Some of the local clergy leaders who attended the inaugural meeting of the RUMC Bridge to Faith Council, held at Richmond University Medical Center on July 21.
Prominent leaders from all faiths join forces with RUMC to improve community health and expand access to the hospital’s vital services
Recognizing the important link between spirituality and health care, Richmond University Medical Center has formed a council of religious leaders from across various faiths to support and expand the hospital’s efforts to improve community health and increase access to its vital services. On July 21, over thirty clergy leaders gathered at the hospital for the inaugural meeting of the RUMC Bridge to Faith Council.
“Our new Bridge to Faith Council represents a powerful step forward in our mission to serve the whole person—body, mind, and spirit,” RUMC President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel J. Messina, PhD, FACHE, said. “By partnering with trusted voices from the many diverse faith communities we have on Staten Island, we can better understand the unique needs of those we serve, expand access to care, and build deeper, more inclusive connections across our borough.”
The council will perform several functions. It will provide a vehicle to promote RUMC’s healthcare services to a larger community base with members of the council serving as advocates. Collaborating with the council members, RUMC will increase free health screenings throughout the community, targeting acute and chronic conditions known to be higher on Staten Island, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes, to name a few. RUMC will also work with the Council to address behavioral health needs, including substance use.
Council members will also serve as vital sources of “grass roots” information about the health care concerns within their faith communities, further enabling RUMC to focus and expand resources that directly address these concerns either through the hospital’s advanced services or through the ambulatory and specialty care services available through the more than 30 offices that are part of RUMC’s Richmond Health Network. The network has outpatient offices throughout Staten Island as well as Brooklyn and Manhattan. The network is comprised of medical professionals with expertise in primary care, family medicine, endocrinology, obstetrics and gynecology, Ear, Nose and Throat, urology, and rheumatology, among others.
“The wedding between RUMC and this council is going to expand opportunities to bring excellent medical care to the residents of Staten Island along with expanded quality spiritual care for the patients of RUMC,” said Bridge to Faith Council Chair Bishop Victor A. Brown of Mt. Sinai United Christian Church.
Among those who attended the inaugural meeting with Dr. Messina and Bishop Brown were Rev. Dr. Demetrious Carolina from First Central Baptist Church; Rev. Dr. Tony Baker, Sr. from St. Philips Baptist Church; Rev. Terry Troia from Project Hospitality; Rev. Lester Figueroa from Calvary Assembly of God; Rabbi Michael Howald from Temple Israel Reform Congregation of Staten Island; Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, president of the Council Of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island; Monsignor William Belford from St. Teresa’s Roman Catholic Church; and Imam Zulqarnian Adbu-Shadhid from Bait-ul Jamaat.
Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC), is a not-for-profit healthcare provider serving the ethnically diverse community of Staten Island and its neighbors. We provide premier-quality patient care through a full spectrum of emergent, acute, primary, behavioral health and educational services. We do this in an environment that promotes the highest satisfaction among patients, families, physicians, and staff. For more information call 1-718-818-1234 or visit www.rumcsi.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
