lot, and they had so much to offer.

Moving forward, I’d like to continue my education and become a registered nurse. During my visits to Wesley Health & Wellness Center, I was able to see registered nurses working with patients. After seeing those nurses, and even after learning more about the Wesley Nurse program, this internship reaffirmed my desire to work in health care so that I can one day develop a great bond with the patients I would serve.

Conveying the intangible through photography

DW Admin on June 23, 2017

A few months ago, I sat down with my communications team to discuss ways to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our Wesley Nurse program. Naturally, my inclination was towards incorporating video or photography, and after some brainstorming, we landed on the concept of a portrait series.

Now, the work of a Wesley Nurse can be described on a page through a string of words like faith-based, community and holistic, but there aren't words that I've found that effectively capture the spirit of the Wesley Nurse. While no two Wesley Nurses are the same, their faith and commitment to serving the least served in their communities is evident in everything they do. I've been blessed to have had opportunities to work with many of our nurses, and after every encounter, I'm left in awe and inspired by the influence they each have on countless lives. My challenge was to find a way to capture that feeling while conveying their work.

With these hands is a series of 10 photos that I created to bring together the words used to describe the Wesley Nurse program with the intangible, indescribable feeling of care that every one of them brings to their communities. I chose to focus on the hands of the nurses in this series because like our Nurses, describing hands on paper is easy. Five fingers each (usually), a palm, attached to a wrist. But if you look closely at hands, they are as nuanced as each one of our 83 nurses. They are capable of doing amazing things. They represent so much more than phalanges and metacarpals, muscles and tendons. They're how we experience the world through our sense of touch and feel. My hope is that these photos will impart a sense of feeling and emotion in viewers that words fail to communicate.

I'd like to thank Jennifer Knoulton, vice president of regional operations, nursing, and Catalina Schultze-Kraft, director of regional nursing & wellness programs, for their support and insight with this project. I'd also like to thank my wonderful hand models for their help. Thank you to Pam Castles, Danna Dyess, Yvonne Trevino, Kathy Bates, Sonia Cavazos, Kathy Jimenez, Pat Stepherson, Dawn Gonzales, Celeste Reid and Yvonne Garcia. Please return the favor and give them a hand. Thanks to everyone of our Wesley Nurses for living out our mission of "Serving Humanity to Honor God."

Dustin Wenger is the multimedia production coordinator for Methodist Healthcare Ministries, where he manages all aspects of video production from conceptualization to distribution across various channels. He also oversees all photography for the organization as well as provides graphic design support.

Looking upstream: seeking community well-being through prevention

DW Admin on June 23, 2017

To whom it concerns:

Several months ago, a friend of mine was tubing on the Guadalupe River when she heard the wails of a small child in a nearby tube. Puzzled that there weren’t any other adults around, my friend drew closer and realized to her horror that the child had several bruises on her chest and face. The girl was crying so hard that she could barely speak. After a few minutes, my friend discovered that the child was all alone and couldn’t remember how she ended up on the river.

Calling to a few people on the shore, my friend directed someone to call 911. Another person wrapped the girl in a towel, and someone had just given her part of a sandwich when an emaciated man with a panic-stricken expression suddenly appeared, trying to keep his head above the water. Immediately, my friend dove back into the river and pulled him to shore.

Noticing the situation, several more people came over to help. Like the child, the man couldn’t remember how he came to be in the river. He was deeply grateful for their help. Shivering and barely able to walk, he needed immediate medical attention.

As a few of the bystanders posted pictures to social media, my friend heard yet another cry for help, and she turned back to the river to see a young woman coughing loudly and gasping for breath. People in crisis seemed to be materializing one after another! As she helped with yet another rescue, my friend began to organize the volunteers around her. She formed a rescue line to pull people out of the water and organized a separate team to provide first aid, snacks, and dry towels.

In the hours that followed, many more volunteers arrived to help, and my friend called me to ask that I set up an online account to receive donations. Over the next few weeks, we constructed a makeshift tent city and successfully sought 501(c)(3) nonprofit status so that we could more adequately respond to the needs of the river survivors. To this day, we’ve grown to 150 staff members who faithfully continue to rescue and assist anyone in distress. Our records indicate that we have saved over 11,340 lives, thanks to more than 150,000 hours of volunteer time and over 430 tons of material donations.

In my now full-time role as Director of Development, I write to ask for your financial partnership as we continue to fulfill our mission. We can’t do it without you!

Sincerely,
Director of Development

This isn’t my story. This is a variation on an allegory known as “Babies in the River.” Typically, it is used to launch a discussion about the difference between charity and social justice through questions such as:

What did the onlookers fail to do? (They failed to look upstream!)
How do you think the volunteers felt about their work?
How does this story illuminate or challenge our assumptions about the work we do?

I don’t retell this allegory to belittle charity work. Responding to immediate, basic needs is both noble and biblical, and it is certainly part of Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ mission. Instead, my goal is to remind us that charity can be endless if we don’t also address the root causes that create suffering. Why are we seeing so many people downstream?

Increasingly, the health care industry is concerned with population health. In other words, the overall goal for health care is expanding from: A) a focus on health outcomes for individuals or a panel of individuals served by a common health care provider, to also include B) a focus on health outcomes for the entire population, for whole communities.

To successfully accomplish our mission, we must not only provide the highest quality clinical care to the individuals we serve – we must also look upstream to understand and address the various factors that lead to disease and poor health. What are the root causes of our patients’ ill health? What are the root causes of our communities’ ill health? How can we address those root causes, even when they precede and loom much larger than any clinical care we can provide?

I believe wholeheartedly in policy work. Parallel to our policy efforts, we must also work upstream, partnering with others to prevent disease before it becomes more complicated and costly. Thankfully, Methodist Healthcare Ministries already channels some of its resources in this direction, from fitness and parenting programs to some of our community grants, to local community health efforts involving our Wesley Nurses. How else can we look upstream? How can we bolster and deepen our current efforts? More than anything, how can we become more holistic and intentional in seeking community well-being through prevention?

Perhaps the 58^th chapter of the book of Isaiah can help us examine and redefine our work. Faithfully following God means that we loose the bonds of injustice and undo the thongs of the yoke. More than that, it means that we break those yokes and participate in liberation for all! Then our light shall break forth like the dawn, and our healing shall spring up quickly … God will guide us continually, and satisfy our needs in parched places, and make our bones strong. And we shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.

May it be so.

Tim Barr is the Collective Impact Strategy Manager for Methodist Healthcare Ministries. He supports, develops, and facilitates collaborative efforts in the Coastal Bend region.

Funded Partner Spotlight: West Texas Counseling & Guidance

DW Admin on June 22, 2017

Situated inside the historic, elegant Cactus Hotel (the fourth ever Hilton hotel built in 1929), lies the new, modern, loft-style location of West Texas Counseling & Guidance — a funded partner of Methodist Healthcare Ministries since 2013. As the elevator doors open to the sixth floor, the juxtaposition of the grand luxurious hotel building dissipates to an inviting, cozy, serene space, well-suited for patients seeking mental health treatment.

As a nonprofit, West Texas Counseling & Guidance works to ensure individuals and families seeking mental health treatment have access to counseling services, regardless of their socioeconomic status and ability to pay. The objective of the organization is to help individuals learn to heal themselves in mind, body, and spirit utilizing evidence-based practices that are effective, affordable, and promote personal development and independence.

With about 20 counselors on staff, services include individual counseling, couples counseling, family therapy, children and adolescent counseling, veteran services, PTSD counseling, grief and loss support, addiction support, eating disorder counseling and depression and anxiety counseling. With help from Methodist Healthcare Ministries, two play therapists — fully licensed clinicians with specialized training in treating problems with children using the natural language and process of play — are employed. Off-site services are also available at churches and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in seven surrounding rural sites: Brady, Menard, Mason, Eden, Junction, Ozona and Sonora.

Operating since 1976, West Texas Counseling & Guidance has grown out of two previous locations, and in 2016 saw a 25 percent increase in clients from the previous year with approximately 2,500 patients for more than 11,000 sessions. With a new location (equipped with double insulation for sound proof rooms, open spaces, and a welcoming staff), West Texas Counseling & Guidance expects to grow more and looks forward to assisting more patients.

Dusty McCoy, LPC-S, executive director at West Texas Counseling & Guidance, shares more on his organization’s mission of providing the highest quality counseling and educational services for all residents of the Concho Valley.

Q: What does West Texas Counseling & Guidance offer?
We’re a nonprofit counseling center that’s been in existence for 41 years. Our clients range in age from 3 years old to 93 years old. Our approach is cognitive behavior therapy that’s short-term and goal-oriented; our goal is to teach people to become their own therapist. Some need long-term therapy, but our goal is to get you where you need to be and give you skills to move forward and not need us. We provide counseling regardless of insurance or inability to pay. Basically, access to mental health services is what we’re all about. The whole thing is about breaking down barriers for people to have access to mental health services.

We offer a sliding scale fee that goes to zero. I was really adamant about that. Some have suggested that patients at least pay $5-10 to give it a sense of value, but with psychotherapy counseling, for example, treatment starts off at once a week. If someone’s on the verge of homelessness or unemployed, taking $10 a week adds up to $40 a month, and when you’re struggling for food and a place to live that $40 hinders you from getting treatment.

Q: What are some prominent issues in the San Angelo community?
Every year since 2000, our community has had higher than average state and national suicide rates. I think it goes back to stigma, not feeling comfortable to go to therapy. In 2016, only 11 percent of our clients were 50 years or older, and only 36 percent were male. If you look at who are dying by suicide in this community, it’s white males over 50; those are the people that aren’t coming in and accessing mental health services. It’s important for us to break down the stigma. We’re trying to work on all fronts. Anything we could do to increase access is important: breaking down stigmas, providing affordable counseling and offering high-quality services.

Q: What resources are available for those struggling with suicide?
We have a survivor of suicide group with over 20 people that meet weekly: the LOSS Team. The importance of the LOSS Team is when someone has a loved one that dies by suicide, they themselves are at a much higher risk of dying of suicide, 64 percent higher. Those that have lost loved ones to suicide typically take 4.5 years to get help on their own; with the LOSS Team, we can reduce that down to 30-45 days. We take an active approach. We have a veteran’s outreach coordinator who goes to vets and brings them in. Our local outreach to suicide survivors is the same concept, we go to them. In July, we’ll have a live response program; if someone dies by suicide, we’ll go to the scene, wrap services around them, and bring them in for help.

Q: Do you believe the stigma of mental health is decreasing?
Definitely. The average age of our patients is 29. We see a lot of kids, 42 percent of our clients are children, and there’s no stigma with them. They’re more comfortable coming in, just as they would for any other medical condition. I think we’re making progress. I know we have a lot more work to do with the older population, but I think we’ve made progress with younger generations.

We’re trying to overcome stigmas. Tiffany Talley, our director of development and community relations, does a lot of community outreach on what resources are available and that it’s OK to come in. In Texas, there’s a bootstrap mentality. People find it hard to come in; they believe it’s a sign of weakness, so a lot of what we do is education and we work to get prominent citizens to come out and join the conversation, and it’s effective.

Q: How has Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ partnership helped West Texas Counseling & Guidance?
In 2016, Methodist Healthcare Ministries funding totaled 29 percent of West Texas Counseling & Guidance’s total budget. We just couldn’t do what we’re doing without Methodist Healthcare Ministries. We couldn’t see the people we’re seeing, provide counseling at our rural sites, or provide low-cost or free counseling. If we weren’t at those rural sites, and if it weren’t for Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ funding of those FQHC partnerships, most likely people would go without help there. We also do constant referrals back and forth with Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Wesley Nurses, and the grants department has even helped us with other grants and has helped put us in contact with other organizations that give us guidance if we have a problem or need help, so it’s been a fantastic partnership. On every level, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has impacted this community and our organization.

Q: How will this new location help even more?
Being in a nice, new location like this definitely helps people feel comfortable. I think it’s going to bring more clients that maybe wouldn’t have come in the past. Methodist Healthcare Ministries came in at a substantial level to make this a reality.

Q: What is your outlook for the future?
It makes you feel good when you see someone who went through so much distress change their life around. They learn to become their own therapist and live life again. What we’re hoping for, our goal on a bigger level as far as impact, is to look back in three to five years and say that we’re not higher than the state or national average on suicide. To see something of that magnitude improve through our services and outreach … that’s the overarching goal of what we’re doing.

To learn more about West Texas Guidance & Counseling, visit www.sanangelocounseling.org.

This interview was conducted with Dusty McCoy, executive director at West Texas Counseling & Guidance, and Tiffany Talley, director of development & community relations, May 31, 2017, at West Texas Counseling and Guidance’s new location, by Jennifer Perez, Communications Coordinator II at Methodist Healthcare Ministries. Photos by Methodist Healthcare Ministries multimedia production coordinator, Dustin Wenger.

From classroom to corporate office: A look inside Methodist Healthcare Ministries

DW Admin on May 30, 2017

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.

Hundreds receive free dental care from mobile dental clinic in Kerrville, Texas

DW Admin on April 27, 2017

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.

Funded Partner Spotlight: CentroMed, increasing access to health care in San Antonio

DW Admin on April 11, 2017

Since it's grassroots beginnings in 1971, integrated primary care clinic, CentroMed, has grown to become a trusted source for low-income families in and around San Antonio. Methodist Healthcare Ministries has proudly supported CentroMed since 1996 through funding for health care services and capital expansion projects.

"We're really honored to work with Methodist Healthcare Ministries, a great partner of CentroMed for over 20 years," expressed CentroMed Vice President of Development & Marketing, Ana Maria Garza Cortez. "Without Methodist Healthcare Ministries' support, I'm not sure that many of our buildings would be in existence today."

A major component of Methodist Healthcare Ministries' and CentroMed's partnership includes care for the uninsured, including the homeless, to make an affordable primary care home accessible to those least-served, thus improving their health outcomes.

"CentroMed is honored to serve six homeless shelters in San Antonio. We provide the medical and primary health care services that our community needs. We couldn't do that without the support of Methodist Healthcare Ministries," stated Cortez. "In addition to support for building facilities and growing our services, we're fortunate that Methodist Healthcare has been a partner in providing grants and programs so patients can get the health care they need at a very low cost."

In March 2017, after assessing a lack of health coverage in the Indian Creek area, CentroMed announced the groundbreaking of their new health and wellness center (view photos of the groundbreaking day).

"There was not a single primary care provider in the area," stated Marina Gonzales, executive manager for special projects at CentroMed. "We decided to build an adequate facility to fit the needs of the community. We're fortunate to have a partnership with Methodist Healthcare Ministries who came on board early on in support of the growth of our new medical clinic, which will encompass a primary care clinic on one side and an adjacent wellness center."

"Our community continues to grow, and we see many families that still need access to health care," said Cortez. "With the support of Methodist Healthcare Ministries, we can continue to provide those services, and by working together, we can keep our community healthy."

Learn more about grant-making at Methodist Healthcare Ministries. To learn more about CentroMed, visit http://centromedsa.com/.

The Rock: A few words from a Wesley Nurse

DW Admin on April 11, 2017

By Rhonda 'Sue' Hunnicutt, RN, Wesley Nurse (Luling, Texas)

Recently, my husband and I were able to get away together to catch a few local estate sales. This was a rare opportunity for the both of us, and luck just wasn't with us on our treasure hunt. After lunch in Seguin, Texas, we took a back-road home hoping we might happen upon one or two more sales. Luckily, and quite by accident, we did.

As soon as I walked into the living room of the home where the sale was being conducted, an unusual print on the wall caught my eye. I don't usually find artwork to my taste at estate sales, but this one kept drawing me in, especially when I read the words superimposed on the print. It was a quote from Plato, "The part can never be well unless the whole is well." As a Wesley Nurse, we take a 'holistic' approach to health — mind, body, and spirit. This seemed perfect for my office. As I looked at the picture closely, I began to truly appreciate it. It reminded me of rocks covered in lichen, that I saw as a child, and as an adult hiking at Enchanted Rock. I thought, "There's no way this item will be priced at a price I can afford," but I had to ask anyway. It turns out the price was very reasonable so naturally, I had to buy this work of art for my office.

The cashier, her husband, and I conversed, as people tend to do at estate sales (one of the reasons I love going to them). We discussed how this print fit into the mission of a Wesley Nurse. Being in Seguin, and doing as most Wesley Nurses do, I switched gears to work mode and I asked the couple if they knew they had a Wesley Nurse in Seguin. "Why yes, we do," the man stated, his chest puffing up with pride. "Danna Dyess — we go to church with her!"

The print was accompanied by a card of authenticity, which had just a snippet on the print's origin. The print, aptly named "The Rock," was created by a local Seguin artist, Kolleen Kallus, who used a rock down the road from her home as inspiration. I was so excited to come upon such a treasure. I had to know more. I looked up the website for Kolleen's business listed on the card, Hope at the Heart®. From there, the most beautiful story unfolded. The story of a thirteen-year-old girl who had endured the shock and horror of stage-four ovarian cancer and survived! You see, by the time many women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, it's too late, and yet this teenage girl endured and triumphed over the chemotherapy and many surgeries required for her survival. As I read on, tears were flowing. She went on to follow her heart and used art as an expression of her faith, and still does so today. Clearly, she lives for God and gives Him the glory in her artwork and stories. Though Kolleen started out with photography, she gravitated toward her love of acrylics to create her beautiful works of art. Her relationship with Christ shines through her work and provides hope and inspiration to those who may feel hopeless.

Her story was so touching. I wanted to know more about the wonderful print of hers that I now owned, and about the person who created it. I found Kolleen on Facebook and reached out to her. Within a short time, she reached back! We have had lovely conversations, and she is an inspiration to me. She said that she is inspired by the roles of the Wesley Nurses, and was happy that the print found the home that it did. There are only two prints of "The Rock" — mine, and another commissioned by a physician in San Antonio.

Some may say it was coincidence, but I believe "The Rock" found me. The story is so much bigger than the print. It was God, our rock, my rock, THE rock, leading me to another sister in Christ. I feel honored that Kolleen has allowed me to re-tell her story. As so often happens in life, those 'nudges' or 'God winks' (as some people refer to them), lead us together for a higher purpose. I believe that happens in life more than we know, we just need to take the time to listen or watch for them.

Until next time, be well and be blessed.

Rhonda Hunnicutt, 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.

Discovering more on mental health

DW Admin on March 23, 2017

By Sharon Skaggs, Wesley Nurse, Austin

Last February, my fellow Wesley Nurse, Eileen Stedl-Walter, and I had the opportunity to host an exhibit table at the 17th annual Central Texas African American Family Support Conference held in Austin, Texas. The table was shared with one of Methodist Healthcare Ministries' funded partners, Planned Living Assistance Network of Central Texas (PLANCTX). The conference was provided by Austin Travis County Integral Care (ATCIC) along with community sponsors from both public and private sectors. More than 400 people attended the event and had access to 30 interactive workshops about mental health, developmental and intellectual disabilities, chemical dependency and co-occurring disorders.

In November 2000, according to the ATCIC, integral care took its first step towards addressing myths about mental illnesses and health disparities by hosting the inaugural conference with culturally relevant information for African Americans. The conference's ongoing mission has been to strengthen family and individual awareness of available health care services, both behavioral and physical, through culturally sensitive education, support, and partnerships. The conference targets the African American community but embraces all members of the community regardless of race. In addressing these vital issues over the years, the conference has also sought to reduce stigma about mental illness in the African-American community. One speaker, Tamu Lewis, summed it all up when she stated: "there is no health without mental health."

The event had an inspiration wall which asked the questions: Why are you here? Why is the conference important? What will you take away? The wall was completely covered with thoughtful answers from the attendees.

The conference was an excellent opportunity to increase our awareness of issues facing our community, gain knowledge about wellness, recovery and professional development, learn about area resources, and network with our peers. We were happy to represent Methodist Healthcare Ministries at the conference.

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 individuals and communities to achieve improved wellness through self-empowerment. Learn more at www.mhm.org/programs/health-ministries.

Snow Covers

DW Admin on March 11, 2017

By Marti Faulkner, RN, Wesley Nurse,

I remember going hunting for rabbits with my grandfather when I was little. He would shoot them; I would get out of the car and get the rabbit to place it in the ice chest in the back of the car. Then we would slowly drive down the road waiting for our next dinner to hop up in our path. Those times were precious to me and I have many memories of harvesting dinner with my grandfather. One memory, in particular, stands out to me the most: We were hunting in New Mexico on some old oil field dirt roads in the middle of nowhere. It had snowed quite a bit and everything was covered with a white blanket. When my grandfather shot the first rabbit, I was surprised at how bright the blood appeared on the snow. I was about 10 years old and decided it was really creepy so I tried to cover it up. I would kick snow on top of the blood, but the blood kept seeping through. I couldn't figure out why, but I worked harder and put on more snow until I couldn't see it anymore. Little did I know that this memory would be very significant to me and the impact that I make on my patients.

Mental health is an issue that often goes unaddressed. During the holidays you see an increase in suicides and the inpatient mental health units tend to fill up. People become impatient with each other and often times feelings are hurt and things are said that can't be undone. I try to think of each person in my life as snow and this is why. The snow sparkled in the sun and was a beautiful cover across the fields. We all know snow is frozen, yet the blood of that rabbit was hot. When I put new snow on top of it, the blood would melt the new snow and the blood would show through. The blood reminds me of an emotional injury, once it's there it burns hot and takes a lot of work to cover up. The new snow being placed on top of the blood reminds me of positive things trying to cover up the hurt from an emotional injury. In the beginning, it keeps melting and the injury shows through. Once the blood is finally the same temperature as the snow, when it has had time to cool off, you can begin to make progress in covering it up. This is when it quits melting the new snow or when a person begins to heal. It takes a lot of rebuilding and positive reinforcement and actions to help someone recover from an emotional injury.

When you are dealing with people that are injured, it may take a lot of snow to make that beautiful fresh blanket be untarnished again. This takes time and patience – that is why it is important for us to build relationships with our patients. When you are dealing with a patient, friend, family member or even a stranger, always think before you act out of frustration or anger. Ask yourself a single question: "How much snow will it take to cover up what I am about to say or do?"

Funded Partner Spotlight: Mercy Ministries of Laredo

DW Admin on February 21, 2017

Methodist Healthcare Ministries is dedicated to providing access to care to low-income families and the uninsured in South Texas. It's mission of improving the physical, mental, and spiritual health of the least-served is the driving force behind its funded partnerships. For this reason, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has been proud to partner with Mercy Ministries of Laredo, a clinic of the Mercy Health System which also strives to help the underserved through holistic patient-centered models.

"Our missions could not be more comparable. We care deeply about the medically underserved and we are trying to make their lives better," said Sister Maria Luisa Vera, president of Mercy Ministries of Laredo. "Mercy Ministries has been blessed with a 10-year partnership with Methodist Healthcare Ministries."

Mercy Ministries is a mid-level practice that provides primary health care services to unfunded residents of Webb County. Currently, Mercy sees between 1,800 to 2,000 adult patients, primarily Hispanic, between 18-70 years of age. All services are provided to the uninsured on a sliding-scale at 250 percent of poverty, based on income and family size.

"Our main goal is primary health care with a heavy emphasis on prevention and education," stated Elizabeth Casso, vice president and CFO of Mercy Ministries of Laredo. "We want to provide as good a care in this clinic as they could get anywhere."

Since 2007, Methodist Healthcare Ministries has provided Mercy with grants that have assisted their dental, diabetes, and women's health programs. In addition, Mercy's variety of services includes medication assistance, social services, and nutritional guidance, as well as a mobile clinic that travels to 14 Webb County sites (colonias, inner city, and rural areas).

Nearly three years ago, Mercy began to shift its focus to integrated behavioral care (IBH).

"We started looking at how mental health affected our patients and their chronic diseases," said Casso. "We were looking to address the needs of our community and look for solutions; we wanted to help our patients overcome their problems and get better outcomes."

An added solution came in the co-location of Methodist Healthcare Ministries' behavioral health supervisor, Zonia Garza. By being on site, Garza offers Mercy patients support services such as one-on-one counseling to help with issues of parenting, family relationships, depression and substance abuse and referral assistance. Garza is able to assist Mercy through case management and support services that are designed to help people who are uninsured, whose existing coverage does not provide mental health services benefits, are low-income and lack the money to pay for counseling services, or would not receive treatment any other way.

"Having Zonia in our clinic two days a week is an added blessing," said Sister Maria Luisa Vera. "Because Zonia came to Mercy before the start of the Sí Texas Project, we already could envision what was possible if our services evolved into an IBH model."

In 2015, in further pursuit of introducing IBH to patients, Mercy Ministries joined Methodist Healthcare Ministries' Sí Texas: Social Innovation for a Healthy South Texas project, a Social Innovation Fund program that stimulates local solutions to improve both physical and behavioral health together, such as diabetes and depression. Sí Texas focuses on IBH models that are effectively improving health outcomes in communities with high rates of poverty, depression, diabetes, obesity and associated risk factors.

Through the Sí Texas Project, Mercy Clinic enhances its current integrated services, utilizes referral psychiatric services, and incorporates a spiritual wellness component that gives patients the option to augment their counseling through prayer, church referral, pastoral counseling, family counseling, or all of the above depending on patient need. The aptly named, "Sí Three" initiative is based on three aspects of wellness: mind, body, and spirit. The model moves the clinic from its existing co-located model, in which behavioral and physical health services were offered in the same building, to an integrated model in which these services are fully coordinated.

Natalie Burkhalter, family nurse practitioner and Sí Texas project manager at Mercy Ministries, explains, "We wanted to see how the values of our clinic and those three components were driven throughout the clinic so the patient could have complete service – whether it be physical, behavioral or spiritual health, holistically, everything in one. We've even changed our outcome deliverables to be much more evaluative, for the long-term, so we can help as many people as we can."

Three years into the five-year project, with approximately 400 patients participating, Mercy is already witnessing improvements such as better health numbers and patient compliance.

"Our patients are committed to our clinic and to their care. They come because they want to come; they want to get better and maintain their health. Self-management is key to their success and their wellness," said Burkhalter.

Mercy plans to integrate IBH care with all of its patients even after the Sí Texas Project is complete in 2019. According to Casso, the Sí Texas Project has given Mercy many opportunities; it's increased the clinic's capacity and helped evolve the conversation about data, evaluation and outcomes.

"I hope we can help all of our patients stay healthy, and that they can share their health education and teach their families to be healthy too," said Casso. "For example, we offer diabetes classes so patients can learn about their disease and how to manage it. One of our patients' has a husband that's a truck driver. One weekend he wasn't feeling well and was exhibiting symptoms of diabetes. Because of her own experiences as a diabetic, she suspected he was diabetic too, so she brought him quickly to the clinic before he took off on the road again, which could have made his symptoms worse had he waited longer. I think it's great she applied what she learned and was able to help him."

Counseling is always an option

DW Admin on February 1, 2017

By Elvira Cruz, LCSW, Community Counseling Services Manager

Methodist Healthcare Ministries' Community Counseling services help people who are uninsured; whose existing coverage does not provide mental health services benefits; who are low-income and lack the money to pay for counseling services; or who would not receive treatment any other way.

Counseling can help individuals or families struggling with various issues. It can assist in making sense of situations by offering tools for challenging mental health journeys. It can teach healthy boundaries and identification markers for anxiety struggles. It can motivate you to socialize. Counseling can teach you healthy choices to cope with depression or self-harming behaviors, or it can help you work through an eating disorder or an addiction.

Some people struggle daily with anxiety, fears, anger, desperation or despair, and may need help understanding and managing his or her feelings. Do you know someone who is irritable or aggressive, has risky or destructive behavior, seems hypervigilant, has heightened startled reactions, has difficulty concentrating or cannot sleep? You can play an important role in lending a helping hand or an ear to listen. It's easy to get stuck in a cycle of unhealthy mental health. If you know someone who is hurting, we're here to help.

Counseling services are provided by trained, licensed professional counselors and social workers in local churches across the Rio Grande Valley, Laredo and the Coastal Bend. Sessions are private and conducted in a safe and familiar environment such as churches and community centers. To learn more about Methodist Healthcare Ministries' community counseling services, visit www.mhm.org. Find a community counselor near you at www.mhm.org/map.

God bless.