Physicians take the pulpit to preach health

More houses of worship are partnering with medical professionals to spread the good news about good health.

By Damon Adams, AMNews staff. Oct. 23/30, 2006.

In death, Todd Bell is helping keep others alive.

More than a year has passed since Bell, a safety for the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles in the 1980s, died after a heart attack while driving to a track to exercise. An autopsy revealed that the 46-year-old had heart disease that had gone undetected.

Now, with her husband's death as motivation, Daphne Bell's mission is to teach others about heart disease and the importance of knowing their family medical history. She teams up with physicians to spread the message at churches in Ohio, telling Todd's story after Sunday services, joined by cardiologists who discuss hypertension, diabetes and heart problems.

Faith and medicine partnerships happen on any given Sunday as more houses of worship and physicians work together to preach the virtues of good health to congregations and educate them about disease.

Churches and synagogues have long been centers of the community, and some congregations have used that role to address health issues with their members. They operate health ministries to tackle issues such as HIV, diabetes and hypertension. Organizations such as the American Diabetes Assn. work with congregations to promote healthy lifestyles.

Experts say these partnerships have increased in recent years as a way to help combat diseases that afflict ethnic groups in greater numbers. Increased awareness about racial disparities and the growing number of uninsured -- now at nearly 47 million Americans -- have provided additional incentive. Having doctors speak in houses of worship may result in an illness being detected before it's too late.