Parish nurses, health ministers, social service professionals, physicians, clergy, pastoral and social ministers, and lay individuals who have an interest in wholistic (whole person) health are invited to attend “Visioning Ministries of Health.” Presented by the Mercy Parish Nurse and Health Ministry Program, part of Pittsburgh Mercy Health System and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, the 20th Annual Parish Nurse and Health Ministry Symposium will take place on Saturday, October 20, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Sister M. Ferdinand Clark Auditorium, Level 2, UPMC Mercy, 1400 Locust Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (Uptown).
The event provides continuing education, resources, and networking opportunities to individuals who are active in or interested in starting health ministries in their churches.
The Reverend Stacy C. Smith, manager of faith community outreach at the Church Health Center, the new home of the International Parish Nurse Resource Center (IPNRC), and a parish associate at Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, will deliver the keynote address, “Trees Walking,” based on the Gospel of Mark 8: 22-25. Rev. Smith will also lead “Health Ministry: The Process of Healing,” an interactive workshop. Small group discussions on how to start or re-energize a health ministry, prayer and spirituality, finding and using resources, legal issues, and the electronic documentation of parish nurse and health ministry activities will follow.
At the conclusion of the event, participants will be able to recognize the cycles of change, healing, and growth in health ministries; discuss the principles and strategies of team development; and understand key issues in developing and sustaining health ministries.
Three continuing education credits will be provided to registered nurses* and social service professionals† who attend.
The cost is $30 per person. A reduced rate of $10 is available to undergraduate nursing students. The cost includes brunch, continuing education credits, course materials, and free parking in the UPMC Mercy parking garage on Locust Street.
The registration deadline is Friday, October 12. Space is limited. Early registration is encouraged.
For more information, or to obtain a symposium brochure, call 412.232.5815 or email ParishNurse@mercy.pmhs.org.
About the Mercy Parish Nurse and Health Ministry Program
Part of Pittsburgh Mercy Health System and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, the Mercy Parish Nurse and Health Ministry Program was the first parish nurse program in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The program integrates faith and health, and provides support and education to more than 400 area churches and 1,500 parish nurses and health ministers. Since 1991, it has served more than 4,000 health care professionals and lay persons who volunteer in their churches and has commissioned more than 250 parish nurses and health ministers through its parish nurse preparation course. To learn more about the Mercy Parish Nurse and Health Ministry Program or to make a donation in support of its important work in our community, visitwww.pmhs.org.
About Pittsburgh Mercy Health System
Pittsburgh Mercy Health System (PMHS) is an extension of the Catholic health care ministry to all people in southwestern Pennsylvania. A member of Catholic Health East and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, PMHS focuses on providing quality services that meet physical, mental, and spiritual needs. Pittsburgh Mercy Health System includes A Child’s Place at Mercy, McAuley Ministries, Mercy Behavioral Health, Mercy Community Health, Mercy Intellectual Disabilities Services, Mercy Parish Nurse and Health Ministry Program, Operation Safety Net®, and Pittsburgh Mercy Family Health Center. To learn more about Pittsburgh Mercy Health System or to make a donation in support of its important work in our community, visit www.pmhs.org.
*UPMC designates this continuing education activity for 30 clock hours. UPMC is approved as a provider of continuing education in nursing by the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA), which is accredited as an approver of continuing education in nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation (ANCC COA). UPMC, ANCC COAC, and PSNA do not endorse any commercial products as a result of the CE activity. †Three social work CEU credits have been approved through co-sponsorship of Mercy Behavioral Health and Carlow University, a Pennsylvania pre-approved provider of social work education.
