Serving Christ Through Compassionate And Accessible Healthcare

I certainly had a hearing and seeing the equity of healthcare up close and personal. When I had to go through treatment can head every necessary out only insured I had prayer support. I have family support and I was in a chemotherapy room taking chemo beside people who had not backed this is family policy matters. Focus on faith tradition with Thomas Graham, Pastor outreach director for NC family join us once a month is Pastor Graham shine some light on the intersection between our Christian faith and engaging our culture. Thank you for joining us for this week's special focus on free pollution from opposing matters. I'm sure were all familiar with Jesus's two great commands to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength to love your neighbor as ourselves. We know that services an important part of living out these commands today. We are joined by a woman who has taken the charge to heart as a nurse throughout her life, and even more so recently throughout through her work to establish a new kind of healthcare outreach right here in North Carolina today. I'm delighted to be joined by Suzanne Berger, founding member and board chair of neighbor health center new faith-based Health Center that seeks to serve Christ by providing primary care to patients of all ages, regardless of whether they have health insurance Suzanne Berger welcome to family policy matters. It's great to have you on the show, Suzanne. The show is really about telling the stories of individuals who have been motivated into action by their faith take us back and give us an introduction to your life story, particularly the role of of faith in your upbringing and family and how that has grown or changed over the years, how come to class XXV family rep in West Virginia while never core of my parents were from working-class Thompson first to graduate from college and they sacrifice for pain a race. They taught us about the Lord accepted Jesus as my Savior at a very young way grew up going to church and having a relationship with the Lord and uncut throughout very happily and with very little suffering. I have to say went to college and got a nursing degree married and moved here to Raleigh where we raised our four children are my faith has changed over the years that primarily because I believe that car initially I was a bit naïve. I think life gets hard as we grow rock in suffering comes along and suffering can mature us, and it certainly has for me. Yes, Suzanne is a nurse both hospital and clinic settings. What role has this lease played as both the God and the support in your work. I would say I certainly being a Christian guy asked me ethically nurse. There are many situations where I have prayed and asked the Lord to guide and direct me to do the right thing certainly gives me a picture my perspective as a Christian is that this life is not all there is that we are here on this earth, little while and and we are eternal beings so as I have had to practice nursing seeing life – that certainly my faith informs me there sure is keen to do that people in people react to illness and suffering in very different ways not seen people who are strong Christians on model for me what it's like to to suffer and what it's like to cling to Jesus when illness hits things are hard and I'm sure you have a number of stories that you could sure if we have the time today. Susan want me did you see that spurred you to work on this project. This particular project of opening neighbor Health Center was there a specific need, showing all afterschool mentoring program right here in Raleigh neighbor to neighbor, which is an outreach Southeast Raleigh and I would go once a week with my husband and mentor for an hour with the student after school and as a nurse I began to see that student more holistically and not perhaps see the illness that kept them from entering the family dining. I'm excited that that make paying for healthcare hard so was initially what spurred me on. But primarily it was being on the other side of healthcare and spending most of 2006 as a patient when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and treated certainly had a tremendous experience of seeing the inequity of healthcare up close and personal. When I when I had to go through treatment can head every support necessary out only insured I had prayer support. I have family support had people bringing me meals and I was in a chemotherapy room taking chemo beside people who had not backed so that was a huge driving force for me. It was a calling calling us move forward with this. This effort called neighbor how you know what's coming to mind. Suzanne endlessly to the part of your stories Jesus will go back in the Gospels and we see it one point Jesus looked over the multitudes in his heart just broke for the people there all of their needs and of course at the top of the list of his concern was the spiritual needs within their physical welfare, etc. etc. and the it it is so heartwarming to hear. I'm sorry you had to experience what you did, but it looks like the Lord took an interest in you, even in the midst of that crazy situation in your own personal life and allowed from the to come this this wonderful ministry you're listening to policy matters a resource for NC family to listen to our radio show online and for more resources that will be a voice of persuasion in your community.

Go to our website@ncfamily.org so let's talk about neighbor Health Center who doesn't serve and what kind of services are offered, Suzanne neighbor help faith-based community health center and we start all ages welcome patients and insurance without insurance with Medicaid Medicare, so we are excited to be open just opened in June we will start yes praise the Lord for that, and we will provide. We are providing a full range of primary care services wonderful group and what makes this model different from a traditional healthcare provider or other government or community health centers and other things that make us different time that we are faith-based and that is a word that's tossed around. They what that means for us is that as this that we are believers in Jesus followers of Jesus we pray together and as a board, staff and board. We are questioned nonprofit organization. We certainly give patients the opportunity to play and when we offer to pray with them. We will see patients or anything faithwithout discrimination, but we are very open about the fact that that we do this because we believe this is what Christ is called us to do were also different in that were located in Weston for Raleigh. We did not want to reinvent the wheel and locate where others thinking that healthcare providers are surely look at where the need was, not being Matt as Larry grows located primarily near it's really near Rex Hospital sounds wonderful and I certainly appreciate so much the heart through the vision of the heart that you and others have shared together in order to bring this ministry into fruition. How can those of us who are not medical professionals help address this problem of access to healthcare in our own communities that play asked the Lord to open your eyes to the need and I would encourage people to find someone different time themselves. I would encourage those in churches to reach out.

We Raleigh has recently been designated Gateway city for refugees there to resettle refugees in Raleigh that churches can adopt. We would like to see and we have already begun seeing son refugees will believe that is a huge witness an opportunity to minister. I would also encourage people to support efforts like neighbor help. There are many faith-based clinics around North Carolina and certainly there are ways to to offer transportation to offer financial help.

There are lots of things to do great answers greetings you Susan, as we bring this interview to close and I'm sure we don't have more time to discuss more about this wonderful ministry, but Susan, what advice do you have for young faithful Christians who want to get into the medical field but who might be concerned about how they can remain faithful to Christ in an increasingly hostile world questions or advice would be to stay humble to pray that the Lord show you where to draw the line where you stand him. I believe that we as Christians need to be clear about who we are Christians, especially in healthcare and we can be kind and should issues arise where hostility is expressed. We do not respond in kind to us give a general answer and a fine answer and speak the truth in love, will I could tell you you read your Bible yours.

You're speaking the Bible's truths in your answers, which I am so grateful for and I'm sure our listeners appreciate that as well. Suzanne Suzanne work in our listeners go to learn more about the good work neighbor Health Center. Our website is neighbor Health Center.or and numbers here in Raleigh is area code 984-222-8000 would you repeat that please. Sure you can go to our website neighbor health center.org are you welcome to call us at area code 984-222-8000 13 would love to hear from folks. I'm sure you would just listen to your voice and the warmth of the beloveds of your hard lunch or people will revert very well received. When Babe Ruth placed calls and come to inquire.

Suzanne Berger thanks so much for being with us on family policy matters for well for your service heart and the good work to serve the vulnerable your own community.

God bless you and God bless the work neighbor Health Center thanking Thomas.

It's been a joy that he together and God blessed the work of the North Carolina policy Council will you've been listening to family policy matters. Focus on faith tradition with Thomas Graham, Pastor outreach director for NC family join us once a month as pastor Graham shine some light on the intersection between our Christian faith and engaging our culture to listen to our radio show online, and for more valuable resources and information about issues important to families in North Carolina go to our website@ncfamily.org and finalize my friends, this is John Ralston, president of the North Carolina family policy Council.

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