Osage County Faith Community Nurse Project
- Lucy Brenner (top) is the Osage County Faith Community Nurse Project Coordinator and Mary Berhorst (bottom) is the Faith Community Nurse for Rich Fountain.
We are opening a new chapter in the Osage County Faith Community Nursing (parish nursing) minister. We have recently added two new Faith Community Nurses (FCN). Allow me to introduce them.
Margie Lange, APRN staffs the Agape Clinic in Belle, Mo. This clinic is the dream of Margie and volunteers of many Churches and community organizations in the Belle area. Anyone is welcome to come to this clinic. Marge is an advanced practice nurse who is staffing the clinic in collaborative practice with a physician in Rolla. The clinic is open on Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mary Berhorst, R.N. is our FCN in Rich Fountain. Mary most recently was employed by St. Mary’s Hospital. She was a staff nurse at St. Mary’s for 33 years. Now is her time to share her wisdom with our Osage Countians in the Sacred Heart Parish in Rich Fountain. Mary grew up in this parish and has remained a member even though she lives in Linn, Mo.
Both Margie and Mary have completed the five day Faith Community Nursing Certificate Course. We welcome Mary and Margie to our Osage County Faith Community Ministry.
To round out this report of FCN in Osage County, I want to say that during my first twelve months of FCN in the parishes of Most Pure Heart of Mary, Chamois, and Assumption, Morrison, I was able to make 240 home visits. I made or received 602 phone calls related to my FCN. Also, 60 referrals were made in my effort to meet the needs of parishioners. These interactions served 46% of the Most Pure Households and 62% of the Assumption Households.
Faith Community Nursing can be the glue that keeps our elderly parishioners in their homes. I am more convinced of this each week. All we need is more R.N.s and more Dollars. It is my privilege to serve. Lucy Brenner, R.N., Coordinator/FCN, Osage County.
