Health Leadership Institute (HLI) For Faith Based Organizations
The Health Leadership Institute (HLI) for Faith Based Organizations trains and
assists faith based organizations to promote healthy, active lifestyles through
health ministries. The goal of the program is to help religious organizations
develop health ministries and improve existing ones to build strong and healthy
congregations and communities.
Participants are required to attend a series of six evening classes taught
by public health leaders, health care providers and experts in health ministry
development. Class topics include:
- The Health Status of African Americans
- Creating Effective Health Ministries
- Improving Individual and Community Health
- Understanding the Local Health Care System & Funding Health Ministry Programs
- Developing and Evaluating Health Ministry Programs
A graduation ceremony is held at the conclusion of each class series. To date,
74 churches have graduated 150 people from the program and gone on to implement
the principles they learned within their congregations.
The HLI program is funded through a grant and continued support from the Anthem
Foundation.
HLI Do Right!
Pilot Challenge:
The success
of the HLI project led to the pilot of the HLI Do Right! Challenge. The Challenge involves five graduate
churches of the HLI program who are competing to see which team can best improve
their health status. In partnership
with TriHealth the five month program takes health screenings and education to
local churches in a fun and motivational way by combining health assessments and
instruction with friendly competition.
Participants
commit to active participation in health monitoring and improvement activities
that are taught in weekly fitness and nutrition class sessions. The goal is to improve biometrics
such as cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar.
Excellent
results are being achieved through the Challenge.
At the mid-point the participants as a whole have lost 272 pounds, 121
inches and lowered their blood pressure and blood sugar numbers.
A major incentive motivating the teams is a $10,000 prize to be shared between
the participants. The prize money
will go toward improving the church health ministry. The church with the most improved
health status will receive the largest percentage of the winnings.