NASHVILLE, Tenn. On April 8, 2017, the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance (MVA), in partnership with the Nashville Health Disparities Coalition (NHDC), presented the first Faith & Health Summit at Lee Chapel AME Church in Nashville to recognize and celebrate faith-based institutions that have worked to promote health equity and reduce health disparities. Congregational leaders like Rep. Harold Love and Rev. Edwin C. Sanders II, as well as members from around Nashville, came together for a mutual learning experience on how to improve health equity in local congregations and communities.
Following up on that effort, the MVA published the “Community Resource Guide: Faith-Based Programs and Other Resources” booklet listing faith-based resources, as well as other community resources. The resources listed in the guide reflect information collected from community members during the Faith and Health Summit’s Asset Mapping activity. These programs highlight the work done in the community, particularly the faith community, to create conditions that encourage health equity.
Photo by Matt Schorr
Sherrill Atkins, a member of New Season Church and the Faith and Health Collaborative, reports during the Asset Mapping activity of the Faith and Health Summit.
“We hope you find them helpful,” MVA Associate Program Manager Jacquelyn Favours, MPH and NHDC Chair and Meharry Medical College (MMC) Program Director of Community Outreach Cynthia Jackson, PhD state in the guide’s opening letter. “We also plan to update the resource list periodically and encourage you to inform us of programs or resources that you would like to see in a future resource guide.”
If you know of faith-based resources that should be added to the guide, please contact the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance at mva@meharry-vanderbilt.org or call (615) 963-2820.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research in three primary areas -- community engagement, interprofessional education and research -- by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the communities they serve. Through community engagement, the Alliance serves a large community of stakeholders including surrounding universities and colleges, community organizations, faith-based outlets and community health centers. Its interprofessional education enhances students' interdisciplinary understanding and improves patient outcomes through integrated care. The research conducted provides access to experienced grant writers and materials supporting the grant application process and facilitates grant-writing workshops.