Parish Nursing Program at PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center

The dilemma: A patient’s return home from the hospital leads to more problems because he still needs help managing care, but doesn’t qualify for additional services.

The solution: Parish nursing -- a hospital/church partnership staffed by volunteers.

Parish nurses volunteer through local churches, helping members and the community with medical issues and serving as educators, advocates and counselors to bridge the gap between self-care and professional nursing. Parish nurses do not provide hands-on care, such as drawing blood or changing dressings, but do help in four ways:

• Counselors talking with you about health, prevention and medical needs.
• Educators informing and instructing on health care issues.
• Liaisons connecting you with other church members, agencies and community services.
• Advocates identifying people eligible for covered medical care.

To find out more information about Peace Harbor’s Parish Nursing Program, call Peace Harbor Hospital and ask to speak to our Discharge Planning staff.