1 John 4:8

[nashvillegoldenflash]

8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

As part of Saint Thomas Health’s commitment to serve the poor and vulnerable in Middle Tennessee, the health system hosted a free medical screening event in Rutherford County on Saturday, June 27, 2015.

The Rutherford “Day of Hope, Health and Healing” event was held in Murfreesboro, TN at Olive Branch Church.
Volunteer medical personnel, including, physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, nurses, optometrists, technicians, pharmacists, chaplains and dozens of other hospital staff from Saint Thomas Rutherford, Saint Thomas Midtown, Saint Thomas West Hospitals and Saint Thomas Medical Partners provide free medical, dental and vision care to 278 people. Pharmacy services, including select prescription medications for those in need, also provided by the Dispensary of Hope. Dental Services (on-site fillings and extractions) was offered by the non-profit organization Hope Smiles and the Brentwood Baptist Medical Dental Unit.

“It is our responsibility as a mission-driven ministry to care for the poor and vulnerable, especially in our own communities. Rutherford County has thousands of uninsured residents and we are compelled as one healing community to serve those most vulnerable and in need,” said Nancy Anness, Vice President of Advocacy, Access and Community Outreach for Saint Thomas Health.

Rutherford County is estimated to have more than 288,000 residents. According to 2013 data published by the United States Census Bureau, more than 15 percent of Rutherford County residents are uninsured and 14.5 percent live in poverty.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to serve those needing care so close to home,” said Kathy Ferrell, Mobile Health Outreach Coordinator for Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital. "Healthcare is still out of reach for some of our most vulnerable neighbors. We are grateful to carry out our Mission to serve all persons through this Medical Mission."



BBJ, as an employee of St. Thomas, my wife was one of the volunteers for this free medical screening. In the video above, she is the one wearing the green vest and walking down the hallway.

 

[bigbadjohn45]

Flash, I think it's great that St. Thomas is helping the poor in this way. Frankly, this is the way the poor and disadvantaged used to be helped before government stepped in to render their "benevolence." This was (and still should be) the responsibility of churches and private organizations to aid and assist those in need.

BTW, God bless your wife for her kind help with their cause. She's doing the Lord's work.

 

[nashvillegoldenflash]

BBJ, you are right that this should be the responsibility of churches and private organizations to aid and assist those in need. By the way, that was the day I went to Sam's and The Boulevard. Since we live in Hendersonville, we left early to get there by 7:40. While my wife and her co-worker, who went with us, offered their services, I walked around the university and went to a few stores. I agreed to take them so that I could have a lot of time to check out the new science building. If you haven't seen it, you need to because it is very impressive.

As I have stated before, I'm Protestant and not Catholic but I believe in the mission of Pope John Paul II High School.

OUR MISSION
“Inspired by faith, Pope John Paul II High School prepares students to be strong in mind, body, character, and spirit for lives of learning and service, according to the Gospel.”


C.S. Lewis uses a wonderful simile which gets to the heart of our vision for students:

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” (Mere Christianity)

High school is a time of genuine growth and character development for teenagers. With an elevated, optimistic vision of what’s possible for them, with a clear understanding that genuine growth includes the development of their minds, bodies, characters and spirits, we believe that God can truly build palaces in the lives of our students and they, in turn, can turn his love outward in a life of learning and service to others.