Spring 2024 Newsletter

FUELED BY FAITH

SPRING 2024

STORIES INSIDE:

ETERNALLY GRATEFUL: DIANA’S STORY

SPIRITUAL CARE AT SILOAM HEALTH

ANSWERING THE CALL IN ANTIOCH

Dear Friends,

In the summer of 2005, I attended a conference where I sensed a call from the Lord to explore international missions. That fall, I signed up for a mission trip to India that was then diverted to Pakistan after an earthquake north of Islamabad killed more than 80,000 people and left 4 million people without homes.

In retrospect, very little forethought had gone into my decision to say yes to this change. I hadn’t raised any money to support the mission, and I didn’t have a visa for a trip that was now four weeks away. But what I did have was a certainty that the Lord had called me to this opportunity.

At that point, I bought a plane ticket even though I didn’t have a visa. I don’t remember ever being stressed about any of it – the change in where I was going or how I would get there. I do remember just knowing the visa would come because the Lord called me to this trip, and he would take care of it. And he did. The day before my flight left, the visa came.

With almost two decades more of life experience under my belt, I must admit I envy the bold faith of that 20-year-old college student. Sometimes it seems that knowing more about risk and how the world works crowds out my faith. Leadership certainly requires wisdom and sound stewardship, but I think my tendency now can be to look for the practical and safe path over the sometimes illogical and bold way of faith.

As a first-time CEO at Siloam, the Lord is teaching me again that the way of faith is simply walking the path I know he’s called me to walk. He invites me to take one trusting step of obedience at a time and gives me the strength to do so even though I know a lot more about risk these days.

I hope this newsletter gives you a sense of how we all seek to walk the way of faith at Siloam – through the care we provide, the way we work together, and our partnership with you. Your partnership with us is just one of the many ways God is showing his faithfulness to accomplish his work at Siloam Health. Thank you for being a part of it!

In Faith,

Katie Richards President & CEO

Siloam Health’s mission is to share the love of Christ by serving those in need through health care.

ETERNALLY GRATEFUL: DIANA’S STORY

“God is good, and he has been with me...”

While we are on a mission to share the love of Christ through health care, sometimes our faith in God is strengthened by that of our patients. Many of them have moved to the United States with countless unknowns and a belief that God would take care of them. Diana’s story of faith in God’s provision is a perfect illustration.

Like so many others across the globe, Diana’s business suffered during the pandemic. With three sons in university and a fourth nearly there, she made the difficult decision to emigrate by herself from Honduras to the U.S. so she could find work to pay for their education. “In my country, if you’re over 40 or 50 years old, it’s almost impossible to find work. It was difficult to stay and try to pay for school.”

Before she left Honduras, Diana began experiencing pain in her knees that only grew worse in the years after arriving in Nashville. She shares, “My right knee was really bad. I almost had to limp and drag it along beside me, so it was really an emergency situation.”

Diana knew she needed care but was unable to obtain health insurance. She eventually found

relief when a friend told her about Siloam Health. Her care team quickly referred her to an orthopedic surgeon who recommended knee surgery. “They have already operated on my right knee – it has been a real success!” she exclaims.

Diana’s care team also helped her manage her blood pressure and pre-diabetes. As she prepared for and recuperated from her surgery, Diana worked with Siloam Health Community Health Worker Vanessa Cedeno. The two grew close as Vanessa provided rides to physical therapy appointments and helped Diana make positive health choices.

“I’m eternally grateful for the Siloam team,” shares Diana. “I’ve been cared for really well… and I’ve gotten great recommendations on how to improve my health. Most of all they’ve given me the solution to finally be able to walk again. I always say that God is good, and He has been with me because he brought me to this place.”

And her sons? One graduated as a doctor, one will graduate as a doctor this year, another is in school to become an engineer, and the youngest is in his second year studying to be…a doctor.

Diana with Siloam Medical Assistant, Raiza.

FUELED BY FAITH

What does it mean for Siloam Health to be fueled by faith?

THE POOL OF SILOAM

In the gospel of John, Jesus heals a blind man at the pool of Siloam. While we are not healers in the same sense that Jesus was, we hope that, just like that pool after which we are named, Siloam Health is a place where people experience physical healing and experience the love of God.

COMPASSIONATE, WHOLE-PERSON CARE

The compassionate care we provide reflects how we see Jesus respond - he creates a safe place for those who are suffering and have nowhere else to turn, so we do the same. Our doctors and nurses provide each patient with whole-person health care that takes their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health into account.

HONORING IMAGE-BEARERS

Every person has the same value and dignity regardless of where they are from, what language they speak or religion they practice, or how much money they have. So, we ensure that everyone has access to the same quality of health care and invite volunteers to serve in the clinic with us regardless of their faith.

RELYING ON GOD

We rely on God to provide what we need to accomplish the work he has called us to do. We depend on God and the people of God for volunteers, prayer, financial gifts, and more.

EXPERIENCING CHRIST’S LOVE

In light of our mission to share the love of Christ through health care, we often say, “You can’t share what you don’t have.” We make time to experience the love of Christ together through a prayer huddle each morning and other extended opportunities to worship and pray together throughout the year.

Our Christian faith fuels us, sustains us, and keeps us centered on what we are here to do: provide the best health care possible for Nashvillians who often have nowhere else to turn.

SPIRITUAL CARE AT SILOAM HEALTH

Q&A WITH DAVID ROGERS, DIRECTOR OF SPIRITUAL CARE

What does it mean for Siloam Health to share the love of Christ through health care?

We want people to understand that God loves them and understands them in every area of their life. It involves every aspect of their health. We are trying to speak into and help people progress in each of those areas. To experience God’s “shalom,” God’s well-being, in all their lives.

Describe your role with Siloam’s patients. When a patient requests a visit with me, I simply engage in a spiritual conversation with them – I introduce myself and help people understand that I’d like to get to know them, to hear their story, and if they are ok with it, pray for them. I’m observing, listening, connecting with them, and helping them know they are an important person. A big part of it is just listening to them.

Why do you think it’s important to provide spiritual care as a health care organization?

Because our spiritual life is an integral part of who we are, problems in physical health can often have roots in spiritual health.

RAMÓN GONZÁLEZ, SPIRITUAL CARE VOLUNTEER

Pastor Ramón González has a passion for sharing God’s love which he demonstrates as a Spiritual Care Volunteer at Siloam Health.

He has spent more than 40 years in ministry from Mexico to California and now in Nashville as the Pastor of Iglesia del Nazareno Betel Hermitage. As he juggles a family, a busy construction business, and a church, his time at Siloam is truly a labor of love – “to serve Siloam Health was a dream for a long time,” he shares.

I just talked to a woman this morning who has been coming to Siloam for high blood pressure for a long time. Six months ago, I talked with her, and she shared that she was carrying bitterness toward someone who had harmed her daughter and her family. That day, we prayed together about giving that up, trusting God’s justice, and leaving it in God’s hands. This morning, she told me her blood pressure has come down and she credits it to being able to learn, little by little, to leave things in God’s hands and to trust him.

How do you honor people of different faiths as you minister to them?

I seek to understand before telling them anything. I want to hear from them. They are someone important who is made in the image of God and worthy of respect. If I feel like there is something that I have to offer as a Christian, I will make sure I offer it, but I always maintain a curiosity about their faith. I’ve had the opportunity to pray with Muslims, Hindus, and other people of different religions – I find that most people are very open to prayer even if we don’t share the same faith. Sometimes, they pray for me, too.

We are thankful for Ramón and our other Spiritual Care Volunteers who care for our patients and staff in such an essential way.

RELYING ON FAITH SILOAM’S FUNDING MODEL

From the very beginning, Siloam Health has relied on faith and people of faith. The visionary volunteers who founded Siloam saw the need for health care in their community and believed that God was calling them to do something about it. They responded by asking their church and fellow Christians to join them by supporting the work financially. Thirty-two years later, we are Nashville’s largest charitably funded nonprofit health care organization.

Because we are charitably funded, we have the freedom to take extra time, when needed, to truly see and minister to the whole-person needs of our patients. As we practice health care with the compassion of Christ, we have the opportunity rely on God and the people of God to join in the mission by giving financially.

Year after year, God’s people (that’s you!) say yes. On average, more than half of our revenue comes from charitable contributions, and nearly 70% of those contributions come from generous individuals and churches.

If you ever want to see God at work, just look at how he has moved in the hearts of people who support Siloam Health! The good news is written all throughout these pages and in the hearts and minds of all those who support Siloam Health.

When those with money and those who need money share a mission, we see a central sign of new life in the Spirit of Christ. We belong together in our work because Jesus has brought us together…

– Henri Nouwen

GLOCAL Partners impact Nashville’s increasingly global community through local action by giving monthly to the work of Siloam Health.

“Healthcare is challenging for everyone, but even more so for the uninsured, underserved, and immigrant members of our community. We cannot think of a better way to love and serve those in need than through our giving to Siloam where they may receive care through a Christ-centered approach.”

– Dr. Mike and Georgia Edgeworth

“Because of our monthly donation, we are able to be a small participant in the life-changing, Kingdom-expanding work Siloam is doing.”

– Matt Schappell

“Supporting Siloam is a way to be part of something that’s so much bigger than myself. I’ve seen firsthand the impact every medical provider and staff member has on the patients and the community. Sending monthly support feels like a way to stay connected to that mission on an ongoing basis.”

– Katie Zimmerman

“In a time where divisiveness and darkness seemed more common than not, Siloam showed me that living like Christ is loving like Christ. Deciding to be a GLOCAL Partner for going on 3 years now was an easy decision... My small monthly donation makes a real tangible difference and God loves a cheerful giver!” – The Dunnings

“With us both having careers in the healthcare industry, we understand the necessity of accessible, quality healthcare. We have always believed in Siloam’s mission ‘to share the love of Christ by serving those in need through health care’, and that is why we are honored to be a part of Siloam’s mission as GLOCAL Partners as we work together to serve our neighbors in need.” – The McWhorters

ANSWERING THE CALL IN ANTIOCH

Just like the founding of Siloam Health in 1991, the opening of Siloam Health Antioch in 2020 was a response to the Lord’s clear call. The conviction to go and meet many of our patients in their neighborhood was unwavering through a strategic planning process and feasibility study in 2019. As a result, Siloam Health began raising money for and making plans to open a walk-in clinic in Antioch.

In June of 2020, amidst what we all came to know as “unprecedented times”, Siloam Health Antioch opened and met a very real and immediate need for those in the Antioch community. “Opening Siloam Health Antioch in the middle of the pandemic was definitely divinely orchestrated,” shares Kristen Addington, Physician Assistant at Siloam Health Antioch.

Now, nearly four years later, the need is even greater than we anticipated. The 37013 zip code (home to Siloam Health Antioch) is the most diverse zip code in Tennessee, and more than 17,000 of its residents live without health insurance. “The need and demand for medical care has only increased since our opening,” says Kristen. “Every day, we meet uninsured patients in great need of medical care.”

We opened Siloam Health Antioch trusting that God would provide what we need to accomplish the work he called us to, and we are still operating in that faith. While partially relying on campaign funds raised in 2019, we are working toward increasing our annual donated revenue so that we can sustain the clinic and grow to meet the immense needs of those in the neighborhood.

Every day that we open the doors at Siloam Health Antioch is an act of faith – trusting that God will give us what we need to care for those who come into the clinic and will give us what we need to continue to do so for years to come.

37013 is the most diverse zip code in the state of Tennessee

More than 17,000 people live in 37013 without health insurance

27% of 37013 neighbors were born outside the United States

3,460 patients cared for 69 homelands represented

40% of patients live in 37013

SILOAM HEALTH ANTIOCH IN 2023