Today's Christian Doctor - Summer 2014

volume 45 no. 2 summer 2014

TODAY’S

CHRISTIAN DOCTOR The Journal of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations

Joining Hands with You: IN THIS ISSUE

Equipping You to Become His Hands and Feet to the World A close look at CMDA’s new website with updated features and tools

Father and daughter explore their shared passion for healthcare missions

A medical student uses her experiences as a patient to become a better physician

Update Your Copy Today!

T

he latest edition of this popular reference book includes a new psychiatry chapter, more dermatology pictures and expanded content. Whether you are a student, resident or seasoned healthcare professional, this book is absolutely essential if you are planning on working overseas. With contributions from some of today’s top specialists, it is an invaluable resource because it covers a wide variety of diseases, offers the latest treatment recommendations and is easier to use than ever. The Handbook of Medicine in Developing Countries will help you provide competent and compassionate care to those in desperate need.

CMDA Bookstore • www.shopcmda.org • 888-230-2637

Print - $39.95 e-Book - $37.95 (e-Book available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble)

Equipped to Serve David Stevens, MD, MA (Ethics)

There is nothing more frustrating that lacking the skills or tools to deal with a desperate need. I knew nothing about community health, recruiting volunteers, motivating change or psychosocial teaching methods, so I started reading and then visited anyone else I could find in Kenya who was working in this field. We set aside one of only six trained nurses in a 135-bed hospital to work full-time in the community. I was determined to do something no matter how ill equipped I felt.

grapevine that we were starting a community health program, and he asked us to join their initiative. Suddenly we had access to the top expertise in the world and we had funding to get the equipment we needed.

It made all the difference in the world for us and the people we served. Today, the health of more than one million people has been transformed by the Tenwek Community Health program because someone gave us the skills and tools we needed.

That is why one of CMDA’s “Key Result Areas” is “Equipping” you. Your task in many ways is just as overwhelming as mine was as you strive to practice like the Great Physician. We want to give you the training and services to make you effective on the mission field where God has placed you.

This issue of Today’s Christian Doctor is focused on how CMDA equips from training new healthcare missionaries to understanding your needs better through our large membership survey. You will learn about our new enhanced website. Those are just a few of the many services and training opportunities CMDA offers. As a bonus, you will enjoy some stories from members that will inspire and equip you as well.

Then one day when I was the only doctor at Tenwek Hospital, a “mzungu” (a white man) showed up unannounced at the hospital. Dr. Mark Jacobson was a Christian internist with a master’s in public health who was leading a USAID project in Kenya for Read on to be better prepared to serve the Johns Hopkins. He had heard through the Lord!

Our wide variety of resources and services help us fulfill our mission to equip Christian healthcare professionals by giving you the knowledge and tools you need to effectively serve the Lord.

Here is just a small sampling of the equipping resources and services available for you: Chapel and Prayer Ministries – cmda.org/chapel Continuing Education – cmda.org/ce

editorial

Have you ever seen a newborn die of neonatal tetanus? It would break your heart. Have you ever cared for 20 to 30 hospitalized children with complications from measles, complications that could have easily been prevented with a couple of vaccinations? How about whooping cough, malaria or dehydration? I have. It was while we were serving in Africa, and while I was doing it, I realized I would do it ad-infinitum unless I found some way to immunize and teach better health practices to hundreds of thousands of people.

Conferences – cmda.org/meetings Ethics Hotline – cmda.org/hotline Life and Health Resources – shopcmda.org Marriage Enrichment Commission – cmda.org/marriage Medical Malpractice Ministry – cmda.org/mmm Member Services – joincmda.org Placement Services – cmda.org/placement Publications – cmda.org/publications

Look for this interactive icon throughout the magazine for links to videos, interviews and more resources from CMDA. Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 3

contents Today’s Christian Doctor

I VOLUME 45, NO.2 I Summer 2014

The Christian Medical & Dental Associations®— Changing Hearts in Healthcare . . . since 1931.

ike Father, Like Daughter – A 22 LMissions 5 Transformations Legacy Penny for Your Thoughts: 12 AMembership Survey Results

by Julie Griffin, MD, and Julian Griffin

by Gene Rudd, MD

Reporting on the status of our membership

15

Modern Makeover: A Presenting CMDA’s New Website

Introducing the new features and tools available

STORY 17 COVER Joining Hands with You:

Equipping You to Become His Hands and Feet to the World A collaborative article from CMDA members Showcasing the value of missionary training

Bonding together as a family through healthcare missions

the Bedside: How Being 26 Farom Patient is Making Me a Better

Physician

by Rachel Lundberg

A medical student’s struggles with acute pancreatitis

30 Classifieds Scan this code with your mobile device to find more online classifieds.

REGIONAL MINISTRIES

Connecting you with other Christ-followers to help better motivate, equip, disciple and serve within your community

Western Region Michael J. McLaughlin, MDiv P.O. Box 2169 Clackamas, OR 97015-2169 Office: 503-522-1950 west@cmda.org

Northeast Region Scott Boyles, MDiv Midwest Region P.O. Box 7500 Allan J. Harmer, ThM Bristol, TN 37621 9595 Whitley Dr. Suite 200 Office: 423-844-1092 Indianapolis, IN 46240-1308 scott.boyles@cmda.org Office: 317-556-9040 cmdamw@cmda.org Southern Region William D. Gunnels, MDiv 106 Fern Dr. Covington, LA 70433 Office: 985-502-7490 south@cmda.org

Interested in getting involved? Contact your regional director today!

transformations

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR®

EDITOR Mandi Mooney

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Gregg Albers, MD John Crouch, MD Autumn Dawn Galbreath, MD Curtis E. Harris, MD, JD Van Haywood, DMD

Rebecca Klint-Townsend, MD Robert D. Orr, MD Debby Read, RN VP FOR COMMUNICATIONS Margie Shealy

AD SALES Margie Shealy 423-844-1000

DESIGN Ahaa! Design + Production

PRINTING Pulp CMDA is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN DOCTOR®, registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. ISSN 0009-546X, Summer 2014, Volume XLV, No. 2. Printed in the United States of America. Published four times each year by the Christian Medical & Dental Associations® at 2604 Highway 421, Bristol, TN 37620. Copyright© 2014, Christian Medical & Dental Associations®. All Rights Reserved.

Distributed free to CMDA members. Non-doctors (US) are welcome to subscribe at a rate of $35 per year ($40 per year, international). Standard presort postage paid at Bristol, Tenn.

Postmaster: Send address changes to: Christian Medical & Dental Associations, P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621-7500.

Undesignated Scripture references are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan.

All rights reserved. Scripture references marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version. Scripture references marked (MSG) are taken from The Message. Copyright© 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture references marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture references marked (NIV 2011) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture references marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Other versions are noted in the text.

For membership information, contact the Christian Medical & Dental Associations at: P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621-7500; Telephone: 423-844-1000, or toll-free, 888-230-2637; Fax: 423-844-1005; Email: memberservices@cmda.org; Website: http://www.joincmda.org.

If you are interested in submitting articles to be considered for publication, visit www.cmda.org/publications for submission guidelines and details. Articles and letters published represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations. Acceptance of paid advertising from any source does not necessarily imply the endorsement of a particular program, product or service by CMDA. Any technical information, advice or instruction provided in this publication is for the benefit of our readers, without any guarantee with respect to results they may experience with regard to the same. Implementation of the same is the decision of the reader and at his or her own risk. CMDA cannot be responsible for any untoward results experienced as a result of following or attempting to follow said information, advice or instruction.

Photo Contest Winners FIRST PLACE: Timothy Walter About the Photo

For this project, Tim traveled with CMDA Member and CEO of Kearny County Hospital Benjamin Anderson, plus a group of mission-minded believers, to Eden Children’s Village (ECV), an orphanage in Doma, Zimbabwe that is home to more than 200 children. Tim said, “This single image of Judy Ervine, the clinic’s founder and director, tells an entire story of how gentle and caring the clinicians at ECV are with each and every patient. Judy is holding hands with this young African woman who is gladly enduring a tooth extraction. When locals heard there was an American doctor visiting and performing minor dental work, the benches outside the clinic filled up in no time. To see the gratitude in the face of every patient was heartwarming, giving every American visitor new perspective on their own life. Without Eden Clinic, even basic medical care in the area would be rare.”

About the Photographer

Tim Walter is a semi-professional photographer in Denver, Colorado where he loves landscape photography in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. He also does event photography, including work for mission organizations and short-term mission trips with churches and small groups. To see more of Tim’s work, visit www.MarkMyWordPhotoArt.com.

SECOND PLACE: Ella Uwaibi About the Photo

The Medical Professional Outreach Day was an event hosted by the University of Florida College of Medicine Office of Diversity and Health Equity and Department of Anesthesiology for students of the F.O.C.U.S. Summer Program at Showers of Blessing Harvest Center, Inc. This was a fun and engaging event for about 125 K-12 students from East Gainesville to learn more about the fields of medicine and nursing and an array of professional and graduate level careers. The students participated in a variety of hands-on projects, demonstrations and activities while learning more about potential future careers.

About the Photographer

Ella has an international affairs degree from Rollins College and is a rising third year medical student at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. She always knew she wanted to be a missionary, but little by little God placed in her a desire to pursue medicine. At 17 years of age, she moved from Brazil to the U.S. to begin her journey to become a physician. Together with her husband Kendall, they hope to go wherever God leads them in missions.

THIRD PLACE: Jane Tschetter About the Photo

This photo was taken in March 2012 in the town of St. Marc, Haiti as the bus pulled away from the medical and dental clinic the medical team had served at the prior week. “I believe this picture captured the look of many faces that we saw at the clinic; beautiful faces! It was an honor and privilege to serve with physicians, nurses and support staff on an amazing team who unconditionally showed love and concern to the beautiful, but hurting people in the town of St. Marc,” said Jane.

About the Photographer

Jane lives in rural South Dakota with her husband, and they recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary while on a missions trip to Zambia. They have three daughters and nine grandchildren. Jane currently works part-time as an RN at a local clinic. In addition to two trips to Haiti with Global Health Outreach, they have served in Brazil, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Zambia.

Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 5

transformations

CMDA 2014 Member Awards 2014 Educator of the Year Award

2014 Missionary of the Year Award

Dr. James Thompson is a great teacher who has followed Christ’s example to both teach and invest in the lives of others.

Throughout his career, he has strived to provide the best education to his students, taking the time to share his knowledge, integrity and compassion.

Dr. Thompson earned his bachelor of arts degree at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana in 1966 and his medical degree at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio in 1971.

He completed an otolaryngology residency at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and an otolaryngology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He served in a variety of capacities before becoming dean of the School of Medicine at Wake Forest University in 1994. He also served as Vice President at Wake Forest from 1997 to 2001. Under his leadership, the medical school underwent significant curricular change integrating clinical and basic science education with the use of computer technology and problem-based learning.

During this time, Dr. Thompson also represented the American Medical Association on the Executive Committee of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the accrediting authority for medical education programs that lead to an MD degree in U.S. and Canadian medical schools. He also served on the CMDA Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2005. From 2002 to 2008, Dr. Thompson served as president and chief executive officer of the Federation of State Medical Boards, a non-profit association that serves as a collective voice for the 70-member allopathic and osteopathic state medical licensing and regulatory boards in the U.S. and its territories.

Dr. Thompson and his wife Carol live in Davidson, North Carolina. They have four married children and have been blessed with 11 grandchildren.

Dr. Luke Cutherell was born in Murree, Pakistan where his parents were missionaries. A job as a nursing assistant during high school left an indelible impression on him as he saw firsthand how medical care could be used to meet the physical and spiritual needs of those who are hurting. That created in him a desire to be involved in medical missionary work. He received his bachelor’s of science in biology from Wheaton College in 1976, and then received both a master’s of public health in epidemiology from University of Michigan School of Public Health and a medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in 1981.

During his studies, he spent a summer studying epidemiology in Pakistan and met Nancy, a young nurse serving at the same mission hospital where his father once served as hospital administrator. Luke and Nancy were married during his second year of medicine school. In 1988, they returned to Pakistan along with their four sons for long-term missionary service. In 1993, Luke became medical director of Bach Christian Hospital and then assumed the position of chief executive officer in 1994. In addition, Dr. Cutherell has served on the boards of Murree Christian School, Tank Christian Hospital and an indigenous medical clinic. For the last 10 years, Nancy has done most of the obstetric and gynecologic ultrasounds in the hospital.

All this has been the context for sharing the Good News with fundamentalist Muslims for the last 25 years. There has been daily reading of Scripture with patients, one-on-one counseling and small weekly group discipling sessions. They are now seeing the growth of several indigenous churches through men who have been discipled through the work of the hospital.

Dr. James Thompson and his wife Carol accepted the Educator of the Year Award from CMDA President Dr. Richard Johnson (right).

Dr. Richard Johnson (right) presented the Missionary of the Year Award to Dr. Luke and Mrs. Nancy Cutherell.

James N. Thompson, MD, FACS

6 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14

Dr. Luke and Mrs. Nancy Cutherell

transformations Editor’s Note: The following awards were presented at this year’s National Convention.

These articles are excerpted from the actual award citations which can be viewed at www.cmda.org/awards.

2014 Servant of Christ Award

2014 President’s Heritage Award

Robert F. Agnew, MD

Dr. Merlynn (Lynn) and Mrs. Joan Colip

Dr. Robert Agnew’s journey as a servant of Christ carried him to numerous far-reaching locations around the world. He was born in Chicago, Illinois into a family of two career Salvation Army officers. Near the end of his first year of college at the University of Chicago, he attended a retirement ceremony for a missionary physician. This event served as a turning point in his life, convincing him that medicine was to be his life's work. After completing his undergraduate degree, he went onto medical school at State University of New York, Upstate Medical Center at Syracuse in 1959. He married his wife Beth just two weeks prior to starting medical school, and she started nurse training at Syracuse University.

Following medical school, Dr. Agnew completed a surgical internship, a surgical residency and also a cardiovascular thoracic residency before joining a multi-specialty group in Fargo, North Dakota in 1973. During a CMDA summer family conference at Deer Valley Ranch, a presentation on shortterm missions made Bob realize he had not answered his call to missions. So he and Beth started on a new spiritual adventure in short-term missions that continued for many years.

Since their first trip to La Ceiba, Honduras, they have visited 29 countries on three continents, performing surgeries and offering healthcare while spreading the love of Christ wherever they went.

In 1988, Dr. Agnew began representing CMDA on the national level, serving first as a state representative before joining the Board of Trustees in 1995 and then serving as President from 1999 to 2001. He also acted as co-chair of the Changing Hearts Capital Campaign that led to the construction of CMDA’s National Headquarters in Bristol, Tennessee.

Floyd Merlynn “Lynn” Colip was born in 1935 and raised on a farm in rural Norton County, Kansas. He graduated from the University of Kansas and the Kansas University Medical School. Lynn and Joan met at KU and were married in 1957, and Joan graduated shortly thereafter from the University of Kansas with a degree in mathematics.

In 1962, they returned to Norton County to begin a family practice in Lynn’s home county where he handled many challenging cases as a country doctor, bringing desperately needed healthcare to the area. In 1967, the Colips helped to found Valley Hope, a non-profit drug and alcohol treatment program in Norton. Since its founding, Valley Hope has grown to be one of the top drug rehabilitation chains in the U.S. After retiring in the late 1990s, they purchased a vacation home in Woodland Park, Colorado. They recognized the urgent need for better medical care in the area, so they began working with community leaders to establish the Pikes Peak Regional Medical Center and Hospital, followed by the Critical Access Hospital.

Together, Lynn and Joan have been involved with CMDA for many years and they have attended countless CMDA conferences and World Congresses in Switzerland, Norway, South Africa and Australia. Dr. Colip also served on the CMDA Board of Trustees and the International Christian Medical and Dental Association Board. As Board Treasurer, he envisioned CMDA’s annuity and planned giving programs. After completing his board service, he continued to catalyze CMDA’s ministry by networking CMDA with other organizations, helping CMDA start its matching gifts fund drives and much more.

Dr. Robert Agnew received the Servant of Christ Award from Dr. Richard Johnson (right).

The President’s Heritage Award was presented to Dr. Merlynn (Lynn) and Mrs. Joan Colip by Dr. Richard Johnson (right).

Scan this code with your mobile device or visit www.youtube.com/CMDAvideos to watch the award presentation videos.

Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 7

transformations

c Memoriam and Honorarium Gifts d Gifts received January through March 2014 Gene and Jane Eller in memory of Lynnia Graybeal Melvin Nunn in memory of Lynnia Graybeal Nelson and Deborah Gwaltney in memory of Lynnia Graybeal Bruce and Mary Johnston in memory of Lynnia Graybeal Council Oaks Assisted Living Home of Nicholasville, LLC in honor of Paul Stevens Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Daniel in honor of Holly and Andy Austin

Paid Advertisement

For more information about honorarium and memoriam gifts, please contact stewardship@cmda.org.

In Memoriam Dr. Betty Peirsol Hoffman went to be with the Lord on Sunday, February 16, 2014 at the age of 85. She was one of the first women to become a board certified surgeon. She was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the Allegheny Medical Society and an active participant in HOME (Health Outreach to the Middle East). Betty and her husband Jay went all over the world on various medical mission trips as she taught surgery and healed the sick. She was one of the pioneers in the development of the emergency medical system of ambulances in Western Pennsylvania. Despite all her medical advances, she was a tirelessly devoted mother and grandmother. She enjoyed fishing, hunting and mowing the family’s 5-acre lawn atop their tractor.

Dr. Hoffman also served as a member of CMDA’s Board of Trustees in the mid-1990s. “Betty was a gracious lady, a superb surgeon and a marvelous leader, but most of all she radiated Christ! She touched many lives, including mine as I benefited from her wisdom as she served on the CMDA board during my first years on staff,” said Dr. David Stevens.

FLEXIBILITY WITH YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE: Learn more at tiu.edu/bioethics or call (800) 345-8337.

Live and work at home, while completing the program online (with just two trips to Deerfield for the annual CBHD summer conference/courses)

IMPACT

Get equipped with this practical credential to bring a Christian voice to bear on crucial issues of human life and dignity

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE!

Today’s Christian Doctor 8 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14 7.375” W x 4.875” H

transformations

Event Calendar

For more information, visit www.cmda.org/meetings.

ICMDA World Congress 2014 July 19-26, 2014 Rotterdam, The Netherlands www.cmda.org/meetings

Marriage Enrichment Weekend October 10-12, 2014 South Lake Tahoe, California www.cmda.org/marriage

WIMD 2014 Annual Conference September 25-28, 2014 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania www.cmda.org/wimd

Marriage Enrichment Weekend October 17-19, 2014 Isle of Palms, South Carolina www.cmda.org/marriage

CMDA Greece Vision 2014 September 28 – October 6, 2014 Greece www.cmda.org/greece

CMDA Dawson Retreat October 29 – November 1, 2014 Lake Tahoe, California www.cmda.org/dawsonretreat

Oxford Graduate School

Become a world

changer

Paid Advertisement

ADVANCED DEGREES

change the world apply today

tomorrow

Stress, conflicts, problems; they are present too frequently in our personal life, family life, and workplace. The doctoral program at Oxford Graduate School grounds the students in the fundamentals of conflict resolution and problem solving.

The scholarly program inculcates a disciplined approach, enabling the student to use Christian beliefs to effect change locally and globally. The masters program uses Christian beliefs to train the student in Organizational Leadership or Family Life Education. Spending two weeks per year on campus allows the missionary, the dentist, or physician to prepare for a career change or continue current pursuits without interruption.

For more information visit

www.ogs.edu

Loren Humphrey, MD, PhD Member CMDA Chairman, Board of Regents Oxford Graduate School Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 9

transformations

The CMDA Voice in Ministry “I am so thankful for the encouragement CMDA has been in my time in school; it has helped me not only maintain my walk with the Lord, but also grow in my desire to use dentistry in service of Him.” —A second year dental student

Seen

& Heard

“Thanks for your dedication, commitment and service for the Lord. I am blessed immensely through the conference weekend. I was comforted and reassured that I belong to Him, and He is in charge. It is often difficult for me as a student to have a right perspective, caught up with studies and challenging learning process. It often is so challenging to feel that I belong to Him because I simply cannot spend enough time with the Lord and the body of Christ. I was so happy to be surrounded by the army of the Lord. It was good to see all the doctors, nurses and students called to healthcare to serve the Lord. I felt so encouraged. Great fellowship time, great food, great location, comforting and challenging message, and talent night was a blast. I really enjoyed being there. I know God orchestrated all in the end, but I still appreciate your leadership, servanthood. Praise the Lord.”

—A dental student who attended the Northwest Winter Conference

the CMDA voice

“Thank you for joining me and other pro-life leaders at the 41st annual March for Life. Having our group stand united for those few minutes on stage was a powerful image of strength, unity and diversity. We were honored by your presence and hope to be able to make this an annual tradition. It has always been a pleasure partnering with you and we look forward to continuing that relationship.”

—To CMDA’s VP for Government Relations Jonathan Imbody from the President of March for Life

Website Directory Members

Resources

Automatic Dues – cmda.org/autodues Join CMDA – joincmda.org Membership Renewal – cmda.org/membershiprenewal

Chapel & Prayer Ministries – cmda.org/chapel CMDA Bookstore – shopcmda.org Continuing Education – cmda.org/ce Development and Stewardship – cmda.org/giving Ethics Hotline – cmda.org/hotline Conferences and Events – cmda.org/meetings Marriage Enrichment – cmda.org/marriage Medical Malpractice – cmda.org/mmm Placement Services – cmda.org/placement Publications – cmda.org/publications Scholarships – cmda.org/scholarships Speaker’s Bureau – cmda.org/speakers

Ministries Outreaches Campus & Community Ministries – cmda.org/ccm Dental Ministries – cmda.org/dentist Side By Side – cmda.org/sidebyside Singles Ministry – cmda.org/singles Specialty Sections – cmda.org/specialtysections Women in Medicine & Dentistry – cmda.org/wimd Missions Center for Medical Missions – cmda.org/cmm Global Health Outreach – cmda.org/gho Global Health Relief – cmda.org/ghr Healthcare for the Poor – cmda.org/domestic Medical Education International – cmda.org/mei Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons – cmda.org/paacs Continuing Education for Missionaries – cmda.org/cmde

10 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14

Issues American Academy of Medical Ethics – ethicalhealthcare.org Ethics Statements – cmda.org/ethics Freedom2Care – freedom2care.org Washington Office – cmda.org/washington

The CMDA Voice in Missions “I realized that as a physician I rarely have time or courage to pray and share with patients. During this trip, God showed me how important His calling of making disciples was to His ultimate plan.”

—A physician on a GHO trip to Nicaragua

Have you been

transformed?

Are you

“For the first time we had a one-day conference for parents of children with special needs. The parents were hungry for information and starving for any hope we could give them. They asked many questions and made connections with us and with each other. I am still in conversation with one parent via email. What a blessing for me to be a small part of reaching out to these desperate parents in Jesus’ name!”

—A special education teacher on a MEI trip Kenya

transforming others?

“We were ‘the aroma of Christ’ in an area of dreadful darkness.

Many of those we served felt Jesus’ unconditional love through us.

The Spirit ministered through us on behalf of these hurting people.

Seeds were sewn and the gospel shared.”

—A physician assistant on a GHO trip to India

We want to hear from you

“I was reminded that it is selfish of me to not share the Good News because I’m afraid of rejection – it’s not about me. The greatest blessing of this trip for me was being reminded that God can work through me and IS working through me if I get out of the way and pay attention.”

—A physical therapist on a GHO trip to Guatemala, “Thank you very much for passing this onto us! It is a neat idea to have nurses be the primary care givers with remote access to doctors. Makes sense! You have been so helpful - we are so thankful for you! We were so disheartened about our search prior to contacting you.”

—An RN couple looking for information about long-term missionary service “God was so gracious to make me ever aware of His presence. He kept telling me to trust in Him—His thoughts and ways are higher than my own. So while I had a hard time comprehending the situation these girls were in, I was able to rest in His promise that His purpose would not be thwarted by evil. God gave me glimpses of His power over this sex slavery by allowing me to see and hear stories of redemption, broken chains and healing. Women and men in seemingly hopeless situations have overcome in Him, and because of the gift of knowing Jesus and our living Father they count their sufferings as nothing compared to having Jesus—truly amazing.”

—A physician assistant on a GHO trip to India focusing on helping victims of human trafficking

Send your transformation story, letter or photos to communications@cmda.org or to P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621.

Please include an email address for us to contact you.

We want to hear your story It can be a simple comment about a CMDA ministry; it can be an account of your experiences on a missions trip; it can be a profile of a member who has had a huge impact upon you; it can be photos from a campus meeting; it can be statistics showing how your trip served the needy; it can truly be anything— we want to see how your work is making a difference.

We want to hear your ideas Do you have a great idea for Today’s Christian Doctor?

Send your ideas to communications@cmda.org.

Transformations one story at a time

showcasing the impact of CMDA

Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 11

A Penny for Your Thoughts: Membership Survey Results

by CMDA’s Senior Vice President Gene Rudd, MD

B

eginning in 1999, as part of collecting information useful in crafting a five-year strategic plan, CMDA conducted a comprehensive, membership-wide survey. That initial survey required that we hire a consultant to know what information was needed and how to pose the questions. We paid handsomely for the outsourced technology necessary to first distribute the survey and then collect and analyze the data. The cost then was far more than “a penny for your thoughts.” But it was money well spent. The perspectives from you, our members, were instrumental in planning the short- and long-term future of Christian Medical & Dental Associations.

Since that 1999 survey and the subsequent 2000 Strategic Plan, CMDA has continued the five-year cycle of comprehensive surveying and planning. The most recent survey was just completed. The process has come a long way since 1999. No longer is a consultant required to craft and administer the survey.

Experience has taught us what questions and answers are most helpful in strategic planning. The technol-

12 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14

ogy has advanced so that a subscription to an online survey tool provides more data collection and analysis power than dreamt possible in 1999. While the cost for that service is not quite as low as “a penny for your thoughts,” the economic liability is minimal.

More costly is the human resource required. Mainly, that is you, our members who were willing to set aside an average of 20 to 25 minutes to share your opinions and perspectives. In addition to selecting multiple-choice answers, more than half of you who responded took time to provide written comments.

We thank you for your time and wisdom.

In the coming months, we will continue to “teaseout” the data, cross-tabulating responses to learn what specific groups of members think on given issues.

How might a medical student’s view of a particular CMDA resource or service differ from that of a graduate dentist or a retired missionary? Such perspectives matter as we seek to improve the ministry outreaches of CMDA. But the purpose of this article is to give you a first-look summary of the data. No doubt you will

find many issues in which your opinion reflects the majority. In some areas it may not. Regardless, knowing both majority and minority opinions is helpful to us. I hope you will find the information interesting and helpful. We do!

The survey reflected opinions from a wide variety of members. Three in 10 respondents have been CMDA members less than five years while an equal proportion have been members greater than 20 years. It did not surprise us that the majority of members first joined as students. However, we often lose contact with students when they enter their latter years of training. We call this period the “black hole” of membership. Re-entry into membership typically occurs in the first five years of practice.

An amazing 97.2 percent of members are satisfied with their relationship with CMDA – with most of those rating a high level of satisfaction! Today’s Christian Doctor and Christian Doctor’s Digest ranked highest among the many CMDA resources, but all resources were deemed to be valuable to their target audience.

There were very few criticisms, even for our website which we knew was in need of a major overhaul. While you appreciate CMDA’s print materials, CDs and magazines, surprisingly you rated email as the most preferred form of communication! This was true of all age groups. Text messaging (SMS), Tweets and Facebook, while used by some, each rated as a low preference with most members (including students).

More than 6 in 10 members have participated in one of CMDA’s Local Ministry Groups in the last two years, and more than 4 in 10 have been to one or more of our many regional or national conferences. That is an extraordinary level of engagement. Moreover, 1 in 6 members participate in one of the CMDA ministries as volunteers or leaders. When asked about dues, 93.1 percent of you said the dues are just right. Some even thought they were too low! (You are welcome to pay more!)

Members are eager to see CMDA continue as a voice of righteousness within healthcare, to the church and to the culture. Each current public policy initiative was affirmed. These issues reflected your highest priority: right of conscience, abortion, assisted suicide and human trafficking. When asked why Christian colleagues might not join CMDA, the answer was not dues or disagreement with our positions; the answer was simply lack knowledge of CMDA. Experience has shown that our members can best remedy this problem via their personal relationships and endorsement of this ministry.

In a series of open-ended questions about how CMDA might be more helpful to its members or what activities CMDA should start or stop doing, the overwhelming response was affirmation that CMDA is on the right track.

It was encouraging to know that 95 percent of members rate their career satisfaction as average or better, while 80 percent are highly satisfied. Of historical note, the percentage of members highly satisfied with their careers dropped from 83 percent in 2005 to 74 percent in 2010. We were pleased to see this trend did not continue downward. Ninety-seven percent rated their spiritual health as average or better.

Eighty-five percent are involved in frequent or daily personal devotions.

Despite the positive statistics noted above, life remains a challenge. The following shows the percentage of members reporting specific life challenges that rank 4 to 5 on a five-point scale: • 50 percent - being a witness • 50 percent - the current healthcare system • 49 percent - time management • 42 percent - pride (maybe the rest were too prideful to admit it!)

• 41 percent - stress/burnout • 39 percent - finding God’s will While half of our members report being challenged to witness, more than 6 in 10 say that they do witness to their patients. Fifty-five percent provide free or steeply discounted care to the poor. About half have Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 13

been on a mission trip in the last two years. And nearly 6 of 10 are engaged in mentoring. We can take joy in knowing of the many kingdom services provided by our membership, but the question should be asked, “Why not all of us?”

Even though a majority of members identify with conservative political views, our membership reflects a broad spectrum of political ideologies. It is important to note that CMDA does not align itself with political parties or candidates. However, we seek to promote medically reliable and biblically sound positions on healthcare and bioethical issues, regardless of which party they favor. The great majority of members support that activity.

Board of Trustees Update

As part of the current five-year Strategic Planning Process, the CMDA Board of Trustees reviewed and updated our foundational documents. Here is an overview:

Mission Statement:

Christian Medical & Dental Associations motivates, educates and equips Christian healthcare professionals to glorify God by: • serving with professional excellence as witnesses of Christ’s love and compassion to all peoples, and: • advancing biblical principles of healthcare within the Church and to our culture.

Vision Statement:

Transformed doctors, transforming the world.

Core Values:

Reflecting the general demographic trends in healthcare professions, CMDA is growing more female, more ethnically diverse and slightly more single. (Still, 78 percent are married.) Our dental membership is growing in response to our new dental division and leadership. As in the medical profession in general, our physician members are now more employees than employers.

We strive to fulfill our mission by a commitment to be: • Christ-like • Controlled by the Holy Spirit • Committed to Scripture • Communing in Prayer • Compassionate • Competent • Courageous • Culturally Relevant

While the majority of health professionals recognize the need for healthcare reform, the majority of CMDA members consider the current plan to be a step in the wrong direction.

Depending on the question asked, 70 to 80 percent foresee decreased patient and physician satisfaction, decreased quality of care and higher costs. Members anticipate more professional frustrations and dissatisfaction. Nevertheless, unless members are required to violate their conscience (data from a previous CMDA survey), members remain committed to sacrificial service in healthcare.

Key Result Areas:

During the coming months, the Board of Trustees and administrative leadership will be working to craft the next five-year Strategic Plan. The foundation for that plan is outlined in the sidebar or at www.cmda.org. The goals, objectives and strategies for the Key Result Areas are now being developed.

We have much for which to be thankful to God. In various reports and presentations, we often cite CMDA as having more than 45 different ministries.

But that is not the full story. CMDA has more than 15,000 ministries: each of you! It is a great privilege to co-labor with you in service to Christ.

14 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14

• Transformation - Transform healthcare professionals into the character of Christ and influence their colleagues and patients toward a right relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Service - Have members living out the character of Christ around the world.

• Equipping - Equip members for every good work that God has designed them to perform.

• Voice - Advance Biblical principles in bioethics and health to the Church and our culture.

• Organizational Development - Increase membership and build organizational capacity to sustain our mission.

In keeping with CMDA’s effort to support other Christian healthcare professionals, the CMDA Board accepted the Christian Physical Therapists International (CPTI) as a new Physical Therapy Specialty Section of CMDA. Physical therapists may join CMDA as Associate Members. If you have Christian physical therapists working in your community, encourage them to join our membership. For more information about membership, visit www.joincmda.org.

A

s a result of the generous contributions from our members during the 2013 National Convention, we are pleased to announce the launch of CMDA’s new website.

With the ever-changing trends and capabilities available in technology and web services, we have been aware for some time that we needed to upgrade our web presence in order to better serve our members. After all, the CMDA website is the central and primary way we communicate with our members, as well as engage with the world and increase awareness about our valuable ministry.

For the last year, our staff members have been working closely with eResources, a web development agency, to create a new customized website that focuses on meeting our users’ needs. With this emphasis on creating a rich user experience, the new site is designed to make it easier for you to register for events, purchase items in the bookstore, update your membership information, contribute to a specific ministry or staff member and much, much more.

One of the most important features incorporated into the new website is a streamlined navigation. Because of the wide variety of ministries and services we offer and the huge amount of content available, web users often found it difficult to navigate through the website to find the specific information they needed. To help address this issue, the new website breaks the navigation down into four main areas: • Members – Whether you are already a CMDA member and want to pay your dues or update your contact information, or you are interested in finding out more information about becoming a member, this section has everything you need regarding your membership with CMDA. • Ministries – This section is the easy way to find out how to get involved with one of our outreach or mission efforts. In this area, you will find a new way to search through our upcoming mission trips, find a local graduate ministry in your community or get connected with a specific ministry.

• Resources – Are you looking to merge your spiritual beliefs with your professional practice? Including

A Modern Makeover:

Presenting CMDA’s New Website

Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 15

Scan this code with your mobile device or visit www.youtube.com/CMDAvideos to watch an interactive video about the new website.

continuing education, placement services, upcoming events, publications and more, the resources and services we provide in this section will help you do all that and more.

• Issues – A major component of CMDA’s ministry is serving as a Christian voice on today’s current healthcare topics. In this area, you will find the latest news, information and resources available on a variety of topics including physician-assisted suicide, healthcare reform and right of conscience.

If you’re still having trouble locating a particular resource, the navigation at the bottom of every page offers even more guidance with a breakout of the various ministries and services. And the new search functionality makes it easy for you to search through specific areas of the site, as opposed to searching through the entire site at one time.

Some of the other new features include an innovative search option to locate available job opportunities through Placement Services, ministry-specific and staffspecific contribution forms, advertising opportunities, a streamlined event registration process and more.

Another common problem our users had with our old website was its incompatibility with different web browsers, particularly Safari on Mac computers, as well as mobile devices including smartphones and tablets.

Because we understand how frustrating this has been for our members, the new website features a respon16 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14

sive, modern design that is easy to access across the range of mobile and desktop devices. As it is designed to respond to whatever device it’s being viewed on, the site will fluidly modify itself to any screen. So whether you are on your desktop computer, laptop, iPad, iPhone, tablet or Android smartphone, you will find a website that is suited to your needs.

In the coming months, we will continue to add new features and services. With each new addition, we will also continue to make it better and more userfriendly. While we have been committed to improving the site, we have remained committed to furthering CMDA’s mission of motivating, equipping and educating healthcare professionals to glorify God. Through this new website, we pray that God will be glorified, His kingdom will grow and our members will continue to change hearts in healthcare.

This project would not have been possible without the generous support of our members. Because of your contributions, CMDA’s impact on our patients, our colleagues, our profession, our campuses, our communities and our world will continue to grow and increase. Thank you for your continued support of CMDA. We welcome your comments or questions about the new website at communications@cmda.org.

cover story

Joining Hands with You: Equipping You to Become His Hands and Feet to the World A collaborative article from CMDA members Scan this code with your mobile device or visit www.cmda.org/orientation to learn more about the Orientation to Medical Missions conference.

Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 17

“Remember Christ has no human body now upon the earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours, my brothers and sisters, are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion has to look upon the world, and yours are the lips with which His love has to speak. Yours are the hands with which He is to bless men now, and yours the feet with which He is to go about doing good through His Church which is His body.”

These words from Sarah Elizabeth Rowntree, a 19th century Quaker medical missionary, were recorded as she pleaded for others to join her mission. Like the countless others who came before and after her, she answered God’s call upon her life to serve as His hands and His feet to the world through medical missions.

For the last 10 years, CMDA’s Center for Medical Missions has been echoing Sarah’s words as we seek to encourage and support healthcare professionals as they respond to that call to spread the gospel through healthcare. As a ministry of CMDA, the Center for Medical Missions offers a variety of resources and educational opportunities for future healthcare missionaries, as well as those already in the field. Your Call is an e-newsletter to help keep the missions fire burning during years of preparation; the e-Pistle e-newsletter includes training, news and updates for those already serving; the International Rotation Handbook offers assistance in identifying sites where it is possible to gain hands-on healthcare missionary experience; and a consulting service offers second opinions and connects missionaries with specialists for difficult cases.

But for many of those interested in pursuing a career in long-term medical missions, they find themselves ill-equipped to serve in a developing country, despite years and years of medical training.

Caring for family, sustaining one’s spiritual growth and trying to live up to the expectations of others while facing unending medical needs and emergencies can be overwhelming to the new missionary.

The feelings of never finishing what “ought” to be done often leads to experiencing deep inadequacy and insecurity. How do you confront continual suffering and death with compassion? What cultural, economic, environmental and political forces will affect your ministry? How do you even begin to meet the overwhelming needs of the community with such few resources? How do you combine healthcare with spiritual ministry? Budgets, inventories, staff development, strategic planning—how do you handle these 18 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14

administrative responsibilities when they weren’t even covered in your medical training? The list goes on and on.

Lack of training or preparation for a future in medical missions can derail a missionary before they even make it to the mission field. And that’s why the Center for Medical Missions began hosting Orientation to Medical Missions, an annual pre-field orientation conference for new healthcare missionaries. The goal is to help the new missionary experience the greatest possible success, effectiveness and contentment in responding to God’s call in medical missions. Drawing upon decades of experience from career missionaries, the sessions offered during the conference help build a strong foundation, enabling participants to effectively face what lays ahead.

As this conference has grown and evolved, it has become an invaluable resource for career medical missionaries as they prepare to serve in far-reaching locations around the world. It started with only seven attendees at the first conference in 2006, and now more than 50 future missionaries attend the training each year. Sending agencies like Samaritan’s Purse and MedSend are now turning to CMDA to train their new missionaries in increasing numbers, expanding our outreach and allowing us to stand hand-in-hand with hundreds of missionaries who are being the hands, the feet and the lips of Christ. Previous conference participants have shared their stories with us to show how beneficial and valuable the training is, and to show how they used their training to become effective missionaries despite the myriad challenges they faced.

Finding Kindred Spirits

by Rachel McLaughlin, MD

I was 38 weeks pregnant when I attended the CMDA pre-field orientation conference in 2009, and three months away from finishing my residency in OB/Gyn. I had been looking forward to a career in medical missions since I was 16, almost half a lifetime ago, and my husband and I were finally preparing to leave for a two-year post at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya. All my residency classmates were learning about ICD-9 codes, negotiating contracts with partners in the U.S., honing robotic surgery skills and purchasing new homes. I felt totally out of the ordinary, a little adrift, swimming against the flow in so many ways.

And yet, there in Bristol, I found my “kindred spirits.”

received her MD at Loma Linda University in California and did her residency training in OB/Gyn in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She has also served at hospitals in Cambodia, Swaziland, Bangladesh and Kenya.

Valuing Training

by Traci Warner, MSN, FNP

There were maybe 20 other people there, preparing to go to various hospitals in Africa and South America.

Several other women were pregnant, and most of us were finishing up a long road of medical training. Suddenly, my experiences and plans to go overseas were met with understanding and excitement instead of confusion and “why would you want to do that?” comments. We understood each other. We had an instant bond, though we had never met before. We could celebrate our shared callings and sympathize over shared difficulties.

During the conference, it was also refreshing to remember that we were and still are parts of a whole.

God does not necessarily call us as individuals to do individual work. I am able to serve as a medical missionary because of the sacrifices of many who have gone before, people I was able to meet and learn from at the CMDA conference. People who have years of experience and wisdom, like Dr. Dan Fountain, Dr. David Stevens, Susan Carter and Dr. Daniel Tolan. I am standing on their shoulders, surrounded by a cloud of witnesses who encourage and teach. I am also able to serve as a medical missionary because of many who support me in the U.S. through prayer, financial support and logistic support. And I am able to serve as a medical missionary because I know that there are others like me, doing similar work all through the world, caring for the sick and the suffering in the name of Jesus Christ.

My time at the CMDA pre-field conference helped me to see this, and I am grateful for that experience.

Somewhere in my profiled training, I remember learning something about the statistics of missionary attrition, and I found it interesting that many experts agreed that it was the training BEFORE arrival on the field that most impacted a missionary’s ability to endure the trials of the lifestyle and ministry.

It wasn’t necessarily the situations and obstacles that happened ON the field. At my own mission organization’s headquarters, we have a motto with our training program that says, “If we value excellence, we must value training.” I have found these things to be true. In my first year on the field, I was forced to deal with some unexpected (and frankly, undesired) trials, but the training I had received before arrival were invaluable to me as I walked through those trials. CMDA’s missionary orientation is one example of such a training program. Learning from veteran missionaries is key to helping the missionary candidate prepare for service overseas. Each topic is chosen with care and based on experiences that will be encountered at some point or another.

Many mission organizations do a great job in preparing their missionary candidates for general ministry assignments. Serving in healthcare in developing countries (or overseas in general) presents its

Rachel McLaughlin, MD, and her family currently serve at Kibuye Hope Hospital in Gitega, Burundi in East Africa. She is a clinical professor of OB/Gyn at Hope Africa University Medical School, a Christian medical school in the capitol city of Bujumbura. She Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 19

Laying the Groundwork

by Doug Lindberg, MD

No amount of preparation and training will “adequately” equip Western-trained medical missionaries for the experiences and challenges lying before them on the foreign mission field. That being said, the groundwork being laid through the efforts of CMDA does a fantastic job at attempting this impossible task. The situation that my wife, our 3-month-old daughter and I faced in preparing to go to Asia in 2008 was similar to that of many outgoing missionaries. The long road of medical training was finally behind us. At last, the calling that God had so clearly placed on our hearts and our lives to go into all the world and to be the hands and feet of Christ was before us. And with all that medical training, we felt ready to take on anything that lay ahead, come what may.

own unique challenges that will not be addressed in basic training. Again – learning from and being encouraged by missionaries who have responded to the call and have had experience in international healthcare ministries is invaluable. How do we adequately care for the health of nationals with limited resources? How do we avoid burnout when our entire life is one big ministry and the needs are infinite? How do we foster community development in healthcare and address spiritual needs as well? A great place to start is under the direction of those who have failed and succeeded. I still remember some of the comments and advice given at the CMDA conference I attended four years ago. I am thankful for the opportunity I had to sit under the leadership of CMDA and to walk alongside them in my preparation for the medical ministry I now have.

Traci Warner, MSN, FNP, is a family nurse practitioner currently serving in Nicaragua with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism. She serves in both the medical ministry and in training the wives of pastors through ABWE’s Institute of Church Planting.

She received her master’s of science in nursing from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

20 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14

But as I think of the challenges that awaited us, obstacles and oppositions that almost any new missionary faces, there was much work still to be done in preparing our hearts, minds and souls for fruitful service. Cross cultural leadership. Language acquisition. Training national staff. Fundraising. Integrating faith with your practice. Time management and family stressors. Children’s education. Church planting and development. Hosting short-term workers and teams. Exhaustion coupled with physical, spiritual and emotional burnout. Pride. Addiction to being needed. The list goes on. Were we ready for these Goliaths? And I haven’t yet even mentioned the medical challenges. We still needed to learn about multidrug resistant tuberculosis, how to treat critically ill laboring women with a ruptured uterus and how to handle malnutrition so pervasive that children suffering its effects start to look normal. Where do we look, what do we read and who do we ask when we don’t know? Our training was top notch, but we didn’t get to these topics during family medicine residency training in the U.S. And for our first six months working at our Asian mission hospital, not a single day went by without a patient coming in with either a disease we’d never encountered or pathology advanced beyond that which we’d ever seen.

I can’t emphasize strongly enough that CMDA’s orientation program for medical missionaries along with the continued support provided by their Center for Medical Missions is an invaluable and indispensable resource for medical missionaries. Dr. David Stevens’ writings on the topic were consulted on a weekly if not daily basis during our first year on the field, and they continued to be a source of wisdom throughout our time in Asia. The cultural lessons and sensitivities instilled into us by wise people who had walked the path before us were invalu-

neglect our marriages, our children and our friends. We were given resources—people who were willing to be called upon at any time and who would support and guide us as we faced challenging situations on the field and felt beyond ourselves in finding answers. And call upon them we did!

A football coach from my childhood told me, “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.” Words that hold true in football and certainly in medical missions as well. Thank you to CMDA for your dedicated focus upon preparing and supporting missionaries.

Doug, Ruth, Maddie and James Lindberg spent four years serving in South Asia with TEAM. Doug and Ruth are both family medicine physicians. They returned to the U.S. for a one-year furlough, intending to return to Asia in March 2014, but they were unable to return due to a series of family health issues. They are now based in suburban Milwaukee. able. This happened both through the formal orientation at CMDA’s headquarters that we attended prior to leaving, and through ongoing communication with the Center for Medical Missions. It helped us slow down and ask questions. It encouraged us to take the position of learners when we arrived at our chosen field, not as fixers. It encouraged us to pace ourselves and to integrate into the community in order to share the love of Christ.

It equipped us to raise support. It encouraged us to keep the main thing the main thing, and not let the endless medical needs sidetrack us from our own walk with Jesus and from sharing Him with others. We were taught to dream big, and to pursue BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) in the name of a lavishly generous and loving Father who loves all His children and has a special heart for the poor and the marginalized. We were taught to not

Are you interested in joining with us and learning more about how to effectively serve the Lord as a healthcare missionary? We invite you to join us at Orientation to Medical Missions. This prefield orientation conference is held annually near CMDA’s headquarters in Bristol, Tennessee. For more information, visit www.cmda.org/orientation. You also can pray and support this outreach as it grows. Last year we increased to two conferences a year and there is a clear need to expand the length of training into a full Medical Missions Institute format.

ORIENTATION TO MEDICAL MISSIONS Preparing you for the future

August 14-17, 2014 • Abingdon, Virginia • cmda.org/orientation • susan.carter@cmda.org

Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 21

Like

Father , Like Daughter

by Julie Griffin, MD, and Julian Griffin

A Missions Legacy

ow do parents instill an interest in missions in their children? It’s a question many missionminded parents ponder. Our story shows the bonds of love that evolved when a father-daughter duo began serving together in missions several years ago. From a father’s and mother’s desire to share Jesus with their young daughters to cultivating their passion for evangelism inter-generationally, missions has not only brought us closer to Christ and diverse cultures, it has also brought us closer together as a family.

how we apply it may take myriad paths.

Many years ago, a very good friend of mine made the following observation: a person’s circumstances in life are generally the result of three things—what he reads, the friends he chooses and the decisions he makes.

H

A Father’s Desire for His Children From the birth of our children, our parenting responsibilities become a lifelong endeavor. Believers often cite a revered verse from Scripture to substantiate their approach to parenting: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6). This truth cannot be challenged, but 22 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14

I believe my friend’s observation is instructive in the application of Proverbs 22:6. Through prayer and scriptural guidance, we should strive to equip our children with the requisite skills to make appropriate selections of reading materials (anchored by the Holy Bible), choices of friends and sound decisions. As they grow older, including adulthood, our influence upon our children perhaps comes more from the example we set through the application of these skills in our own lives.

I have been involved in missions for more than 20 years, including responsibilities as a church board member and now as a missions pastor, as well as serving

in numerous short-term domestic and international missions initiatives. Through my experiences in working with missionaries throughout the world, personal study of missiology, personal missions trips and my understanding of Scripture, I have gained a deeper understanding of what is required for missions ministry to be successful. I have attempted to pass this understanding to my children.

volves seeing others, learning their culture in those instances where it differs from our own and presenting Jesus. It is this model that we, as parents, are to focus on demonstrating for our children. And it is this model that we, as father and daughter, continue to cultivate through our work in missions.

Philippians 2:4 says, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” This Scripture provides a guiding principle to missions—there are others in this world besides us, and we need to engage with them. To put it succinctly, successful missions first and foremost presents Jesus to people within the context of the local culture. To the extent we are able to use particular skills during this presentation that meet the needs of the people that they are unable to meet themselves, or not meet them as well, missions effectiveness can be enhanced further.

Father (Julian): As we are reminded in Philippians 2:4, God did not create us to be concerned only with our own wellbeing. Many others around us— locally, within our country and around the world— need assistance that we can provide. My wife and I wanted our children to spend more time looking at the world through the eyes of others in order to see and understand their needs.

Like Father, Like Daughter Philippians 2:4 also logically leads us to a holistic model for personal missions ministry. This model in-

Seeing Others

Daughter (Julie): As a child growing up, my parents taught me early how to recognize someone in need. One of my earliest memories is of shopping for school clothes. We would come home with a few new outfits, and then Mom would help us go through our older clothes. “We only need so many outfits, and there are other little girls whose clothes have holes. Let’s share with them.” We learned early on to consider others. Now, as a medical director for a community health center in rural Kansas, I’m encouraging others in our church and community to “see” the poor and bring hope to them.

Learning the Local Culture Father: We wanted our daughters to learn that not everyone is like our family or our Midwest American culture. We took them on vacations to various cities across the country and, when possible, to other countries to introduce them to different peoples, geographies, lifestyles, cultures and ways of doing things. When they reached adulthood, they continued to build upon the interest our family travels sparked within them, and their travels have taken them to new destinations.

Julian and Julie Griffin with one of the patients Julie treated in the medical clinic in Moldova.

Daughter: As a 10-year-old, the allure of family vacations was swimming at the beach between requisite museums. Little did I realize the teaching moments that were happening when homeless people knocked on our car window while in the Los Angeles metropolis or when my parents refused my sister and me the choice of a chain restaurant in lieu of a local mom-and-pop restaurant. The history lessons weren’t just intellectual; we learned to value others and to love them as God loves them. Different people have Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 23

Today, they’ve moved on to other roles in the church and community, but they have the same devotion to presenting the gospel. Now, we’re doing it together as a team—my mom, my dad and I all have our roles, and they complement each other well, in a pattern only the Lord could weave together.

A Family Missions Paradigm in Action

Julian Griffin speaks with leaders in a local Kenya community about scripturally-based financial and business skills.

different cultures and ways of life, but everyone needs Jesus, regardless of their appearance, their station in life or their origin.

Presenting Jesus Father: 1 Peter 4:10 instructs us, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” We have many different options for presenting Jesus to the world. One does not have to be a credentialed minister to present the gospel.

Moreover, God can use the very skills He has given you in a secular position to grow His Kingdom.

Daughter: One of the most helpful concepts my parents taught me was the ability to develop the gifts the Lord had given me. When I came home as a young child with a calling to be a missionary doctor, they encouraged me wholeheartedly. Yet, the focus wasn’t on becoming a doctor; it was on developing a broad foundation so that I could be flexible to serve the Lord in any way He called me.

Finding our “gifts” can be quite the search for some of us, and some of us are still on that search as adults. For others, gifts and opportunities may change over time. What I saw as a child were parents who fervently shared Jesus with others. From my dad’s involvement as an usher and board member to my mom’s helping a young woman juggling a difficult pregnancy and her son with developmental disabilities to leading the women’s group at church, my parents set a pattern of giving their time and talents to others.

24 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14

Father: In our case, Julie and I have taken multiple missions trips together and individually, including to Moldova through Global Health Outreach (GHO), Tenwek Hospital in Kenya and several other countries.

During these trips, we have presented the gospel through the application of special skills with which God has equipped us. We’re learning more each year by attending the Global Missions Health Conference and CMDA’s National Convention together. As a healthcare professional, Julie is able to provide care to people who have no alternative. With skills I have acquired through formal education, a long corporate career and self-study, I teach people in the local community scripturally-based financial and business skills to help them improve their lives by managing their personal finances more effectively as well as to plan, start and manage a business. I also teach business and financial skills to pastors and church leaders to enable them to manage their churches more effectively.

Daughter: Those in our families often know us in our deepest places. They cry with us in the most difficult times and rejoice with us in our achievements. For me, it has been an incredible experience to share my patients’ stories with my father over fresh Kenyan pineapple. It’s a gift few receive—the opportunity to not only live out the Lord’s calling from 25 years ago, but to celebrate it on another continent with the man

Dr. Julie Griffin interacts with community members while doing house calls in Moldova.

who believed God could speak to a child’s heart when his little daughter first announced her calling to be a healthcare missionary in Africa.

A Missions Legacy

Paid Advertisement

Here is Where

Your Career in Medicine Advances

The main takeaway from our experiences has been that God will use your most effective skills, which by the way He has given you, to achieve His purposes.

Additionally, He will reveal to you where you should serve—your local community, elsewhere within our country or the international stage.

From the Abrahamic Covenant to the Great Commission, the Bible emphasizes the importance of parental guidance and blessing, as well as the Father’s relationship to His Son. We should model that same paradigm in our own families. Parents should live out their duty to teach their children about the Lord, His love for them personally and His love for all mankind.

Children have the responsibility to receive that love and to pass it on to others.

I am especially thankful that not only has Julie responded to the need for effective missions ministry as a result of my example, but that we have also been able to serve together to spread the gospel. Like father, like daughter, and by God’s grace, like Jesus.

About The Authors JULIE GRIFFIN, MD, is a doctor of internal medicine and pediatrics and the medical director of the Montgomery County Clinics for the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Coffeyville, Kansas. She has served in medical missions in Honduras, Moldova and Kenya, in addition to her service to the underserved in rural Kansas. She will graduate with a master’s of public health with a focus on policy and administration in December 2014. Both Dr. Griffin and her father are members of CMDA. JULIAN GRIFFIN is a retired business executive and volunteer Missions Pastor for First Assembly of God of Overland Park, Kansas. He serves in ongoing personal missions ministries in Kenya and Moldova. He is a credentialed minister with the Assemblies of God. Julian and his wife Pollie have been married for more than 40 years. They have two adult daughters, a son-in-law and two granddaughters.

Mary Washington Healthcare As a part of Mary Washington Healthcare System, Virginia Primary Care Associates (VPCA) has an excellent opportunity for a Primary Care Physician. VPCA is a growing practice that serves both Mary Washington Hospital and Stafford Hospital, located just 10 miles apart.

We are a comprehensive and well-established medical practice that has been serving Caroline County and the surrounding region continuously since 1985. Consisting of two Board-Certified Internists, a Board-Certified Family Physician, and a Certified Physician Assistant, each with a deep and abiding Christian faith, we believe that every life is created precious, and we encourage every person to make the most of his or her life and health.

Please submit your CV at www.mwhcphysicians.com.

EOE

www.MWHCphysicians.com

Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 25

e h t F ro m

e d i s Bed

How Being a Patient is Making Me a Better Physician

by Rachel Lundberg

T

he pain came on so suddenly that it shocked me. I was 10 weeks into my first year of medical school and preparing for my first round of tests. I was studying in the anatomy lab when I had a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain. It had been over a year since I had felt that familiar pain pierce through my abdomen. Why was it coming back? I did not have time to deal with this. Regardless, I was doubling over in pain, so I went to my university’s emergency department and wasn’t surprised to hear that my lipase was off the charts. I had acute pancreatitis.

“But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction” (Job 36:15, NIV 2011).

It was a diagnosis I was quite familiar with as this was my fifth attack of acute pancreatitis in the last three and a half years. My first attack occurred during my freshman year of college at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. I had never experienced such intense pain before and the physicians said they had never seen a lipase level so high, so I was quickly diagnosed with pancre26 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14

atitis for the first time. The cause was not completely clear, although “biliary sludge” was seen on the ultrasound and assumed to be the culprit. After about a week in the hospital, I recovered and, figuring this would be a single event, continued with my normal routine.

The next attack occurred about a year later. It was the worst pain of my life, hitting instantly like a knife through my abdomen. I was immediately rushed to the hospital, and I remember wondering if I was going to make it. By the grace of God, I ended up recovering without complications and was able to continue my undergraduate studies.

I was hospitalized a total of four times in college for recurrent acute pancreatitis. The physicians did not know why I kept getting sick, and I began wondering if pancreatitis would be a lifelong struggle. I tried preventing the attacks with a low-fat diet and had minimal success. It was incredibly frustrating that there was not more I could do. In these dark times, I learned to relinquish control and completely trust God in the midst of my situation. As Psalm 71:20 says, “Though you have

Scan this code with your mobile device or visit www.cmda.org/resources to find more resources on incorporating your faith into healthcare.

Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 27

made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth, you will again bring me up.”

Between my pancreatitis attacks in college, I continued to wholeheartedly pursue my passion for medicine and missions. I believed God wanted me to love and serve Him by loving and serving others through medicine, not through fear of more pancreatitis episodes. I persevered through my pre-medicine studies and applied to medical school during my senior year. Throughout the medical school application process, I was reminded of Proverbs 16:9, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” (NLT). I was making plans to go to a medical school in Missouri when I found out last minute that I got accepted to the University of Minnesota, my home institution. I graduated college in May 2010 and began medical school at the University of Minnesota in August 2010.

“My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever” (Psalm 73:26, NLT).

So there I was, 10 weeks into medical school and sitting in the emergency department, wondering what I was going to do. I convinced the physician not to admit me so I could take my exams the next day. I foolishly fought through those midterms, but I knew I could not keep ignoring my health, and my medical school adviser was very understanding and supportive. As I sat in his office, he told me he knew the exact person I should meet—one of the world’s experts in pancreatitis—and right then and there, he called to set up an appointment for me.

That appointment with a world-renowned gastroenterologist was the igniting spark. After being officially diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, I went through genetic testing to explain the etiology and began thinking about long-term treatment options.

I remember being grateful for such comprehensive care but also being overwhelmed by all the new information. My pain episodes were becoming more frequent as well. By spring of my first year of medical school, the pain became so unpredictable that I really wondered if I could make it through school.

As I met with different physicians at different institutions to discuss long-term options, they presented a variety of approaches, from major surgery to watch28 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14

Rachel (second from right) with other members of the National Student Council at the 2013 CMDA National Convention.

ful waiting, and I prayerfully considered all of my options. A surgeon at the University of Minnesota introduced the option of a total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplant (TP-IAT). The surgery involves removing the pancreas, harvesting the islet cells that make insulin and transplanting them back into the liver. This removes the source of the pain while reducing the risk of diabetes which is inevitable with a total pancreatectomy alone.

The surgery had risks, but waiting and doing nothing came with its own set of risks. I was also torn about taking time off from medical school for the surgery. Recovery typically takes six months and could take up to one year, so I would have to take time off and graduate the following year. As I agonized over the decision for several weeks, I found incredible comfort and rest in God’s love for me. A friend reminded me of Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” After lots of prayer and discussion with family and friends, I ultimately decided on the TP-IAT. Once I solidified my decision, I had incredible peace about it.

My total pancreatectomy and islet autotransplant was on August 1, 2011. The surgery went smoothly, and they were able to transplant many more islet cells than they were expecting. I am so thankful for the power of prayer and for all the family, friends, mentors and CMDA community who were there for me during recovery. I was in the hospital for 17 days, and there were a lot of ups and downs for the first couple of months.

One of my biggest hurdles was being able to eat again.

At times, I got frustrated when recovery wasn’t going faster, but I learned a lot about patience and relying on God during times of desperation. I would listen to Third Day’s song “Trust in Jesus” as I lay in my hospital bed, lifting my hands in surrender.

But slowly and surely, I made progress. By the grace of God, I started eating again, weaning off pain medication and insulin and going back to everyday life. At the one year anniversary of my operation, I was fully recovered and pain-free. Now I am two and a half years out, and I feel healthier than I have in a really long time. My islet cells are functioning well, and I am insulin-free.

“Help me, O Lord my God; save me in accordance with your love. Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O Lord, have done it” (Psalm 109:26-27).

Through my experience as a patient, He has opened doors for me to share my story with patients, other healthcare professionals, my classmates and churches.

My prayer is that God would be glorified through what He has done in my life.

During my time as a patient, I learned a number of helpful tips from the physicians who treated me, because they factored my thoughts and feelings into their treatment and care. Sitting with patients at the bedside, asking questions and providing comedic relief to lighten the mood (when appropriate) are all simple actions that can go a long way to strengthen the doctor-patient relationship. Healthcare decisions can be extremely tough, and it is important to give patients the time and space to make those decisions.

Because the last thing we want to do is burn bridges with our patients, it is also important to avoid interrupting patients as listening can go a long way. During one of my admissions, more effective listening about my past would have avoided unnecessary tests. Patients often see so many team members each day that it is helpful to avoid assuming they know your role in the hospital room by repeatedly introducing yourself.

Lastly and probably of most personal importance to me, remember to avoid stereotyping patients based on their medical diagnosis, medication list or any other piece of their history. Early in medical school, students learn the most common presentation of each disease, and that knowledge can lead to stereotypes.

But patients rarely present like the textbooks, and it is important to consider the whole person and their individual picture.

These are the lessons that we can continue to learn and grow from as Christian healthcare professionals. As we encounter patients who are approaching suffering, our ability to relate to that suffering with empathy and compassion is impacted by our faith in Christ, just as my experience as a patient shaped the way I approach suffering. Romans 5:3-4 says, “…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (ESV). Because of Christ, we can say that no matter what life brings in the future, whether joy or pain, we have hope in something more. We have hope in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Healer. Through my experiences, I have realized that healing means so much more than just the physical, but the spiritual and emotional as well. If you are in the midst of physical or emotional suffering, fix your eyes on Jesus, the One who faced the ultimate suffering and understands pain. Know that you are not alone in your suffering and continue to call out to Jesus. He is listening and ready to respond.

His empathy alone would be more than what we deserve but, astonishingly, He goes beyond just giving us emotional comfort (as great as that is).

He also gives us hope and strength while removing despair by showing us that the suffering is not meaningless, and it does not take Him by surprise.

Indeed, He pours out His grace on us using these hard things not for our harm but for our good—to shape us and mold us resulting in greater joy in Him. What a treasure! What a Savior!

About The Author

RACHEL LUNDBERG is currently a third year medical student at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. She attended Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, where she graduated with a BS in biological chemistry in 2010. In medical school, she has been active in her campus CMDA ministry where she has served on her local leadership team. She is also currently the Midwest Student Representative to the CMDA House of Representatives and serves on the National Student Council.

In her spare time, she loves spending time with friends and family, traveling, snowboarding and running. She hopes to pursue a career as an academic pediatrician.

Christian Medical & Dental Associations www.cmda.org 29

classifieds Miscellaneous Global Recordings Network - Help reach Bible-less and non-literate people! Share about Jesus in the local language with free mp3 gospel messages in over 5,500 languages.

Listen at 5fish.mobi or download file at www. grnusa.net.

Clinical Tropical Medicine & Traveler’s Health Course ASTMH accredited. May be taken in person or online. June 10 - August 1, 2014. Sponsored by West Virginia University School of Medicine Office of Continuing Education and the Global Health Program. Contact Jacque Visyak at 304-293-5916 or email jvisyak@hsc.wvu.edu.

International Healthcare Revenue Cycle Manager (Billing Insurance Manager) - Oasis Hospital in The United Arab Emirates is looking for a professional manager to work in a cross-cultural environment who is able to relocate and work with a team to bring excellence in business and coding billing practices. This position is critical to the success of the revenue cycle process; in conjunction with practice management staff, the revenue cycle manager will contribute to the day-to-day operations on all issues related to the revenue cycle functions. This position will work with the practice business offices on revenue cycle performance to meet short-term strategic goals.

Provide analytical analysis, create written processes and train others in implementing a cross functional revenue cycle team. A broad knowledge of receivables management, registration practices and financial counseling is a must. Send your resume or CV to Sam Mcdowell at Smcdowell@oasishospital.org.

Dental

Dentist Needed in beautiful Prescott, Arizona. Busy family dental practice is looking for an ethical and caring dentist. We believe in conservative treatment planning with the patient’s best interest in mind. We have two office locations (Prescott and Bagdad, Arizona). Prescott has a wonderful climate and is great place for families. Military veteran dentist is a plus. Please send resume to brett@mangumdental. com. Questions: 928-778-4110. www. mangumdental.com.

30 Today’s Christian Doctor Summer 14

Wanted! Part time Dentist for our busy family dental office in Dyer, Indiana, 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. Please send your résumé to dsdjb@comcast.net.

Medical

Family Practice - Looking for a board certified primary care physician or internist to work 32+ hours in a 100% outpatient office in Burkeville, Virginia. For more info, please visit burkevillemedical.webs.com or call 434607-5883.

Dermatology - An independent dermatology practice in Kearney, Nebraska seeking a full-time or part-time dermatologist. Great potential for a busy practice in a wonderful family-centered community. Mission is not only to provide excellent dermatologic care but also minister to patients’ spiritual needs.

Currently one full-time dermatologist treating an average of 35 to 40 patients a day. Please contact Sharon Bond, MD at 308-440-3945 or sbbderm@charter.net, or Lori Grubbs, office manager, at 308-865-2214.

Ophthalmologist - Two physician practice in Fredericksburg, Texas looking to add third comprehensive ophthalmologist. Busy general and cataract practice, just added onto office with three new lanes. Small town in Texas Hill Country but one hour from both Austin and San Antonio. Office used as subspecialty satellite for plastics, cornea and retina. Flexible for part-time opportunity or working mom. Contact Anne Pluenneke, MD, at cpluenneke@msn.com for additional information.

Family Medicine Faculty Opportunity – Bon Secours Medical Group, part of a major Catholic healthcare system in Richmond, Virginia, is actively recruiting faculty for their family practice residency and sports medicine fellowship programs. These ACGME accredited programs are located at an NCQA Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home. Each faculty member has the opportunity to see patients and precept residents in the outpatient practice, while also participating in the hospital service rotation. Ideal candidates will be board certified in family medicine and have a strong interest in academia. Must be willing to do inpatient and outpatient work. Please send CV to Danielle_Roach@bshsi.org or call 804-239-5509.

Pain Clinician Wanted, Chicagoland, Private Practice - Join a 20-year-old internationallyknown pain clinic in the beautiful suburb of Oak Park, Illinois just outside of Chicago. The clinic specializes in regenerative injection therapy (Prolotherapy). The clinic has an international referral base and is looking for an innovative physician that desires long-term ownership of practice. Go to www.caringmedical.com for information. Send resumes to Mandi Jones at jonesm@caringmedical. com or call 708-848-7789.

Family Medicine - Samaritan Health Center, a Christian free clinic in Durham, North Carolina, seeks staff physician to join existing providers. Family medicine or med/peds training ideal. Spanish fluency required.

Minimal call. Competitive salary. http:// samaritanhealthcenter.org/ or 919-407-8223.

Family Medicine – Come join a thriving, independent, out-patient only practice in the beautiful mountains of Southwest, Virginia.

Currently two MDs and one NP. Site designated a Rural Health Clinic with loan repayment possible. Have the independence to deliver excellent patient-centered healthcare to those in need, while enjoying the benefits of living in a small Christian-centered community. Fax resume and contact information to 276-6462592 or email judyamoore@comcast.net.

Family Practice - Full-time position available at well-established family practice in Haddon Heights, New Jersey. Our patient-centered medical home is looking for a board certified/ eligible DO or MD. We offer a competitive salary, bonus structure and benefits. H1 or J1 visa opportunities not available. Visit our website at www.advocarehpc.com. Please email macampbell@advocaredoctors.com with your cover letter and CV.

Need medicine for your next mission trip?

Have you considered Blessings International?

Blessings offers you: • Customized Ordering • Personalized Customer Service • Fast Shipping • Over 30 Years Experience • Products for overseas and US missions To order or more information web: www.blessing.org phone: 918-250-8101 write: info@blessing.org

Paid Advertisement

Associate Wanted - Seeking an exceptional full-time associate (general or specialist) to lead to partnership. High quality fee-for-service practice with stellar reputation in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Contact 570-3236116 or loyalsock.dental@gmail.com.

To place a classified advertisement, contact communications@cmda.org.

CMDA PLACEMENT SERVICES

BRINGING TOGETHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TO FURTHER GOD’S KINGDOM We exist to glorify God by placing healthcare professionals and assisting them in finding God’s will for their careers. Our goal is to place healthcare professionals in an environment that will encourage ministry and also be pleasing to God. We make connections across the U.S. for physicians, dentists, other providers and practices. We have an established network consisting of hundreds of opportunities in various specialties.

You will benefit from our experience and guidance.

Every placement carries its own set of challenges. We want to get to know you on a personal basis to help find the perfect fit for you and your practice.

P.O. Box 7500 •Bristol, TN 37621 888-690-9054 www.cmda.org/placement placement@cmda.org

IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE “It makes a big difference having a Christian organization searching for us. They understand and care about our needs and finding those with a shared mission and vision.”

- Lydia Best, MD; Detroit, Michigan

AN ANSWER TO PRAYER “Placement Services helped me navigate a complicated process and advocated for me when I was too busy or naïve to do so by myself. I am excited to work at a clinic with providers who share my values.”

- Marlana Li, MD

In His Image is a place of excellent training in medicine, spiritual care and leadership. During residency, I learned how to incorporate my Christian faith in the practice of medicine. I also gained competence and confidence with inpatient and outpatient procedures and learned obstetrics from IHI family medicine faculty.

Through unparalleled mentoring by IHI attending physicians, I received leadership training and lifelong learning habits that enable me to now serve in a teaching role. Residency training at IHI gave me a firm foundation and launched me into a life of medicine and ministry.

Paid Advertisement