The rural Faith-based Healthcare Initiative’s purpose is to welcome and engage the participation of local faith-based organizations in the Western Tidewater region of Virginia as valued and essential partners to assist uninsured citizens gain access to quality healthcare services. The primary focus is on improving services, building capacity, raising awareness and promoting resource development by engaging the entire community to embrace healthcare. Achieving this purpose will increase the credibility and prominence of the Western Tidewater Free Clinic (WTFC) in its fundraising efforts and exponentially improve its position public and philanthropic funding communities.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

•Develop collaborative partnerships and strategic alliances with faith-based entities to host fundraising events, provide volunteers, launch public relations campaigns, social marketing strategies;

•Outreach and recruitment of medical professionals' to support WTFC core competencies, by conducting a resource assessment to identify local community-based healthcare assets, while matching existing resources with operational needs of the clinic;

•Devise a systemic process in the WTFC service delivery area and western tidewater region that helps identify where minimal faith-based medical services are available and/or currently provided (i.e., screenings, testing, seminars, etc.);

•Develop resource guides to help [uninsured] individuals find medical professionals who might be available in their immediate communities;

•Develop a resource database that provides an assessment and data to help provide guidance toward achieving the WTFC's sustainability, as well as help guide any future plans for expansion and capacity building;

•Identify increased needs and trends, while also providing an in-depth evaluation of the general community's unique healthcare indicators required to validate assumptions and understand the fiscal impact;

•Help shape policy and regulations that currently hinder access to rural healthcare;

•Faith-based stakeholders will engage in a community-wide Strategic Planning process to develop a short and long-term agenda that addresses the healthcare issues to ensure the availability of future adequate funding and other supportive resources.