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February Newsletter

Updated: May 19, 2022


Dear Health Ministries Network Community,


It is February 1st, the beginning of a month that is all about love and is often adorned by hearts and chocolates, cards and balloons. Some might say this love is "commercial," benefitting card companies and candy makers--and certainly not showing love to our blood glucose levels and overall health. While there is an element of truth to this, we know how important it is to show love. We know that caring for our heart--our spiritual, emotional heart--is as important as caring for the physical heart and body. And the best way to care for our heart is by giving and receiving love.


Love. We have many names for it. The kids ask each other if they have a "crush." In Christian churches, we might differentiate between "agape," "philia" and "eros" love. In the Jewish faith, one word for love is "hesed," love in action. No matter the words we use to describe love--there is no doubt that words (like candy and balloons) may fall short. We know it when we feel it. We know that it comes from a place of selflessness--that it is freely given in word and action. It is given in beautiful sacrifice and offered abundantly. We know that the giver receives "rebound" love--or that filling feeling of knowing that we've shared something of ourselves--something sacred inside of us. We know that it is healing for the giver and the receiver. We know that love shows the soul its worth.


This month, let us show each soul its worth. Let us see our own worth. And let us rest in this.


We will come together for our monthly meeting on Friday, February 18th, 12-1:30pm to share, listen, love and renew. Please join us for this time in community.


Today is also the first day of Black History Month, and the focus of this month in 2022 is Black Health and Wellness. We encourage learning, sharing and growth--and celebration throughout Black History Month. To continue reading about Black Health and Wellness, check out this good reading list.


It is also the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Tiger, a celebration equivalent in attendance to American Thanksgiving or Christmas in many (but not all) Asian Countries and in communities in the US. It is a time of joy and hope--and resilience--in a time of pandemic and amidst a tragic spike in Asian American and Pacific Islander hate crimes.


As we move through this month, let us hold all of this in love. Let us show each other our souls' worth.


Before we share other events happening this February, I wanted to apologize to two board members, who I omitted from our 2021 Spirit of Giving list of donors: LeAna Osterman and Dick Cathell. Thank you to our Board for their resounding support of Health Ministries Network. And thank you to our new HMN Board Officers for 2022:


LeAna Osterman, Interim Board President Emily Gibson, Vice President Joni Hensley, Treasurer Charles (Chaz) Nelson, Secretary


We are grateful for your service and the wisdom that each of you bring to your position. As we move into 2022, we continue to seek HMN Board Members. If you are interested in joining our board, please contact Sarah Lane at director@healthministriesnetwork.net


Please stay connected. Wishing you continued peace, health, and love. Take good care today!


Yours in gratitude and hope,


Sarah Lane

Executive Director



What a wild and beautiful surprise! Joni Hensley made special heart health cookies with wheat flour and Stevia for visitors to our Ask a Nurse Program at the EWRRC last week. Not only are they beautiful and tasty, but they bring awareness to our partnership with the Whatcom Family YMCA and Mt. Baker Foundation in promoting the Home Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program. If anyone in your faith community wants to participate, please contact HMN or the YMCA. To learn more, go to:


HMN February Meeting: Holding Space for the Hearts of our Faith Community Nurses, Health Ministers and Community Health Advocates



Thank you to Dick Cathell, who has been calling and talking to our FCNs/HMs/CHAs and listening to your experiences during this time. While some are overwhelmed by the needs of community and family, others are feeling isolated and are needing connection with each other--to share experiences, seek guidance from one another on difficult cases and to ask for prayer. We need to feel one another's love today.


This February, Heart Health Month, we you to come together to do just this. We will share experiences, needs and prayers.


We will also share our soon-to-be published HMN website as well as answer questions that you may have about blood pressure monitoring, getting a blood pressure


It will be a friendly time of sharing! Bring stories to share from your faith community!


Everyone is welcome! Please join us via Zoom on Friday, February 18th, 12-1:30pm.


Zoom link:


Meeting ID: 870 3130 1954

Passcode: 780083

One tap mobile

+12532158782,,87031301954#,,,,*780083# US (Tacoma)

+13462487799,,87031301954#,,,,*780083# US (Houston)


Please contact Sarah Lane with questions at director@healthministriesnetwork.net


HMN January Meeting Notes:

NWRC Dementia Support Program & More!



Thank you to Kate Massey and Kelsey Wood from the NWRC, who shared NWRC's new Dementia Support Program and opportunities to learn how to make our community more supportive of those with dementia and their caregivers. We learned about some good resources, and will work with NWRC to plan a webinar for faith communities! Please find good resources here:



We also talked about:

-Home BP Self-Monitoring Program. Sylvia Williams has been trained as a YMCA Healthy Heart Ambassador (HHA), and she and Else Sokol are offering to bring blood pressure self-monitoring to members of your faith community. Celeste Hilde of the Unitd Church of Ferndale has offered their space for the check-ins that are a part of this program. Thank you, Sylvia, Else and Celeste! Please contact Sarah Lane at director@healthministriesnetwork.net to refer your faith community members and coordinate this program with our HHAs and UCF. Click here to learn more about the program and share this with those who may benefit from the program.


-Ask a Nurse is ongoing at the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center (EWRRC). We have nurses and health ministers present from 8-noon on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month to serve the Mt. Baker School District community. We see a number of people regularly. And we partner with other organizations to bring new resources to the community. You can be a part of this! Please let Sarah Lane, director@healthministriesnetwork.net know if you'd like to join us to check it out!


-Foundations in Faith Community Nursing Course 2022! Pandemic won't stop us, and now that we've "mastered" the online forums of Canvas and Zoom, taking the Foundations course is up to speed and full of connection, joy and education! Now, perhaps more than ever, Faith Community Nurses, Health ministers and Community Health Advocates have an important role, bringing physical, emotional and spiritual health and healing to our faith communities and to our larger geographic community. Scholarships are available! Share our flyer with your faith community today, and look for updated information, coming soon at our updated website.


Please contact Sarah Lane with questions at director@healthministriesnetwork.net


Is a Faith Community Health Ministry in Your Future?


Faith Community Nurses and Health Ministers work together to open the door for important conversations about health and wellness of the mind, body and spirit and provide additional caring connection and support for faith communities facing the many challenges of today.


From 9 April-11 June 2022, Health Ministries Network is offering a distant learning Foundations for Faith Community Nursing for active and retired nurses and a parallel Foundations for Health Ministry course for lay members of faith communities. The course includes pre-course orientations, weekly online curriculum, and monthly Zoom webinars, providing a total of 38 hours of supported instruction and introduction into a welcoming health ministry community. The Foundations Course is open to all religions, faiths and beliefs. Nurses and health ministers serving diverse communities are encouraged to apply for scholarships.


For more information, go to https://www.healthministriesnetwork.net/course or

Contact: Sarah Lane, director@healthministriesnetwork.com or call 360-632-2372.


NOTE: Our website is currently under construction, and so the 2022 Foundations Course Application and Diversity Scholarship Application are not available online. We will make an announcement when these are available at our new website. In the meantime, please download the applications here, complete, scan and email or mail to Sarah Lane, 800 E. Chestnut St., Ste 101, Bellingham, WA 98225. If you have any questions about how to complete these applications or whether you qualify for a scholarship, please contact Sarah Lane at director@healthministriesnetwork.net or 360-632-2372.


Decisional Capacity - Zoom Webinar Education Session


When: February 09, 2022, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Tickets: $0.00 Free for members, $25.00 Cost for Non-Members

Directions: Virtual Event via Zoom


An educational opportunity to learn and discuss the difference between competency and decisional capacity. Several case studies will be discussed leaving the attendee with a stronger understanding of decisional capacity.


Presenters: Danielle Kizer, M.D.


Dr. Danielle Kizer is a highly respected and experienced Board Certified Psychiatrist with PeaceHealth. Dr. Kizer currently serves as the Northwest Network Medical Director for Behavioral Health with PeaceHealth and the Medical Director for Inpatient Behavioral Health Sciences at St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, WA. She received her BA from Saint Mary’s College of Maryland and her MD from University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine. Additionally she was a Resident in Psychiatry, Neuroscience Track and the University of Washington and was a Fellow in Geriatric Psychiatry at the University of Washington Medical Center.


Zoom link will be provided the morning of February 9th.

One CE and CLE credit is pending approval.

Questions - Contact Michael McDermott at McDermottM@jgkmw.com To register, click here



Time: March 8, 2022 10:00 AM


To join via Zoom: or Scan this QR code with your smartphone camera:

Meeting ID: 875 9025 7292 Passcode: 552773


Or attend at the Bellingham Senior Activity Center 315 Halleck Street For information: micki98226@aol.com or 360-201-7840

New Trends in Dementia Diagnosis and Care


Please click here to register

Community Events & Info



In an effort to connect our volunteers with relevant resources, we publish community events and information in our monthly newsletter and on our website. Email director@healthministriesnetwork.net to add your own.



The CDC, "Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is shining a light on hypertension (high blood pressure), a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The Division is committed to addressing barriers to health equity in communities disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease.



Though we are hesitant to share health quizzes--they cannot replace the good assessment and counsel of your healthcare provider--each of the questions in this quiz comes with good information that may offer the layperson additional insight around heart health and how they can better support their own heart health--as well as see a doctor right away if they find they are at high risk for heart disease. Click here to take the quiz.

Medical Interpretation Classes offered through NSACH


This Spring Quarter, North Sound ACH is partnering with Whatcom Community College to provide a Medical Interpretation Class! Join us on February 11 at 6 p.m., we will go live on our Facebook page to provide more information, talk next steps, and answer any questions you have!



En esta primavera, North Sound ACH en asociación con Whatcom Community College ofrecerán una clase para ser un interprete medico. ¡Participe este 11 de febrero a las 6 p.m en nuestra platica en vivo en Facebook! Aqui responderemos sus dudas y preguntas sobre como participar en esta clase.



Updates on COVID-19, Vaccinations and Opportunities


From Health and Human Services:

Today, the FDA approved a second COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine that has been known as the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, and available under emergency use authorization (EUA), is now an approved vaccine and to be marketed as Spikevax for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older.


CDC highlights strategies derived from evidence-based practices are promoting COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake in communities across the country.


Webinar: Thurs. Feb 3, 2022, 1:00 p.m. ET. Register here.

Join this webinar to learn the most efficient way to get and administer at-home tests and what to do in case of a positive result. Join this CDC Foundation CBO series webinar to learn more. Spanish translation available.


CMS released a “decision tree” graphic to help health workers determine if the CMS staff vaccination requirements apply to their facility.


The MMWR released last week reports that protection against infection and death was higher among booster vaccine dose recipients, especially among persons over 50 yrs. of age.


Pop Up Vaccination Clinics in Whatcom County


Church of the Assumption: Focus on the Spanish-speaking Community

Feb 27th from 2-4pm. No pre registration required. While this clinic is open to anyone, the clinic is focused on serving our Spanish-speaking community. It is primarily Pfizer doses for adults and children and they will have a limited number of Moderna boosters available.


COVID-19 Vaccines: Upcoming ClinicsWednesday, Feb 2nd

3:00-6:30Kendall Elementary School

7547 Kendall Rd. Maple Falls

98266Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

  • walk-ins welcome

Thursday, February 3rd

3-7pmEWRRC

8251 Kendall Rd. Maple Falls

98266Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

  • walk-ins welcome

Friday, Feb 4

4-7pmLynden MS Cafeteria

516 Main St.

Lynden, 98264Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

Saturday, Feb 5

9-1pmNooksack Valley MS

404 W Columbia St

Nooksack, 98276Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

Wednesday, Feb 9

3:00-6:30Harmony Elementary

5060 Sand Rd.

Bellingham, 98226Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

  • walk-ins welcome

Thursday Feb 10

3-7pmEWRRC

8251 Kendall Rd. Maple Falls

98266Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

  • walk-ins welcome

Friday, Feb 11

4-7pmLynden MS Cafeteria

516 Main St.

Lynden, 98264Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

Saturday, Feb 12

9-1pmNooksack Valley MS

404 W Columbia St

Nooksack, 98276Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

Wednesday, Feb 16

3:00-6:30Acme Elementary

5200 Turkington Rd.

Acme, 98220Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

  • walk-ins welcome

Thursday, Feb 17

3-7pmEWRRC

8251 Kendall Rd. Maple Falls

98266Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

  • walk-ins welcome

Friday, Feb 18

4-7pmLynden MS Cafeteria

516 Main St.

Lynden, 98264Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

Saturday, Feb 19

9-1pmNooksack Valley MS

404 W Columbia St

Nooksack, 98276Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

Wednesday, Feb 23

3:00-6:30Kendall Elementary School

7547 Kendall Rd. Maple Falls

98266Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

  • walk-ins welcome

Thursday, Feb 24

3-7pmEWRRC

8251 Kendall Rd. Maple Falls

98266Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

  • walk-ins welcome

Friday, Feb 25

4-7pmLynden MS Cafeteria

516 Main St.

Lynden, 98264Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration

Saturday, Feb 26

9-1pmNooksack Valley MS

404 W Columbia St

Nooksack, 98276Pfizer, Moderna, Pfizer-Peds

  • Pediatric (5-11) Registration

  • Adult (12+) Registration


At-Home Test Kits: Availability and Resources

There are a few different ways to get free at-home COVID-19 tests right now.

  • You can now order 4 free at-home tests to be delivered to your door: https://www.covidtests.gov/

  • WA State is also offering mail-order tests:

    • English - Home - Say Yes! To Covid Test (sayyescovidhometest.org)

    • Spanish - Inicio - Say Yes! To Covid Test (sayyescovidhometest.org)


  • The EWRRC at 8251 Kendall Rd. in Maple Falls will continue to have a stock of at-home tests to be given to community members as needed. They are open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9-noon and 1-4pm. Thursdays they are open noon – 7pm. Call for questions: 360-599-3944.

  • Other community locations, such as libraries, may have a limited supply of tests to share with the public. Call your local library to check.


Since COVID is a reportable condition and knowing the full scope of test results gives us valuable information about trends and spread, we ask that folks who take home tests report their positive result here: COVID-19 Report Form (wa.gov).





High blood pressure is often referred to as “The Silent Killer” because there are typically no warning signs or symptoms. High blood pressure is a key, modifiable, risk factor for both heart disease and stroke, which are two of the leading causes of death in the United States. This 4 month program will help you gain the skills needed to manage/or lower your blood pressure.

For more information or to register contact Tammy Bennett, tbennett@whatcomymca.org or 360-255-0490.


COVID-19 Support for Caregivers


Weekly - Zoom Video Conference Call

WWU Palliative Care Institute


The Palliative Care Institute has initiated a weekly on-line support group for staff at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, providing in-home care, and/or hospice care, creating a virtual space for them to come together to talk about the impact of the pandemic on their work and their clients and residents -- a kind of ‘COVID coffee break room,’ a place to sit down to talk for a few minutes with others who are also struggling to reconfigure all aspects of care. By gathering their thoughts, PCI hopes be a vehicle for sharing these stories more widely with those outside their worlds. Anyone who would like to join this support group can email pci@wwu.edu to request the Zoom link.


On-Demand and Live Online Advance Care Planning Classes


PeaceHealth is offering "Your Voice Your Choice" classes online to help people complete their advance directives and durable power of attorney documents. Sharing your wishes for the care you want if you are critically ill can bring you closer to the people you love. Making your wishes known clearly in advance of a crisis is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself, your family and friends.


Classes are offered the first Wednesday of every month 1:00-3:00 PM. The class is also on-demand and can be watched online anytime. Learn more at: www.peacehealth.org/advance-care-planning.


Creative Offering


Spirituality is More than Meditation for True Heart Healthy Benefits

by Chaplain Dick Cathell, Ph.D. and Board Member for Health Ministries Network


Among the many New Year's Resolutions we make each year, we may add daily meditation to our list as one way to support heart health. Though meditation and mindfulness work for some people some of the time, for many of us, who may have obsessive compulsive tendencies, difficulty holding attention, or just plain restless energy, it may seem almost impossible to sit and meditate without first finding preparing ourselves to be still. Knowing this may help us do more than keep a resolution—or even improve heart health. Knowing that we must move our minds and bodies before meditating, praying or resting, might connect us with our hearts and our spirits in a much needed way. Here are a few preparatory for those who wish to become still:


High Energy Activities

Physical activity helps with more than physical health. Regular walking, jogging, aerobics, tennis, racquetball, or one of many energetic activities helps us to slow down for a reflective moment.


Creative Expressive Outlets

Writing a poem, designing a collage, painting a picture, shaping a lump of clay, writing or singing a song, or doing anything creative helps to remind humans of our humanness to help prepare for finding calm and relaxation.


Meaningful Connectedness

How many friends does an extrovert need—how much time alone works for an introvert? Discovering what that means on a personal level is vital for those who wish to contemplate, reflect, or meditate.


Mind Stretchers

Finding a book, TV program, or class that stretches our mind, expands our world view, or challenges our values can help dampen fears, soften worries or slow our racing mind.


Finding Fun

Fun? We may think we are short on resources to have fun, but fun can be simple and regular. What are three or four things that bring the most joy, fun, or peace into our weekly routines? Valued meditation cannot live on angry, sorrowful, or negative thoughts, but it also needs to include those ingredients that bring joy, purposefulness, and balance to life.


Sacred scriptures, spiritual routines, meditation and prayerful attentiveness may have their place in providing a physical benefit to heart healthiness, but they become more accessible when we find successful ways to prepare us for stillness.

Support HMN


Help us support the invaluable work of faith community nurses and health ministers in northwest Washington by donating today!


And thank you to our fiscal sponsor,




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