by S. Rotan Hale
In an effort to pave the path for young people seeking careers in healthcare Rev. William Lee former pastor Loudon Avenue Christian Church, (LACC) hosted a comprehensive program centered around “The intersection of personal health and the health of the Black Church.”
The scheduled lineup of dynamic speakers gathered at LACC Saturday, Oct. 5 included: Dr. Eric Williams, Director of the Office of Black Church Studies; Assistant Professor of Theology and Black Church Studies, Duke Divinity School and former curator of religion at the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture, Washington DC; Rev, Dr. Michael Palmer, Hospice Chaplain and Bereavement Coordinator, Revival Home Health and Hospice, Baltimore, Md. and Dr. Nathaniel Bishop, DMin. assistant professor, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.
Cynthia Lawrence Director of the Office of Workforce Development Carilion Clinic discussed the mission, how and why the innovative collaborating organization known as the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health and Science Careers (BRPHSC) was formed in 2019.
Lawrence spoke of the Student Ambassador Program formalized and conducted under the direction of skilled leaders from the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech, Radford University Carilion and Roanoke College. The year-long program gives kids the opportunity to engage with the community, interact with leaders regarding policy change and discuss their careers.
Another component, the Mentor Program is all about the community’s support of the youth involved in the program.
“We are doing this for our future and our students are our future and we must surround them with the support, guidance and the resources they need to advance their careers,” said Lawrence.
As a project partner, Dr. Frank Shushok Jr. president, of Roanoke College said “I hope that you (the community) think of Roanoke College as your college.” Shushok went on to emphasize the openness on which the college stands ready to fully embrace any and all prospective students, fellow educators and members of the community, etc.
Katheleen Duncan Director of Career and Technical Education, (RCPS) introduced three students she described as “the best of the best,” who were approaching graduation from the programs.
Introduced was Sheriff Johnson, one of the first students to come through the DAYTEC program (Charles W. Day Technical Education Center). Johnson is a William Fleming senior who has actually completed his CNA certification and is currently working as a Certified Nurses Aid.
Also speaking were two Patrick Henry HS seniors: Ajayla Ford and Sanae Holloway, both working on their CNAs through the school’s ROTEC (Roanoke Technical Education Center) program.
Although the entire event lasted thee-hours, no one seemed to mind – as most were totally engrossed by the wealth of fact-based information packed and delivered by three guest speakers.
Living up to his introduction that featured a host of academic accomplishments, Dr. Eric Williams took the audience on an extensive historical ride through his presentation “Health and the Black Church.” His engaging talk proved him as a well-versed authority in his field. His stated intent to “provoke thought” mentioned early in his talk, was clearly successful as he expertly weaved through such issues as, what he termed, “cultural suspicions of Black folk” – which was most prevalent during the pandemic and the vaccination hesitancy thereof.
Using profound quotes from historic activists as Vincent Harding, the iconic James Baldwin and various biblical passages grouped with graphic images on video slides, Williams described in great detail the “medical violence and racial terror” that paved the often dreadful path for Blacks during the insidious years of slavery in America (early 1600s) through the Jim Crow era (late 1800s – mid 1960s).
‘“History is not the past it is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history. If we pretend otherwise we are literally criminals.”’ Williams said quoting the bold truth of James Baldwin.
Audience members looked on in dismay as certain slides, like one entitled “Science and Philosophy” by comparative anatomy analyst George Cuvier, (circa 1831) featured strangely misleading facts supporting the superiority of the White race. Cuvier’s assessment, based on “shady” anatomical reasoning, starkly sited European White features as having a “beautiful oval face, straight hair and being of courageous character, etc, as being superior to Blacks with thick lips, wooly hair and being monkey-like.
Williams’ provocative presentation on the ills of slavery and racism was as startling as it was informative and unfortunately continues to be “one of the most gruesome tales told in the history of the modern world,” as he so aptly put it
As a hospice chaplain Rev. Michael Palmer delivered a strong and structured Christian-based message on developing pastoral care teams in the Black church. Banking on the premise that most well-adjusted people of faith are equipped to console others on some basic level he said, “Pastoral care is a shared experience… everyone is qualified – gifted to serve in the pastoral care ministry.”
Throughout his in-depth point by point lecture Rev. Palmer clearly laid out a number of structured concepts and personal strategies he’s used during his years of effective counseling.
Among the techniques mentioned he particularly emphasized the importance of deep focused listening to clients stories without “turning their story into your story” as is often the case with some individuals intending to help. To that he stressed the need to train and prepare not only ministers and deacons but any laypeople seriously interested in the process of pastoral care.
Dr. N.L. Bishop closed the series of informative lectures telling the amazing story of his rise from being a young man, plagued with indecision to becoming a college president and more. He led his talk with the scripture, “To whom much is given, much is required” (Luke 12:48) and proceeded to expound on the many experiences, relationships and opportunities, (considered as blessings by him) that have led to his ascension through the ranks of an extraordinary career as a healthcare administrator.
N.L., as he is most affectionately known, recently retired as senior vice president and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Carilion Clinic where he will always be revered as “the great connector” of people and institutions.
His story began in Christiansburg, where he was a product of segregated schools in his hometown. He later became the first African American member of the Christiansburg Police Department in 1975. His father died when he was 15 but it was a beloved mentor and pastor who was somewhat of a father figure to him that encouraged him to aim higher. He returned to college (New River Community College) with his sites on healthcare, graduated and later became the executive director of Carilion’s Burrell Nursing Center, formerly Burrell Memorial Hospital, in 2002 which began his career with Carilion.
Bishop has spent most of his life as a high-level administrator with Carilion moving through the ranks from vice president of Roanoke Community Hospital (2002 – 2009) to president of Jefferson College of Health Sciences (2010 – 2020). Finally, he served as senior vice president and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Carilion in 2021 until his recent retirement August 2024.
Bishop briefly spoke on the Carilion, Virginia Tech and Radford University collaboration and how they partnered to better serve the area.
“Instead of competing we decided that we could better serve the entire region by bringing our resources together as Radford University Carilion where we could more effectively and efficiently deliver nursing and allied health science education,” he said.
Additionally Bishop expounded on the shared focus of large healthcare organizations connecting with the educational system with efforts to reach young people regarding the variety of healthcare career opportunities – a vision from which the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech was born and sit majestically on the sprawling Carilion Medical Center campus in downtown.
This most comprehensive lecture series closed leaving all in attendance perfectly dazed by the flood of inspiring information. Kudos to the organizers, speakers and all who participated!
