Hospitals in Action >> Case Examples

EAST ALABAMA MEDICAL CENTER – Opelika, Alabama
Parish Nurse Program’s Free Screenings and Education at the Darden Wellness Center and in the Community Program

What is it?
East Alabama Medical Center 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 screens and health education to the community at the Darden Wellness Center.

The Darden Wellness Center is located in the historic Darden House in Opelika, Alabama.  It is 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, the J.W. Darden Foundation, and Wright's Market, an area grocer who provides healthy snacks for those who come to the screenings.

Additionally, the Parish Nurses provide free blood pressure screenings and health education at Food Bank of East Alabama distribution sites, and at local barber and beauty shops.

Who is it for?
The uninsured or 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 with the goal of touching lives and improving overall 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 Auburn Street (site of the Darden House) and members of several churches in the area as well.  The 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 healthcare for medically underserved people, as well as to help others with limited access to medical services receive health education and screenings for a variety of conditions.  Health events are staffed by the EAMC Parish Nurses and student volunteers from the Auburn University School of Nursing, and 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: The monthly screening and education program led by the EAMC Parish Nurses began in the spring of 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 is to enable attendees to better manage their chronic conditions and see a physician before a crisis occurs.  Since March 2008, the EAMC Parish Nurses have held monthly screenings and seminars on the 3rd Wednesday from 10 a.m. until noon. A total of 107 people have been served (some attend each month) since March. Eight persons were referred to area physicians for excessively high blood pressure, two were referred to the Diabetes Treatment Center, and three people were referred to a dermatologist for possible pre-cancerous skin lesions. At the most recent screening in September 2008, free PSA screens for prostate cancer were provided.  Four men showed elevated results and were referred to area physicians for follow-up. 

Additionally, the parish nurses provide blood pressure screenings several times a month at the Food Bank’s Community Market, the Food Pantry at one of the area’s largest churches, and at barber and beauty shops. Approximately 50 people are screened per month at these locations, with an average of eight to ten people being referred to physicians or to Mercy Medical Clinic, a charity clinic in the area.  Non-compliance with medication is one of the major issues, and health teaching is provided in each of these settings.

Contact: Lee Wilkins
Public Relations Coordinator
Telephone: 334-528-5894
E-mail: lee.wilkins@eamc.org