Why Pastors for PCOR?

Historically, there has been an uphill struggle for inclusion and accessibility to critical decision-making processes relating to health care and effective patient-centered engagement within high-risk, low-income areas and communities of color. Individuals, families, and communities are often included as an afterthought in pertinent discussions regarding their immediate and future needs.

2014

2014 an ARCC Seed Grant Award from the Center for Community Health, Northwestern University, enabled the foundation of the inaugural P4P Advisory Board and collaborative design of operational documentation including roles and responsibilities for members, a mission and vision statement, agreement on guiding principles and values, and a Memoranda of Understanding for all board members.

ARCC

2015

2015, the P4P Community Advisory Board was awarded a PCOR Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington Award to build its capacity to engage a network of faith-based communities spread across Chicago and south suburbs.

22 pastors/church members in Chicago participated in the five step P4P research ministry ambassador training. This included human subjects certification training and the conduct of a faith-based community health survey of health priorities and factors with almost 500 community members.

PCORI 2015

2017

2017, P4P was awarded a second PCORI Eugene Washington Award to build on the results of the first award. P4P developed a Research Ministry Facilitator train-the-trainer program and toolkit for faith-based community trainers. P4P and Faith Network Facilitators in Illinois and Arkansas were trained in survey skills to identify community priorities for community-academic research engagement around health and wellbeing.

In addition, several P4P Research Ministry Ambassadors actively engaged with local PCORI and other clinical research initiatives including the Chicago Area Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Network (CAPriCORN) and studies such as Adaptable (The Aspirin Study) conducted by other PCORI clinical data research networks around the country.

PCORI 2017

2019

Survey results from participating faith-based communities in both Chicago, Illinois and Little Rock, Arkansas showed faith based community members wanting to know more from researchers about: cancer, high blood pressure (HBP); diabetes, mental health; heart and stroke.

Priority factors identified by the 2016-2018 survey impacting health and wellbeing included:

- Behavioral Education
- Support for Mental Health
- Community Safety
- Healthy Food
- Affordable Housing
- Access to Healthcare

CAURS 2020

Testimonials

"[I] Identified current disparities within my congregation”

“Through surveys I received specific resources to address the disparities for my church community”

“Unity in thought and purpose”

“Made me more aware of the various illnesses that are prevalent in my community and ignored"

“it was so informative to me and the

community being able to share and gather the information in the survey was life changing”

“knowing the percentages of different needs and how many people it affected was informative”

“ I’ve learned and experienced so much since I’ve became a member of PCORI”

Pastors4PCOR Graduates

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Scientific Posters

The Pastors4PCOR Story in Scientific Poster Presentations

Posters presented at various academic venues and research conferences.