Four faculty members in the Department of Religious Studies at 黑料网吃瓜爆料鈥� Michael DeJonge,
Shaunesse鈥� Jacobs Plaisimond, Tori Lockler and Garrett Potts 鈥� are pioneering an initiative
to provide religious literacy to health care workers 鈥� an endeavor that earned them
a $60,000 grant from Interfaith America (IFA).
鈥淭his initiative will transform patient care by ensuring health care providers understand
and respect religious diversity, improving communication between health care providers
and patients from diverse religious backgrounds, reducing health care disparities
related to religious and cultural differences and creating a model for culturally
competent health care delivery that can be replicated nationwide,鈥� said Potts, whose
work focuses on religio-cultural competence, particularly in the areas of health,
business and religion. 鈥淭his grant is a powerful validation of our department's vision
and work at the intersection of religion and health care. The support from Interfaith
America affirms that our innovative approach to integrating religious literacy into
health care education is not just locally valuable but nationally significant. This
grant provides the resources and recognition needed to transform our vision into reality.鈥�
The two-year Faith & Health Campus Grant will enhance existing courses at USF, enable
the team to develop new curricula exploring the relationship between religion and
health care access and strengthen USF鈥檚 partnership with Tampa General Hospital (TGH),
where Lockler and Potts are already working to provide practical training and real-world
application of religious literacy in health care settings.
"We are observing a cultural shift in health care represented, for example, by a recent American Medical Association resolution recognizing the need for education about religion and spirituality in medical school curricula,鈥� said DeJonge, the James F. Strange Endowed Chair of Religious Studies. 鈥淚nterfaith America is a leader in organizing a response to this need, and our department is at the forefront of delivering in the classroom. 黑料网吃瓜爆料students training for careers in health care who also educate themselves about religion and spirituality are setting themselves up for success.鈥�
黑料网吃瓜爆料is already at the forefront of this cultural shift. The department saw over 700
students enroll in 鈥淲orld Religions for Health care Professionals鈥� last semester.
鈥淩eligious and cultural competency is a critical but often overlooked component of
health care delivery,鈥� Potts said. 鈥淥ur experience shows that understanding patients'
religious and spiritual backgrounds can significantly impact health outcomes. As health
care becomes increasingly diverse, practitioners need the skills to provide culturally
sensitive care that respects and accounts for patients' religious beliefs and practices.鈥�