The Parish Health Program allows students to apply what they’ve learned
Every Sunday, a group of Chaminade nursing students gather at a Honolulu church to educate parishioners on the importance of health and nutrition. Established two years ago, the University’s Parish Health Program has provided access to healthcare screenings to thousands of churchgoers.
And earlier this month, the program expanded to a third parish: St. Anthony Kalihi.
At St. John the Baptist Church, which also participates in the program, Father Jaroslaw Z. Skrzypek said offering the one-on-one preventive health outreach has proven a support system to parishioners.
“It fosters a sense of community and shared values around health and well-being” said Skrzypek.
Likening the parish program outreach to clinical rotations—but at a church instead of a hospital—Associate Professor and Parish Health Coordinator Sandy Bourgette-Henry said students benefit from the real-world, hands-on experience and making connections with community members.
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“The best way to reach the community is to go where they gather,” Bourgette-Henry said.
“In this case, we go to the various parishes.”
Katrina “Nina” Jackson ’25 said giving her time, care and attention to parishioners has allowed her to sharpen her skills and also has proven personally rewarding. “This gives us an opportunity to get out into the community and see what residents’ needs are,” she said. “I think this program is important because it allows us to educate people about such health topics as nutrition, CPR and physical activity.”
A grant from the Marianist Sponsorship Ministries Foundation grant helped launch the innovative program in 2022, funding health promotional items like pedometers, blood pressure monitors, cuffs and gift cards for local farmers markets as incentives to maintain healthy habits.
Kaiser Permanente, through the Catholic Care Coalition, has also contributed to the program’s success.
Students enrolled in NUR 401 are charged with offering services through the Parish Health Program. Along the way, they also learn about public health theory, health promotion, and relationship-building.
In addition to aligning with Chaminade’s service-focused mission, the program also supports the University’s efforts to promote UN Sustainable Development Goals, including a focus on wellbeing.
When the Parish Health Program is at St. John the Baptist Church on Sundays, students screen about 600 parishioners across three Masses.
They take blood pressure readings, offer nutritional recommendations, and discuss diabetes management and cardiac care.
Last semester, they even screened for food insecurity among parishioners at Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in Kalihi. Bourgette-Henry said students distributed 150 food vouchers on one particular Sunday.
“We were trying to determine if food insecurity is correlated with high blood pressure,” Bourgette-Henry said. “I know that the American Heart Association wants to do this again in the future, and so do we.”
A former cardiac nurse with 30 years of experience, Bourgette-Henry noted that heart disease is the leading cause of death in Hawaii. She said the old model of healthcare waits for patients to present with symptoms. The new one, aligned with the Parish Health Program, “focuses on prevention.”
“The students are really eager to teach parishioners how to take care of themselves,” Bourgette-Henry added. “All participating students find this program fulfilling and beneficial to their future as nurses.”