the Pool of Siloam Medical Ministry

Donate Button Problem Resolved

2009-02-09T16:49:00.000-08:00

The problem with our Donate Button had been resolved. If you have any questions, you may contact me. t_strain@bellsouth.net

Important Announcement 2/6/09

2009-02-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with our "Donate Now" access. We expect this issue to be resolved in the next few days. Donations can be mailed to The Pool of Siloam at 4140 Greenwood Rd. Shreveport, LA 71109.

We apologise for any inconvenience this temporary problem has caused. Bless you.

In Memory of our dear friend and sister, Elizabeth Gail Munson

2009-02-06T12:40:00.001-08:00

From Courier-Journal
MUNSON, ELIZABETH GAIL, 53, went to live with her Heavenly Father on February 3, 2009, from her home in Louisville. She was a financial analyst with Anthem WellPoint, and a member of St. Matthews United Methodist Church. She is survived by her husband, Greg; son, Jacob Miller; step- daughters, Katie Munson and Heather Larkins; and granddaughter, Millie Larkins, of Louisville; parents, Earnest and Jeannette Brooks, of Walker, LA; sister, Teddie Pike (Craig), of Baton Rouge, LA; brother, Gary Brooks (Mary), of Phoenix, AZ; sisters, Brenda Brooks and Debbie Hodges, of Walker, LA; niece, Ashley Pike Vallot (Dan), of Denham Springs, LA; great-nephews, Brantley Barnes, Braden Vallot, Seth Foreman; great-niece, Addie Vallot; sisters-in-law, Terry Strain, of Shreveport, LA and Amy Bednar, of Cleburne, TX. Preceded in death by her niece, Amber Pike Foreman. The family extends a special thank you to everyone at St. Matthews United Methodist Church, Dr. Robert Palmer-Ball, Dr. Don Stephens, Kelly White ARNP, Lisa Vish ARNP, Rhonda Howard ARNP, Dr. Craig Deweese, Dr. David Petruska, Dr. Mark Cornett, Dr. Stephanie Wagner, Dr. Mary Helen Davis, Elizabeth Archer-Nanda ARNP, their nurses and staff, Hosparus of Louisville, especially Jessica and Cheri, Dr. Malik Zulfiqar, and the entire staff of the Cancer Center at Norton Suburban Hospital. Funeral Services will be held at noon Saturday, at Pearsons' 149 Breckenridge Lane, with visitation 4-7 p.m. Friday. Visitation, services, and interment will thereafter take place at Seale Funeral Home in Denham Springs, LA. In lieu of flowers for the Louisville services, Gail suggested memorial gifts to the Pool of Siloam medical ministry, with information available at www.poolofsiloam.org

We are celebrating her life and know that she is rejoicing in heaven. Our prayers remain with her family.

REACH Clinic Opens

2008-12-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

Reaching out to provide Equitable Accessible Care for the Homeless.

The Pool has provided care to homeless patients since opening the doors of the free clinic in 2005. As a natural extension of that care, PA Strain partnered with Hope for the Homeless to provide medical assessment on outreach, visiting encampments in wooded areas, under bridges, in vacant houses, abandoned buildings and warehouses. Dr. Schulman joined the team a year ago devoting dozens of hours to the project. Over the last two years, the Pool has provided first aid and evaluation in the field and then enrolled those in need in the clinic for medical care and routine follow-up.

A significant obstacle to consistent care has always been transportation and compliance. To address the problems compounded in the homeless population and care for the increasing number of persons with medical problems identified on outreach or referred by other agencies, the REACH Clinic was opened. The Pool participated in the Stand Down 2008 for the Homeless and was able to enroll several patients referred by the medical stations for the first REACH clinic. Information cards were also provided for social service agencies and law enforcement personnel who have contact with homeless persons daily.

REACH is open Wednesdays from 2:00pm-5:00pm. Patients housed in missions such as Mother Stewart House, Rescue Mission or Salvation Army are given bus passes by those agencies and transportation for chronically homeless clients is provided by Hope of the Homeless. Patients are provided medical care, lab testing as needed and medication samples or gift cards. Anyone needing long term medications is enrolled in patient assistance programs. Outreach coordinator Brian Crowder, a licensed addiction counselor remains on site to provide his services. Layne Richardson, our favorite taxi driver blesses us with additional transportation when needed.

After clinic, the patients join everyone for fellowship at the Wednesday evening meal provided by Chef Pat and the New Room Outreach Ministries of Grace Community Church. The food pantry and clothes closet are also open.

Last week, patients and volunteers decorated the Christmas tree in the clinic and set-up tables in the fellowship hall. We discovered Danny's talent for grilling chicken and expect he will be back weekly. Everyone was taken back to their camps in time to beat the rainstorm.

The Dentist Will See You Now!

2008-03-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

On February 20th, Dr. Jack Ratley welcomed his first patient to the Pool of Siloam Dental Clinic. Dr. Ratley has been providing urgent dental care in his private practice at no cost to our patients on referral for over three years. He donated his dental equipment to the Pool and his son, Mark Ratley covered the cost of installation. With the help of dental assistant, Grace, Dr. Ratley is holding clinics two afternoons a week.

The arrival of the Ratleys has been no less than incredible. Jack, Mark, Tricia and Grace were on VIM missions with Terry and Dr. Strain in Mexico where the original discussions about the need to start a clinic in our own community began. Heads up to the rest of you who were blessed by cold showers, the 4 am sidwalk sweeper and the goats and chickens at the Quiet House. God may be calling you.

A Christmas to Remember

2007-12-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

A sunny afternoon, perfect Christmas Eve in the South. We found Danny at his campsite tidying up, arranging the decorations adorning his sleeping quarters. "Close your eyes and hold out your arms." He played along patiently until a warm cuddly puppy was laid in his arms. Then he opened his eyes and began to dance and laugh and cry with joy. His joy was contagious. He told us that he had spent the morning searching for a stray dog to adopt because he had been so lonely since his dogs/best friends had been stolen. He said he was sitting outside, praying and telling God that if he could have anything he wanted for Christmas it would be a puppy. Just as we drove up. Erin and Buffy, visitors from Mobile and me and a 10 week old part lab puppy with all the necessary supplies. Danny named her Eve, Christmas Eve. We stayed to share a Taco Bell lunch, Eve already perfecting her "grab and run" technique.

On Christmas night, Buffy and I returned to deliver Christmas dinner. Hannah and Tyler joined us with Eve's sister Dixie. Buffy brought books from Erin and spoke for all of us when she said this was the most incredible Christmas she had ever celebrated. God blessed us everyone.

more photos at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000605&l=07387&id=1017621635

Christmas Party at the Pool

2007-12-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

Patients, family, volunteers, folks from the neigborhood and others gathered at the New Room Community Outreach Center before Wednesday night clinic at the Pool for a wonderful Christmas meal prepared by Chef Pat and family. His talented wife, Michelle decorated the fellowship hall. Pastor Beverly blessed the food. Her daughter, Cherish and friends Dante and Kayla entertained the crowd with a beautiful program of songs and dances, then everyone joined in to sing Christmas carols. Many thanks to all who blessed us with their gifts and talents.

A Time For Hope - Update from Les Morgan

2007-12-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

To Our Supporting Churches and Friends: A time for hope

Houston, Texas
Saturday, 1 December 2007

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our son Everett, 22, is in his third cycle of chemotherapy for Ewing's sarcoma of the left pelvis, diagnosed in September. Each cycle lasts 21 days: the first five days he receives intravenous infusions of high-dose chemotherapeutic drugs, then the next sixteen days he recovers from those drugs' toxic side-effects. Although the drugs kill fast-growing cancer cells, they just as effectively kill fast-growing normal cells, such as bone marrow cells and cells in the lining of the mouth and GI tract; and it takes time for those vital tissues to recover from the insult of chemotherapy. During the recovery period, Everett makes almost daily visits to the hospital, so that his doctors can monitor his progress and treat any secondary illnesses that may arise during his weakened state. He must also use the time to replenish his body's minerals and calories. The goal is to help him recover enough to be able to tolerate the next round of chemotherapy. So for each 21-day cycle, there is a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up. For everything there is a season, and for Everett, now is the time for chemotherapy.

It is also a time for hope. Just before Everett started his third cycle of chemotherapy, his doctors repeated some scans that indicated he is having a good response to treatment. An MRI showed the tumor has reduced in size, and a PET scan revealed greatly diminished metabolic activity in the tumor, meaning we can expect it to shrink much further. Everett's oncologist, Dr. Joseph Ludwig, reminded us that because of the size and location of the cancer, treatment is still very difficult. But we have reason to hope.

Tomorrow as the church begins its season of hope--the celebration of the Advent and Incarnation of Christ, the Savior of the world--our hope is that God will use the doctors, nurses, and medicines of the MD Anderson Cancer Center to save our son. Every night at bedtime, we place our hands on Everett and pray that God will touch him with his healing power and remove every last cancer cell from his body. That is what Advent is about: the hope of real differences made manifest in people's lives. Our years of directly facing human suffering in Bangladesh, and now our experience in caring for our seriously ill child, have taught Cindy and me that Christian hope is not about the fulfillment of vague and obscure desires. Hope, like the Incarnation, is about flesh and blood, things we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands; and in Christ, God invites us to hope and pray in those concrete terms. For that is how he cares for his people.

I am reminded of that hope every time I walk into our apartment here in Houston. Strung across the ceiling of our living room, that is also Everett's bedroom, are scores of cards from many of you. As Everett lies in bed and looks up, he sees all those messages of hope that encourage him during this time of chemotherapy. And each night as Cindy and I sit by his bed, put our hands on him, and pray for his healing, all those cards, like angels, announce to us the good news that God is with us in our suffering, that we should not be afraid, and that now is a time for hope.

Yours,

Les

Leslie Y. Morgan
PC(USA) Mission Co-Worker/Bangladesh
7500 Brompton Rd., Apt. 552
Houston, TX 77025

"the homeless" is NOT my name

2007-11-29T20:49:00.000-08:00

My friend Mary sleeps in a tent under a carport, where she has lived for over 15 years. Once brutally raped and beaten, she is afraid to leave the safety of her home. Everytime we visit she offers us a gift; a cracker, a fresh picked fig or a wildflower. I take her blood pressure and give her vitamins. She won't let us leave until we circle for prayer and she praises God for the provisions we leave and asks that He protect and guide us on our way. She blesses me.

Danny always greets me with a hug. He is happy to show off his latest "home improvements," a new dog pen, a fence-lined path. He refuses our blankets because someone else might need one, but he loves the bread. Goes good with his pot of stew. He hasn't seen New Orleans since he was rescued from floodwaters and jammed into a crowded bus to be unloaded at a Red Cross shelter in Shreveport. He makes me smile.

Cowboy builds waterproof shelters with screen doors. He shows newcomers how to use vines, logs and tarp to build their own. Most times they're grateful. Sometimes they take advantage of him. I bring him mustard seeds and squash plants and steroid cream for his hands. He reminds me to share.

Jan has lived under a bridge for 17 years. She is a retired nurse and tells me who is sick and who she's giving her medicine to. She loves to "shop" in the clothes closet and wear makeup. Her boyfriend knocks her around sometimes so she moves across the river with her kitten. She reminds we are all one step away from the underside of a bridge. Sometimes she frustrates me, mostly she makes me want to shelter her.

Robert lost his way in the storm. He sits on a rail next to an overpass. He hides in plain sight, so well the mowers ran over his steel-toed boots. He walks miles to eat a meal at the clinic and walks back so he can wait at the day labor building for a job. He buys beer to forget the horrors of the floods and his fears. He breaks my heart.

Anthony wears his closet under a long heavy coat and a burlap hood over his dreads. He sits on a bus stop bench in a attitude of prayer or isolation and rarely looks up. He smashed my face in once , thought I was the devil after him. I spent months running from his ghosts, until God put my feet on this highway and opened my eyes to the angels that live in the scary places, the encampments, under the bridges and in the woods. Those who have taught me the value of a can of beans, a box of ibuprofen, a new cardboard box, a kind word, grace in life, mercy, redemption, courage, trust and faith. God knows each of us by name NOT labels. I am grateful and leave food for Anthony.

Our Daily Bread

2007-11-20T21:09:00.000-08:00

The Bread Angels score big!!! Pastor Ellen joined us for our Monday night bread run to the Cotton's Holsum Warehouse. We visited with our friends Jimmy and Johnny who work the night shift. There was an incredible amount of fresh bread and lots of sweet stuff just returned from the stores. We even got two cases of dinner rolls for our Thanksgiving feasts. For me, sorting and loading the loaves is an act of worship. Each package is a gift from God that He gives us to share with others. Ellen blessed us with her beautiful voice while we worked. We left plenty of food for the hog farmers, wished our friends a happy turkey day and headed off to make our deliveries. We stopped at Kim's Po-Boys and Seafood for gumbo and shrimp po-boys. Kim's family and Ellen shared memories about their evacuations from New Orleans floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina. Next stop, the Common Ground White House. Then to the Pool to fill the food pantry. The remainder goes to the van for homeless outreach. Our God supplies all our needs according to his riches in heaven!!

Why We Do What We Do

2007-11-17T22:07:00.001-08:00

As Christians, we are in the unique position of having been called by God to serve the poor, to minister to the sick, the lost, and the hurting. In Luke 10:9, we are told, " Heal the sick who are there and tell them, The Kingdom of God is near you."

Not only are we called by God, but we are held accountable for this call. Matthew 25:31-46 describes the consequences of not following his commands as He separates the sheep from the goats. "When those sent to eternal fire will cry….Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and did not help you? And He will reply, Whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me."

We see a call to medical ministry in the example of Jesus. There are more than seventy five references to healing in the New Testament. Jesus healed the whole person – physically, mentally, spiritually.

A beautiful example of friends helping a friend overcome obstacles to health care can be found in Luke's portrayal of a paralyzed man. One day as Jesus was teaching, scripture says the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. In this instance, health care was available, but inaccessible to the man because of the crowds. His friends carried him on a mat up to the roof. They had to work together to dig and remove the tiles to break through the roof to lower their friend to Jesus. The scripture says that when Jesus saw THEIR faith, the paralytic was ultimately healed.

As Christians, we are called by God to action. To act, we must first perceive a need. Perhaps we should ask not "what would Jesus do" but "what would Jesus see?" When we see the world through Jesus' eyes, we see the lost, the hurting, the suffering. We see the person, not the crowed waiting room. We see the lost sheep, not the dirt-caked homeless man. We see the children who want to kneel at His feet, not the woman with the six crying kids in tow and a switch in her hands. When we see through Jesus' eyes, we feel what He feels, we are broken and moved to compassion and are compelled to act as He would. "When He saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick." Matt 14:14

Often, even when we recognize the great need for health care, we turn a deaf ear to the cries for help. We have become immune to daily newspaper headlines describing the national health care crisis, the uninsured, underinsured, rising health care costs. Emergency rooms are overcrowded, hospitals filled to capacity. Patients are readmitted again and again, developing irreversible complications because they cannot afford medications or treatments.

Statistics add grim proof that there is a great need. Of the more than 47 million uninsured persons in the United States, a surprising majority are employed. In contrast, data from LSUHSC collected over a three year period for the Cedar Grove neighborhood showed over 13,700 visits. 80% of those visits were by patients in the 18-69 year old range. Almost half of the patients had no insurance funding at all. Many were unemployed. Major diseases recognized in that group were diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, asthma and obesity. Each of these diseases carries significant risk for disabling complications and death if inadequately treated. Many of the patients had multiple illnesses.

In spite of the ready availability of government funded health care and social services, many people continue to suffer due to lack of medical care. Some are hindered by extreme poverty, illiteracy, lack of transportation or assistance; others have conditions exacerbated by lack of understanding and improper use of medications and treatments, by failure to recognize warning signs and symptoms or by high-risk behaviors and substance abuse. State and local hospital and clinic services are physically overburdened and financially strained by frequent clinic visits and hospital readmissions directly related to medical non-compliance secondary to lack of medications or lifestyle. Additional local healthcare services are necessary to improve the quality of medical care by providing a mechanism for education and awareness, early recognition by identification of risk factors and screening, providing basic medical care and maximizing utilization of available services and resources.

The Pool was founded to share the love of Jesus through a ministry of healing. When God called us to this ministry, he gave us a plan to meet the health needs of the medically underserved through education, preventative medicine, screening, basic medical care, and referral, with emphasis on the utilization of existing social programs and agencies. The ministry is housed at the New Room of Grace Community, a United Methodist Church in the Mooretown neighborhood of Shreveport and is open to referrals from Shreveport-Bossier and surrounding communities.

The road to implementing those plans has been a long and sometimes frustrating process, but throughout we have witnessed the power of God at work. The board of directors was officially founded in April 2003 and our bylaws adopted. Our 501(C)(3) application for designation as a non-profit organization was completed and approved. We have been blessed by many faithful providers who have donated exam tables, equipment, and supplies. God has touched the hearts of many volunteers who have come forward to plan and design the clinic, to teach classes, provide patient care and to write grants.

We have learned to trust God in every aspect of the ministry and have learned that God equips those He calls. In November of 2004, the Pool board of directors met with Dr. Robert Kimmerley of Minden who presented the clinic with a gift of $50,000. The same week, we learned that the Community Foundation had awarded us an operational grant. These funds allowed us to open our free clinic in January 2005 for three patients. We now have over 700 patients in our active database. Since that time we have received gifts and grants from Grace Community Methodist Church, Christian Community Health Fellowship, the PA Foundation, the Chest Foundation, Glide Methodist Church and numerous other donations.

The Pool office hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 am- 1:00 pm. . Available services during these hours are registration, medication assistance, referral, laboratory services, screening and confidential rapid HIV testing. The general medicine clinic is open on Wednesday evenings at 6:00pm and Saturdays at 9:00am. A women's health clinic and diabetic eye clinic are available by appointment. Scheduling of other clinics is available and flexible to accommodate hours of physicians, counselors or other specialists.

As I reflect on the trials, struggles, and blessings of the years since April 2002, I am humbled that God has chosen His children to share in the ministry of healing in the example of His son, Jesus. What an awesome responsibility we have to be faithful stewards of His finances and to care for His sick and hurting.

I Met a Man

2007-11-16T22:29:00.001-08:00

I met a man last night.

he answers to "danny."

my own age, but ageless

displaced homeless

a Katrina evacuee

he lives in the woods

next to an Office Depot

invisible

down a hidden path,

cleared and lined with branches

fashioned into an elaborate fence

decorated with discarded toys

little trucks and cars

a tiny sandy beach,

with rocks and palms

a bedroom built of boards

and plastic

no doors, no locks

but windows into the soul

campfire in the "kitchen"

the woods a latrine

we brought blankets

and boxes of rations

medicines and bandages

maps to the mission

I invited him to clinic

to breakfast, to lunch

he's just down the road

our neighbor

life his choice,

in his own words

"i am not homeless

i am houseless"

Next time, I'll bring mustard seeds

and tomato seedlings

i met a man

who lives in an

enchanted garden

i met a man

unwashed, unshaven

laughter rains like music

from a toothless grin

clothed in dirt,

and Salvation Army jeans

I met a man

It might have been me

I met a man

i saw Jesus

__._.___

Our Mission

2007-11-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

The Pool of Siloam Medical Ministry was founded in 2002 to share the love of Jesus by providing accessible healthcare to the medically underserved in Northwest Louisiana.
We believe that by building relationships of trust, mutual respect and Christian love and providing the necessary tools of education, screening, excellent medical care, medications and necessary medical supplies and equipment, we can empower our brothers and sisters to care for themselves.

We are funded by grants, gifts, awards and in-kind donations. We are blessed to have over 30 volunteers who provide hundreds of hours of service.