2002 - Winter (Vol. 6, No. 1)

International Occupational Therapists For Christ

Newsletter: Volume 6, Number 1, Winter, 2002
 A publication of International Occupational Therapists for Christ, PO Box 3291, Greenville, NC 27836
www.otforChrist.org, E-mail: otfc@otforChrist.org

IOTFC Update

An outstanding conference program was presented at our fall 2001 conference in Waxhaw, North Carolina in facilities that were comfortable and conducive to learning and fellowship. The program (summarized later in this and the next issue of the IOTFC Newsletter) included keynote presentations by Dr. Dana King on the relationship of spirituality to health and on spirituality assessment. Occupational therapy for underserved populations in both inner city U. S. and other settings were also highlighted. Dr. Sam Molind (of the Christian Medical & Dental Association) presented the excellent services available through his organization and that are available to occupational therapists who become Associate members. Presentation of the Christian heritage of occupational therapy ended the sessions.

Meeting with CMDA: IOTFC continues efforts to develop effective means of communication with members and interested individuals. IOTFC Board members again met with representatives of the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) in Bristol, TN on February 15, 2002. CMDA offered to be a resource for our members who wish to participate in their mission activities, many of which could include effective occupational therapy services. They also offered their print and media resources that can be available to our members.

Stay in Touch: Financial and mechanical considerations make it particularly difficult to maintain contact and mailings to those who do not update information and commitment forms annually. It may become necessary to reduce future mailings to serve only those from whom current information has been received.

Please complete and return the enclosed information and interest form if you wish to remain affiliated with IOTFC.

Fall 2002 Meeting: We are exploring whether occupational therapists who participate in the Global Missions Conference of the Southeastern Christian Church (SECC) of Louisville, KY can meet together sometime(s) during their conference (Nov. 1 & 2, 2002). It looks promising at present. Plan to be there. IOTFC may be able to meet at that time. We encourage your participation in the SECC conference.

Electronic Communication: The IOTFC Board is considering if electronic communication through a web site and/or Email may facilitate our ability to serve the community of occupational therapy believers and how this might facilitate broader participation by interested O. Ts. You may be able to commit a few hours of service (per month or year) to: review literature on a topic of interest and give a brief summary; identify and report on web sites of particular interest to O. Ts.; summarize content on particular web sites; report on excellent programs you have attended; stay abreast and report on a particular topic of interest to you; etc. A web site might allow you to share the blessings and insights you have received. Let us know what you think of an IOTFC web site.

Please pray for the IOTFC Board that our decisions will be with God’s wisdom and within His will, and that we will be effective stewards of the resources He so graciously provides through your financial contributions.

Conference 2001 Highlights

IOTFC’s conference (Sept. 28-30, 2001 was held in Waxhaw, NC at the Wycliffe Bible Translator’s facility. The setting was relaxed, the staff pleasant and giving (all of whom are volunteers), accommodations were very comfortable the meals exceptional, and the presentation on JAARS (Jungle Aviation And Rescue Service) was outstanding. Participants toured The Museum of the Alphabet that highlighted the development of written language and the complexities of Bible translation.

Session Summaries
Is Attention to Spirituality Important in the Clinical Setting?

Keynote summarized with permission from notes and presentation by Dana E. King M.D. Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina on 9/29/01 in Waxhaw, NC.

Dr. Dana King, M. D. made an insightful and excellent presentation of why spiritual issues are important in health care provision, a summary of research on its relationship to health and of spiritual assessments. He began with a case presentation that demonstrated the importance of spiritual issues, followed by the summaries that were approached through the use of questions. The remainder of this summary will keep that format provided by his handout notes.

Why Attend to Patients' Spirituality?

• Patients are religious and have spiritual views that affect health.

• Many patients want to have their spiritual needs addressed in the clinical setting.

• Patients use religious coping in illness.

• It Helps patient's physical and spiritual well-being..

Religious Commitment and Health: Are patients religious?

• What is their level of commitment?

• What religious views are relevant to health?

• How is religious commitment associated with physical health, mental health, physiologic factors?

• Where is the research headed?  (Levin JS 1994)

• Is it valid?

• Is it causal?

Are patients religious? - (Gallup Poll, Public Opinion 1997), (Gallup G. Religion in America 1990).

• 95% of people in the U.S. believe in God.

• 80% believes in the Bible.

• 61% believes that religion is the most important influence in their lives.

Religious Views Affect Health - (MartyME, Health and Med in the Faith Traditions series, Crossroad), (King, DE ShendeAM, 1998).

• 90% of people believe in healing miracles, and over half are personally aware of one.

• 77% said God's will is the most important factor in getting well.

• Do our pts believe in miracles?

• Different denominations have varied views on abortion, euthanasia, circumcision, life after death, and other health-related matters.

Religious Commitment and Spirituality:  Religious commitment--refers to participation rituals, beliefs, and practices of an organized community of faith. Spirituality refers to personal views of the meaning of life and relation to a transcendent dimension. Research on religious commitment is more abundant than that on other areas of spirituality.

Religious Commitment Overview:

• Review of 1086 studies that included religious variables revealed:

• 75% had a positive association with health. (Craigie et al 1990).

• 70 clinical and epidemiology studies showed religious factors associated with better physical and mental health (Matthews DA 1998; 1600 studies, reviewed in Handbook of Rel and Health 2001, Koenig).

Religious Commitment and Physical Health: Hypertension (HTN)

• 14 of 16 studies showed lowered BP

• Immune related interleukin-6 levels were related to attendance at religious services (Koenig 1997)

• AIDS response showed fewer illnesses(0.1 vs. 0.6) - 33% fewer MD visits, 75% fewer hospital visits;CD-4 was the same, from distant healing[blind study].(Targ 1998).

Religious Commitment and Physical Health:

Review of 1919 records of deliveries at a university medical center in North Carolina compared patients with any religious preference to those with no religious preference. King, Hueston, and Rudy (S Med J, 1994) found significantly better outcomes in the group with religious preference. -Neonatal complications: OR 0.68 (p<.01), -Maternal complications: OR 0.76 (p<.03). After controlling for age, parity,marital status, insurance, and obstetric risk factors--neonatal complications adjusted OR 0.80, (95% 0.68-0.92) p=.02 for those with any religious preference

Spirituality and Mental Health: More religious/spiritual involvement was related to fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression(Larson 1992, Idler 1992, Pressman 1990, Levin 1996). -More R/S involvement associated with lower rates of substance abuse (Gorsuch, 1995). –Negative beliefs, belief in a punishing God was associated with neuroses (Shwab 1990, Payne 1991).

Religious Commitment and Mortality: -This study analyzed the association between attending religious services and all causes of mortality in 1931 older residents of Marin County, CA over 5 years. Lower mortality was found in religious attendees by Oman and Reed (Am J Pub Health, 1998). They studied 6 categories of confounders: demographics, health status, physical functioning, health habits, social functioning and support, and psychological state. Attenders had lower mortality than nonattenders; age and sex adjusted relative hazard (RH)= 0.64 (95% CI 0.52-0.78). After multivariate adjustment RH=0.76 (CI 0.62-0.94), primarily due to including physical functioning and social support.

Religious Commitment and Immunity: Koenig et al, (Intl J Psych Med, 1997) Followed 1718 people age 65 and over for 3 years regarding religious attendance and immune factors. They controlled for depression, and stress. Religious attendance was inversely related to high levels of interlukin (IL); 6 levels (> 5pg/ml) but not as a continuous variable (OR 0.58, CI 0.40-0.84, p<0.05).

"Proving" the Influence of Religious Commitment on Health: No attempt to "prove" the existence of the supernatural is made by most researchers. Proposed mechanisms include social support, spiritual well being, physiologic mediators, or other factors. Scientific data support the importance of the association between religious commitment and health.

Interventions Using Religion or Spirituality: A study of AIDS patients by Sicher and Targ (West J Med, 1998) Used randomized "distant healing”. Intervention resulted in fewer illnesses(0.1 vs. 0.6), 33% fewer MD visits, fewer hospitalizations (0.15 vs. 0.6), fewer days of hospitalization (0.5 vs. 3.4);all p< .05. CD-4 counts were the same in both groups.

In a study of Coronary Care Unit patients , compared with the usual care group (n = 524), the prayer group (n = 466) had lower mean CCU course scores [+/- SEM weighted (6.35 +/-0.26 vs. 7.13 +/- 0.27; P=.04) and unweighted (2.7 +/- 0.1 vs. 3.0 +/- 0.1; P=.04)]. Lengths of CCU and hospital stays were not different (Harris WS , Arch Intern Med , 1999, Oct.).

The effect of Intercessory Prayer on 40 patients with rheumatoid arthritis was studied by Matthews (SMJ, 2000). A unique 3 day intervention and "waiting list" method revealed significantly improved grip strength, decreased joint swelling, pain, fatigue, and functional impairment.

Current Research: Over 10,000 patients (from NHANES IIIJ) were compared on cardiovascular inflammatory markers (CRP, WBC and fibrinogen levels) in attenders vs. non-attenders of religious services. CRP and WBC sign. Differed. Further research should pursue possible psychoneurophysiologic links.

Chaplain Intervention Model: The chaplain intervention model is similar to the medical consult model (nutrition, physical therapy) its acceptability is good. It uses trained certified practitioners to address all faiths (a core value of the APC). It identifies high-risk groups that are more likely to benefit , and promotes better use of resources. A limitation is that a single faith is predominant.

One study of religious intervention used medical loss (hospital costs, rate of readmission in 30days) and patient satisfaction (survey from the Medical Outcomes study) as outcomes. No differences were found in spiritual well-being and functional outcomes.

Why Attend to Patients' Spirituality? Patients are religious and have spiritual views that affect health. Many patients want to have their spiritual needs addressed in the clinical setting. Patients use religious coping in illness. It helps patients.

Needs of Seriously Ill Patients Greater: 94% of inpatients surveyed said that spiritual health is as important as physical health. 77% wanted their physician to consider spiritual needs (King, DE, JFP,1994). 80% of psychiatric patients had 3 or more spiritual issues (FitchettG et al, 1997).

When to Address Spiritual Issues:

• Whenever mentioned by the patient.

• Routinely as part of the social history.

• When patients face serious or terminal illness.

Quick Spiritual Histories

FICAH:

• F--What is your Faith or religion?

• I--How Important is your faith or religion to you?

• C--What Church or faith Community?

• A--How do your beliefs apply to your health?

• How would you like me to Address your spiritual needs? (Puchalski, 1999).

HOPE:

• H--source of Hope, peace, and comfort?

• O--Organized religion

• P--Personal spirituality?

• E--What Effect will this have on your medical treatment and End-of life planning? (Anadarajah & Hight, JFP 2001).

Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Patients want spiritual concerns addressed. Inquiry (taking a spiritual history) is basic to best practice. A Biopsychospiritual Model allows us to more easily incorporate spirituality into the care of patients. Integration into Practice: Inclusion of spiritual history is time-efficient (using history tools). When used?

1. Patient

2. Routine; H and P

3. Serious illness

4. Near end of life

Refer patients to chaplains, ministers, others. Encourage coping in patient’s R/S tradition. Recognize the ethical and practical challenges the new Biopsychospiritual model. represents to our previously held views, training, and patterns of dealing with patients. Further research is needed on usefulness of spiritual history, and development of spiritual interventions.

Reference & Reading: King, Dana E. M. D. (2000). Faith, Spirituality, and Medicine: Toward the making of the healing practitioner. Binghamton, NY: Hayworth Press, Inc

Note: Dr King indicated that few studies attempt to differentiate the effects of practices of specific religions on health. Another source has indicated that Christian believers, however, make up the bulk of participants of most reported studies because of religious demographic factors

Taking Spiritual Histories: Dr. King’s second presentation on Spiritual Histories will be summarized in an up-coming issue. Look for it!

Mission Activities with Under Served Populations:
Ruby Avenue Community Services
Presented by Cindy Peterson, OTR

Cindy Peterson, OTR, gave an excellent presentation of the process, struggles and joys of developing their Ruby Avenue programs and her vision for its future. The details of how God was working to serve Kansas City children through her and her staff were exciting and humbling indeed. A hint of just how exciting might best be presented from her words in a recent note.

It was good to talk with you yesterday. I again want to thank you for having me come to the conference in North Carolina. . . . I was so tired when I came that I felt like I benefited so much from being there myself. I would like to answer your questions about our program. Our agency is called Ruby Avenue Community Services. We run two programs, the Ruby Avenue Community Arts Program and the Pediatric Therapy Services. The address of Ruby Avenue Community Services is:

 

Ruby Avenue Community Services

P.O. Box 6165

Kansas City, KS 66106

 

913-281-2541 telephone

913-281-0994 fax

email Cindy at RACS@AOL.com

 

I would really appreciate prayers for our program. We work with many children who come from less desirable home situations. We want to provide services in a way that will meet the many needs of the children including spiritual, emotional, physical, and educational. Our staff and youth have become one big family unit. It is emotionally draining as well as very fulfilling to have the relationships that we do with the children. Another way in which people can pray for us is for increased finances. We now have two full time people working with me. One is a full time occupational therapist, the other person assists with administrative tasks, grant writing, and helping with youth classes. I know that there is grant money out there and that our program is very fundable. Pray that staff people will be able to hang in there until we are fully funded again.

 

I have had to reduce salaries of people temporarily. At times it was a kind of lonely process trying to figure out how to accomplish what we needed to do to serve kids in our area. If anyone would like more information about our program, I would be glad to talk to people about what we are doing and be a support for anyone who has questions about how to organize a program for neighborhood youth. People can call me at Ruby Avenue, email me, or write me. We would be glad to have a work group come and visit here. If anyone would like to make a contribution they can send it to Ruby Avenue Community Services at the above address.

 

With Christ's love,

Cindy Peterson”

Christ Still Heals
 Presented by Linda Lehman, OTR, MPH, Cped

Linda Lehman, Prevention of Disability & Rehabilitation Consultant for American Leprosy Missions gave a thorough review of the demographics, cause, pathology, course and treatment of Hanson’s disease. It is a bacterial disease similar to tuberculosis and can be treated (controlled or even cured in many cases) by a regimen of drug therapy.

Possibly of greatest interest, is that many of the debilitating effects (sensory loss, injury and disfigurement) can be prevented and the disease itself cured if the disease is detected early. Linda is involved in development of the prevention programs worldwide and contributed to development of the system of early detection and prevention. She indicates that occupational therapy has a major role in screening and early detection. For more information she may be contacted at: Email lehman@net.em.com.br or by Efax USA at 720 243-2512

Uzbekistan, What’s It Like?

 A five-week trip to Uzbekistan was highlighted by one conference participant. While there, hospitals and health agencies were contacted who might benefit from the services of an occupational therapist. An invitation to return and serve was received. We may receive an update on the experience in the future.

More Wheelchairs for Disabled Presentation

by Linda Pfister, OTR/L

Wheelchairs for the World (and conference participants) again benefited from Linda Pfister’s O. T. expertise during another short-term trip with them. The group helped supervise local people to assemble and adjust wheelchairs & other equipment, fitted the equipment to patients at a distribution facility and even visited patient’s homes to bring the equipment and the Gospel to the needy. From her description it was a thoroughly exhausting and enriching experience that will likely lead her to another similar trip in His service.

Prayers for each of the presenters, their safety, and the eternal benefit of their mission are welcomed.

Occupational Therapy’s Godly Beginning:
A legacy from Benjamin Rush and his Christian faith, Part I.
Presented at the International Occupational Therapists For Christ Conference Sept. 28, 29 & 30, 2001 Waxhaw, North Carolina, by Scott Worley, MA, OTR/L

Nearly every occupational therapist has seen a copy of the photograph of the founders of our profession. Among them was William Rush Dunton, MD. His use of his complete middle name becomes understandable when we realize that he is a descendant of Dr. Benjamin Rush a strong patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence, a respected physician at the time and following the American revolution, a noted humanitarian, abolitionist and author of “moral treatment” (said to be the foundation of occupational therapy) for the mentally ill. A careful review of the history and life of Benjamin Rush, his many activities and numerous remaining records and letters reveal that his strong Christian beliefs formed the underpinnings of his civic responsibility and as the direct force which he desired to control his life and actions. This relationship and other aspects of Dr. Rush's life are presented in well-documented detail by David Barton in his 1999 book Benjamin Rush, Signer of The Declaration of Independence. That book is replete with quotations from historical records, from public records and from his many letters to colleagues and family. The presentation and this summary were largely based upon that book

Mental Health Reforms and the Founding of Occupational Therapy

Prior to the relatively recent development of drugs capable of altering the symptoms or treating the mentally ill, confinement or isolation of those with violent or bizarre symptoms was an early means of management. An observer noted in 1787:

“Here were both men and women, between twenty and thirty in number. Some of them have beds; most of them clean straw. Some of them were extremely fierce and raving, nearly or quite naked; some singing and dancing; some in despair; some were dumb and would not open their mouths; others incessantly talking. It was curious indeed to see in what different strains their distraction raged.”

 As a leading physician, Rush was placed in charge of the mental patients at the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia in 1783. He immediately presented a request to reform patient living conditions:

“Propositions to be laid before the Managers for the benefit of the asylum for mad people, 1st Two warm and two cold bathrooms in the lowest floor--all to be connected; also a pump in the area to supply the baths with water. “

The First Use of Occupation as Therapy
That first request included the first use of occupation as therapy:

“Certain employments to be devised for such of the deranged people as are capable of working. Spinning, sewing, churning, & c. might be contrived for the women. Turning a wheel, particularly grinding Indian corn in a hand mill for food for the horse or cows of the Hospital, cutting straw, weaving, digging in the garden, sawing or planing boards, &c., &c., would be useful for the men.”

Rush’s continued efforts to relieve the hurting were demonstrated in 1792 when, at his request, hospital managers approved a 2 story addition with separate floors for men & women. His diary entry on the event appears in Barton’s book:

“March 1, 1792. Yesterday a vote passed the lower house Assembly to allot £15,000 to build a mad house .... The public mind was first awakened to it by a short publication I threw out in Dunlap's paper. I mention this to encourage my boys to expect great things from slender beginnings and weak instruments.”

These notes also demonstrate Rush’s familiarity with the many biblical examples of God’s accomplishment through the lowly and humble and his ability to apply God’s principles in his own life and professional activity.

Qualified Professional Staff and Occupational Therapists

In 1803 he was the first to recognize the benefits of having well qualified staff (other than physicians) who could interact therapeutically with patients. In 1803 he recommended:

"a well qualified person be employed as a friend and companion to the lunatics, whose business it shall be to attend them and when the physicians direct their enlargement, to see them safe to their apartments.“

Additionally he suggested:

"a man of education to superintend the Lunatics, to walk with them, converse with them, &c., in order to awaken and regulate their minds.“

His final list of recommendations to the hospital board, in a letter dated September 24 1810, contained an additional indication of his commitment to occupation as therapy:

"That certain kinds of labor, exercise, and amusements be contrived for them which shall act at the same time upon their bodies and minds .... That an intelligent man and woman be employed to attend the different sexes whose business shall be to direct and share in their amusements and to divert their minds by conversation, reading, and obliging them to read and write upon subjects suggested from time to time by the attending physicians ...."

Other Improvements Later Called Moral Treatment

Other improvements that he developed as the outworkings of his Christian faith that were also included in what is considered as moral treatment were: night-time heating, more humane confinements for the violent, bathroom improvements, less confining accommodations and respect for the patient’s personal privacy.

Dr. Rush noticed that patients tended to get illnesses after cold winter nights. The Hospital banked or covered the fires at night. He recommended and was granted the hiring of a person to keep up the fires during cold nights to improve the general health of the patients.

“In attending the maniacal patients in the Pennsylvania Hospital, I have long seen with pain the evils of confining them, when ungovernable, by means of what is called the madshirt or straight waistcoat. It generally reduces them to a recumbent posture, which never fails to increase their disease. In this state they often lie whole days.”

He designed & had built a padded, adjustable chair (the tranquilizing chair) with large leather straps to confine the body, arms & feet of the violent person. It was:

"to be used only "as an auxiliary remedy for the cure of the violent state of madness"

It was an effective device to prevent patient injury but later the availability of drugs and other treatments and the abuse of its use resulted in its discontinuation.  Here are others of his final recommendations as he stated them.

“Gentlemen .... The improvements which I wish respectfully to submit to your consideration are as follows:"

1. That small and solitary buildings be erected at a convenient distance from ...., the Hospital for the reception of patients in the high and distracted state of madness in order to prevent the injuries done by their noises to persons in the recent or convalescent state of that disease.., by depriving them of sleep or by inducing distress from sympathy with their sufferings.

2. That separate floors be appropriated for each of the sexes.

3. That no visitor be permitted to converse with or even to see the mad people (the Managers and officers of the Hospital excepted) without an order from the attending physician .... The anticipation of being exposed as a spectacle to idle and sometimes to impertinent visitors is the chief reason why our Hospital is often the last instead of the first retreat of persons affected by madness.

4. That a number of feather beds and hair mattresses and armchairs, be provided ....

5. That each of the cells be provided with a close-stool pan half-filled with water in order to absorb the fetor from evacuations. The inventor of this delicate and healthy contrivance (Dr. Clark of New Castle in England) deserves more from humanity and science than if he had discovered a new planet.

A Respected Physician, Author and Scientist

Benjamin Rush was a respected physician, author and scientist. He graduated from medical school at the age of 17, went to England & studied under the Royal Physician, learning much about military medicine & health. He served with distinction as a physician during the Revolutionary War and practiced medicine in Philadelphia being particularly concerned in serving the poor. He stayed in Philadelphia treating patients during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, contracting the disease twice and barely survived death.

He was an avid reader and thoroughly studied topics of interest (of which he had many). He applied the latest medical techniques keeping copious notes on their application and results. He noted the fever was most prevalent in Philadelphia’s water front area but did not associate it specifically with mosquitoes. He compiled his knowledge of yellow fever and military medicine & health in two books on the subjects. Both were so greatly respected and so thoroughly accurate That they were used up through the Civil War.

In 1812 he wrote Medical Inquiries and Observations Upon the Diseases of the Mind, the first comprehensive text on the description & treatment of mental illness as the culmination of his 30 years of work in the field. It is a classic in mental health & was used as a standard in psychiatry for 70 years

The Evidence Base of Practice

Rush was widely read in science and medicine, and was meticulous in keeping notes on his practice. He believed thoroughly in the benefits of science, and in it as the basis for his practice and medical decisions. He saw no conflict between science and his Christian beliefs writing at one point, “Truth in science, as in morality, can do no harm.”

Part II, Next Issue

Presentation of Benjamin Rush’s contribution to our Prison System and a discussion of Implications for Occupational Therapy will appear in the next issue of the Newsletter. Next time! What does his work’ mean to you, as a believing occupational therapist?

Major Reference

Barton, David. (1999). Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence. Aledo, TX, Wallbuilders Press. Note: Numbers refer to Barton’s references.

What is CMDA?

Well we’re glad you asked! CMDA stands for the Christian Medical and Dental Association. It is an association of medical professionals that includes the Christian Nurses Association. The size and history of the organization provide an amazing network of resources and information that affect medicine, spirituality and ethics. One of their aims is to encourage other organizations of Christian health practitioners. Some of their materials and services can be available to IOTFC subscribers. CMDA provides many resources that can be deeply enriching to our mutual goals to provide the best in health services and Christian love and fellowship.

This introduces one of the CMDA resources, the Saline Solution program, through one of our members who has participated in the series at a local church.

The Saline Solution

Greetings to all my brothers and sisters in Christ! I belong to a church of approximately 700 members in North Carolina and there are a lot of medical professionals in the congregation. I approached the staff with the idea of hosting a Sunday school based on the Saline Solution. To my delight and surprise the staff was already planning on having a session put on by one of the elders who was an orthopedic physician.

There were about 15 people on an average Sunday that consisted of; nurses, psychologists, OT’s, respiratory therapy, chaplains and doctors. While some of the issues were directed primarily to doctors, all of the sessions were of interest to the varied audience.

The series is very well designed with; short video clips, case studies, discussion sessions and practical application sections. As a college instructor I was very impressed with the quality of the teaching material and how easy it was to lead a group session. Medical professionals are very busy and it is difficult to get continuity in teaching a 10-week course. The material allowed for easy transitions between teachers and it did not lose its continuity.

The ten sessions teach practitioners how to; discuss spiritual matters with patients, communicate spiritual truths in simple ways that a non-Christian can understand, inspire staff, take a spiritual history, how and when to give spiritual ‘prescriptions’ and develop a spiritual-consult network. Real life questions are raised in the video sequences that address reasons why many of us don’t do a better job in addressing spiritual issues. Shortage of time, ethics, fear of turning people off to the gospel, fear of losing the patients trust, personal qualification, follow-up, etc. are only some of the issues addressed and brought up for discussion. The interdisciplinary team discussions were very effective in developing a holistic view of Christianity in the medical arena.

The development of relationships among other medical professionals in the body of Christ was as important as the information. It is a great thing to go to a conference and fellowship with other Christian medical professionals but it has little effect until it is applied to a local community that is actually delivering health care services. In order for salt to have any affect there needs to be a high enough concentration of it to be felt. This tool helps you develop a concentration in your local area. You can use this tool in the local church or as a training video for other Christians that you work with as part of a bible study/fellowship.

It is our responsibility to bring Christ into the workplace and to be salt and light where we live and work. The Saline Solution is one of the tools developed by CMDA to help you do just that. If you are looking for a way to develop a support network and affect your patient’s spiritual growth take a look at the Saline Solution. It can be ordered through the CMDA for about $190 and the study books are $10 each. Consider becoming a member of CMDA also. I recommend it highly. Contact CMDA at: P.O. Box 7500,Bristol, TN or call 1-888-231-2637. Jim Snyder, OTR/L

Mission / Service Opportunities: Make Your Salt More Effective

Summer Camping In Florida

Handi*Camp is part of Handi*Evangelism, a caring ministry of BCM International, Inc. The contact and address is:

Brian C. Robinson

Handi*Camp

BCM International

309 Colonial Drive

P.O. Box 249

Akron, PA 17501-0249

Phone: 717-859-6404

Email: handi-camp@juno.com

I served 2 weeks last summer as a counselor and am happy to answer any questions about the ministry. My phone is 386-673-0107 and email is mcraigoatley@hotmail.com - Mary Craig-Oatley, OTR/L

Children's’ Programs in Kansas City

The Ruby Avenue Community Center provides services for children in Kansas City (See the Conference Highlights above for more details

Global Missions Health Conference

The 2002 Global Missions Health Conference will be held at Southeastern Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky on Nov. 1 & 2, 2002. It is about preventative and curative global health care, both in the United States and abroad. Caring for the whole person is emphasized in the workshops presented at the conference. All health care workers are invited as attendees or participants. This conference is designed to motivate, train, and equip all types of health care workers for both health care and kingdom work in our Father’s name. Four plenary sessions and choice of 70 concurrent sessions are presented. Visit the web site www.globalmissionshealthconference.org for more information.

An occupational therapist who presented at last years meeting highly recommends this conference for O. Ts. What a great opportunity.

You Can Make A Difference

Turn your interest and gifts into ways of supporting the mission of IOTFC. Do it from where you are. We will be contacting you about how you may turn your interests in occupational therapy and your love for Christ into support and service to patients and other O. Ts who follow Christ. We pray God will bless you, those you love and your work and help you to identify those interests and gifts.