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Jackson Hospital and Clinic convened a successful Clergy Faith and Fellowship Breakfast on April 2nd, “strengthening the hospital’s bonds with the faith community. Over 15 clergy leaders of diverse faiths engaged with hospital leaders, offered valuable insights and discussed the community’s health challenges and opportunities,” Jackson’s release shared.
“Faith plays an important role in patient’s lives, and their clergy plays a key role in our community, providing guidance and helping all to thrive,” said Jackson Hospital and Clinic CEO Ronald Dreskin. “I championed the clergy breakfast because I believe ongoing, thoughtful conversations such as these will be instrumental in guiding our community forward. Incorporating the voice of the clergy in our restructuring efforts directly supports all our core values as we work toward common goals. And when we work together, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.”
At the Faith and Fellowship Breakfast, clergy initiated discussions about their congregations needing more information on health conditions, how to access primary, specialty, urgent, or emergency healthcare, and concerns about barriers to care, including uninsured individuals. The hospital is responding by creating informational materials for clergy to share with their congregations. Dreskin also offered to visit their houses of worship along with Jackson Hospital staff to help with education on these topics.
At the April 2 event, the hospital publicly revealed plans to build an interfaith chapel, showed the assembled clergy the planned space and invited their input.
“Jackson currently does not have a chapel, just a small prayer room that fits six or so people,” Dreskin said at the breakfast. “We must do better for our patients, families and employees. We are redesigning space on the hospital’s first floor to build an interfaith chapel to ensure people of all faiths have a proper space to find solace and comfort, and an architect is already working on plans.” One member has already offered to donate pews. Others have promised furniture, fixtures and religious items to enhance the space with items from local congregations.
The attendees were:
- LaDonna Brendle – Reality and Truth Ministries
- Tonjia Cook – Mt. Pisgah Worship Center/Jackson Hospital Volunteer Chaplin Dr. Jay Cooper-First Methodist Church Montgomery
- Antonio Garay – World Mission Society Church of God
- Dr. Neal Hughes – Montgomery Baptist Association
- Mike Norris – Montgomery Baptist Association
- Mikal Sabree – Muslim Center of Montgomery
- Shederick Abner – Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church
- Rev. McReynolds – Unity Baptist Church
- Rev. Thomas Dixon – Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church
- Tyrone Jones – St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church
- Freeman Ray III – Jackson Hospital Volunteer Chaplin
- Leslie Hester – Change Christian Center
- Trevor Perry – Montgomery Baptist Association
- Mike Norris – Faith Baptist Church
- Dr. John Finley – Bullock Baptist Association
“Given the success of this first event, the interfaith Clergy Faith and Fellowship Breakfast will become a permanent, monthly event to update and engage the clergy and the community as the hospital moves through its restructuring. The clergy could also play an essential role in engaging their congregations in the hospital’s Community Health Needs Assessment, a systematic process of gathering and analyzing data to identify and understand the community’s most pressing health needs, which is being conducted in 2025,” the release shared.
The event also kicked off Jackson Hospital’s community initiative, Stronger Together!, designed to strengthen hospital bonds with the community, demonstrate the strength of unity and develop a more robust healthcare ecosystem for the region. The initiative comprises a series of activities and events, such as the Faith and Fellowship Breakfast, which celebrates teamwork.
“We are making major strides in our restructuring thanks in part to the support of all our allies, such as the clergy members,” Dreskin added. “We appreciate everyone’s steadfast support and commitment to Jackson Hospital and Clinic.”
