Kay Lapczenski

Named the Catherine A. Lapczenski Memorial Scholarship Fund, the award memorializes the board chair who was devoted to the ministry until her death in June 2008.

The scholarship fund, beginning in early 2009, will support a pair of Faith Community Nurses (Parish Nurses) who are selected from among those who apply to attend the Congregational Nurse Project’s Basic Parish Nurse Education course.

Health Ministries was founded to provide a link between Mercy Hospital of Tiffin and local congregations to serve all God’s people in a holistic manner. The ministry seeks to continue the healing mission of Jesus by serving the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of the members of the surrounding churches and congregations through a Health Ministry or Parish Nurse Program.

Health Ministries of North Central Ohio is sponsored by Volunteers of America/Autumnwood Care Center (of Tiffin), the Mercy Tiffin Health Foundation and Mercy Hospital of Tiffin. Currently, it includes 25 parishes and/or congregations in various stages of program development. The faith community nurse or health minister has many roles including that as an integrator of faith, health educator, personal health counselor, referral agent or liaison for congregational and community resources, facilitator of volunteers, developer of support groups and health advocate.

“Kay was very devoted to parish nursing and instrumental in involving Volunteers of America as a major sponsor of the program,” says Sharon Holman, Health Ministries coordinator.

“Our Health Ministries Advisory Board members felt compelled to honor Kay for all of her many contributions to health ministries,” says Bernie Steinmetz, a member of the advisory board. “She was an extremely caring person who always thought of others’ needs first. Through this scholarship fund, aspiring faith community nurses will be able to continue the mission for which Kay so strongly believed.”