The history And Recognition of healthed connect

 

Our History

 

HealthEd Connect was incorporated on May 19, 2009 in the State of Missouri. The organization itself has few past activities but has a rich heritage of people and organizations that preceded its formal organization.

Sherri Kirkpatrick began her work with community health workers (CHW) in Haiti in 1982, followed soon after by programs in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Those early programs eventually disbanded due to a variety of reasons including civil wars, church politics, deaths of health workers, lack of leadership, etc. By one measure, however, all of the programs are considered successful and sustainable in that education given to women never dies but is rather passed on to subsequent generations.

CHW programs were established in Africa in 1992 and in Nepal and India 10 years later. Each program took on a unique personality to meet the specific needs of its community. The healthworkers in Malawi, for instance, monitor nearly 30,000 babies annually while those in Nepal bring health care to remote villages in the Himalayas and those in Congo serve as Traditional Birth Attendants and focus on safe delivery of several hundred babies each year.

In 2000, Graceland University officially embraced the long-standing Community Health Worker programs and established the International Health Center (IHC) with Sherri as the director.

Opportunity has now arisen to take these programs to the next level and to enlarge the focus to include programs targeting orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s) in Africa. With the encouragement of Graceland University President, John Sellars, Sherri Kirkpatrick (Executive Director) and her husband Jac Kirkpatrick (Financial Officer) incorporated the existing programs under a new NGO, HealthEd Connect. HealthEd Connect remains affiliated with Graceland but has applied for its own separate 501(c)3 for fund raising and administrative purposes.

 

Our Recognition

 

The stories of our community health worker heroines have received recognition in a number of venues such as those listed below.

Graceland University Distinguished Service Award - Jac and Sherri were recognized with Graceland’s highest alumni honor in 2009 for, among other things, their establishment of HealthEd Connect, Sherri’s initiation of Community Health Worker programs and Jac’s involvement in the creation of WorldService Corps, a church related program developed to create bridges between cultures. The citation for the award noted it was given to them for “a contribution which has honored the purposes and ideals of their alma mater.”

United Nations World Citizen of the Year - The United Nations Kansas City chapter honored Sherri in 2005 for her work in developing countries. She accepted the award on behalf of her heroes – the community health workers who serve without recognition or pay for their selfless service.

World of Children – The World of Children recognized Sherri in 2002 for her work with children. Sponsored by Kellogg and Cardinal Health Care, World of Children has been referred to as the “Nobel Prize® for Children.” It was created to recognize and elevate individuals who make a difference in the lives of children here in the USA and across the globe, regardless of political, religious, or geographical boundaries.

American Academy of Nursing – Sherri was inducted into the prestigious American Academy of Nursing in 2002. Her work in participatory research with community health workers was noted as a major area of achievement.

University of Kansas Outstanding Alumni Award – Honored by her alma mater, the University of Kansas, Sherri received the Outstanding Alumni Award for the applied research programs she initiated in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Malawi, Zambia, and Zaire. Based on her original doctoral research in the health beliefs of Haitian mothers, she further developed and applied her research through the establishment of community health worker programs in other countries.

HealthEd Connect on the Cover of the Fall 2009 issue of Graceland University's Horizons magazine.

International Youth Service Award - Jac and Sherri were honored at the Community of Christ World Conference April 9, 2010 with the International Youth Service Award. Among the contributions noted were their services to children and youth through the HealthEd Connect programs, assisting with initiation of World Service Corps, and the organization of international youth events in Bangkok and Hong Kong.