baylor scott & white health Health Care Reimagined medical ministry
Bethany Ferguson, a Baylor Scott & White Health operations consultant, always dreamed of visiting Africa. Thanks to a scholarship from Baylor Scott & White’ s Joel T. Allison Faith in Action Initiatives( FIAI), she fulfilled that dream when she took a mission trip to Uganda and Kenya.
In Africa, Bethany engaged students accustomed to a lecture-based teaching style with hands-on science experiments. She also spent time in a local clinic taking vital signs. Her colleagues even added a bonus to the mission work she provided on her trip. They raised enough money to allow her to deliver shoes for 150 students at the Galileo School in Uganda.
“ The support I received from Baylor Scott & White allowed me to help others in need and experience a new culture,” Bethany said.“ Not only did Baylor Scott & White help fund my trip, but they recognized the importance of my ministry efforts.”
FIAI provided more than 90 scholarships to Baylor Scott & White Health employees in 2015 to serve in developing nations in Southeast Asia and Africa. The organization mobilizes the Baylor Scott & White system and like-minded organizations to address the medical and spiritual needs of communities locally and around the world through education, missions, redirection of resources and disaster relief.
Internationally, FIAI has delivered $ 400,000 worth of supplies to Syrian refugees in Hungary and 10,000 pounds of supplies and equipment to Sierra Leone and Liberia during the Ebola crisis. The program’ s Second Life Resources( SLR) has locations in both North and Central Texas, and donates gently used medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and clinics in need. Following a Christmas tornado in Garland, FIAI relief efforts included the donation of medical supplies, baby formula and toiletry kits and the enlistment of volunteers for cleanup. Scores of nonprofit organizations benefit from SLR annually.
Former CEO Joel Allison inspired the start of Faith in Action Initiatives in 2010 to maximize Baylor Scott & White’ s impact locally and worldwide. Since then, it has bettered thousands of lives.
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