Why host CHA Training?

The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) is committed to address Mississippi’s poor health status through education, clinical care, and research.

Partnerships with those in the community who share the medical center’s concerns are essential to improve Mississippi’s poor health ranking.

Why Galloway ?

In Mississippi, church and civic life are core components of our lifestyle. Family and friends come together for worship, fellowship, religious education, and of course, food. Most churches support the premise that faith, health, wellness, and service are all components of the faith journey. We believe that trained health advocates can improve health and wellness in Mississippi when supported by churches and civic organizations. Data suggests that this is an effective strategy to address obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in a community setting. That is, early disease detection results in better health outcomes.

UMMC’s Community Health Advocate (CHA) Program

To this end, UMMC has developed a program to train lay individuals from faith-based and community groups as health screeners. These individuals receive basic instruction in the detection of high blood pressure (hypertension), high blood sugar (diabetes), and how to identify community resources for health care. They also share basic dietary and weight control information for making healthy choices.