Content Resources

Why does the Joint Commission now require a spiritual history for hospital admissions? This evidence-based review of the literature looks at the how’s and why’s of spiritual assessment in clinical medicine with a practical how-to time of discussion.

This session will explore opportunities to serve full time or short term as a pharmacist both globally in Latin America as well as domestically . From medical mission trips floating down the Amazon River in Bolivia where interacting with indigenous tribes is the primary focus, to caring for the underserved at medical clinics in Southwest Virginia. This session will be an informative, personal session to provide professionals with opportunities to serve in groups or as individuals in pharmacy based settings.

MAP’s ministry is grounded in a broad vision and understanding of health. MAP’s guiding principles state that among the many human needs, it is called to focus on the ministry of Total Health. Total health doesn’t describe the state of someone’s health but rather the ways that individuals, families and communities can take responsible action to improve their well-being. Self empowerment and holism are therefore important dimensions of the THV50-40-10®.The THV50-40-10®program is a ‘Low input, high-impact strategy for achieving the Millennium Development Goals’. It is a cost effective community development strategy that leads to Total Well being; a way to impact a whole village of close to a thousand people through a facilitative and low input cost strategy .It is a completely Participatory strategy where communities identify needs, analyze their situation, plan a response strategy, actively work with the CORP (Community’s Own Resource Persons) and ENGAGE actively in solving their own problems. The session will cover the principles, practices and strategies for launching THV-50-40-10® (Total Health Village)

To present teaching in the healthcare professions as an opportunity for missions. There is a global need for healthcare professionals with critical thinking and problem solving skills for competent practice in today’s healthcare environment. This has created a demand for qualified educators in the healthcare professions and opened doors for Christian educators to fill these roles and be involved in evangelism, discipleship and the development of Christian leaders in healthcare for the nations.

This session consists of a panel of women physicians who have served or are serving long term in medical missions. They will describe their call to missions, their missions service, and answer questions from the audience regarding issues of particular interest to women medical students and physicians considering medical missions.

There is great concern about the extent to which certain microorganisms have become resistant to the antimicrobial agents to which they were once highly susceptible. At the same time, there has been a significant decline in the number of new antimicrobial agents being developed and marketed. This presentation considers the uses and most important characteristics of the new drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases. Where possible, the properties of the new drugs are compared with those of older drugs available for the same uses. A New Drug Comparison Rating (NDCR) is provided for each of the new antimicrobial agents. Selected infections (e.g., HIV/AIDS, malaria) that are of particular importance in parts of the world in which missions programs are based are considered, as are selected infections (e.g., MRSA, Lyme disease) that represent important challenges in the United States.

Anecdotal evidence points to a general uptick in the interest and participation of volunteerism, including medical volunteerism. In contrast to Christian and Christ-centered medical missions, many volunteers are secular and have no religious affiliation when they work abroad. Recent studies have also shown a significance interest in medical missions overseas in both undergraduate and graduate medical education. The aim of this workshop will be to review the literature regarding secular medical missions. Additionally, the role of medical missions in secular medical education will be considered. Finally, the motivations for medical volunteerism, its relation – either positive or negative – with Christian medical missions, and the lines of dialogue between secular and Christian medical missions will be discussed.

It has often been said that one of the greatest reasons for people not to enter long-term missions is short-term missions. Using my own example as a case-study, we'll examine the logic and rationale behind this statement, and how short-term medical missions can be both a boon and detriment to the case of long-term missions.

This session will address how the Church can be mobilized toward practical responses in the prevention of HIV/AIDS and for the care of people living with and impacted by HIV/AIDS. Biblically-informed approaches, examples and case studies from Food for the Hungry and other ministries will emphasize how grassroots efforts can be informed by proven strategies that have measureable and multiplicative effect.

The session will cover the current statistics of homelessness in America, the main approaches to addressing homelessness, and a case study of the “Service First” model where the homeless are invited to join service projects with other groups that benefit the community.

Malaria prevention and prompt treatment often requires the use of effective antimalarials that many practitioners do not routinely use. These medications are not benign and do have potential adverse effects and drug interactions that we should be aware of and proactive in preventing. This session will review potential adverse effects, drug interactions and the risk of developing resistance for the current prophylaxis agents and the current treatment regimens of malaria.