Greetings FCNI Members and Friends,

We are now nearing the end of July, which makes me realize that summer is soon half way over! For many people, this is a time of relaxing, vacations and enjoying the sun and warm weather. As nurses, we know that illness and caring for people do not take a vacation during the summer. Respiratory illnesses such as COVID‑19 continue to be prevalent during the summer and can have serious negative health outcomes, especially for people who are 50 years and older. FCNI recognizes that it can be difficult for faith community nurses (FCNs) to find ongoing, accurate, up‑to‑date information about COVID‑19 that you can share with your congregations and communities. In our commitment to provide evidence‑based resources to FCNs, we recognize the importance of developing relationships with other health care organizations that also value the health and welfare of individuals and our communities. These relationships help us to share additional resources with you, which will ultimately lead to greater positive health outcomes for your congregants.

FCNI has recently become connected with McUlsky HealthForce (“MHF”), which is an American‑based company that helps organizations foster relationships with one another. Through McUlsky, FCNI has become a member of Champions for Vaccine Education, Equity and Progress (CVEEP). We are proud to be aligned with CVEEP as they strive to provide health education and promotion to our communities. CVEEP is committed to providing resources and raising awareness about the continued need for vaccination against infectious respiratory illnesses across the lifespan and the importance of treatments for those who are eligible. CVEEP also aims to engage diverse groups that have been most harmed by the pandemic. There are several nationally recognized health organizations that have also partnered with them.

CVEEP has initiated a summer educational campaign named the “Stay Updated Campaign,” which will run through August 31, 2025. This is based on the critical need for outreach to communities to increase understanding of the importance of receiving updated COVID‑19 vaccines. The CVEEP education campaign will focus on the fact that COVID‑19 and other respiratory illnesses can happen year‑round, and how important it is to get vaccinated—especially amongst vulnerable populations. Through this partnership, FCNI has committed to participate in this educational campaign, with a resulting grant given to FCNI at the conclusion of the campaign.

• CVEEP has developed the campaign resources into a toolkit, with the suggested language, social media posts, graphics, and more for FCNI to use in outreach to their audiences. The toolkit is able to be shared by FCNI to FCNs and other nurses. The ready‑to‑use resources in the toolkit help nurses to communicate the importance of COVID‑19 and other vaccines and may be used and reproduced as needed without further permission (including in‑person training, faith community newsletters, bulletins, education bulletin boards, church websites and additional social media platforms and/or pulpit announcements). FCNI will also be promoting this campaign on our Facebook page and LinkedIn, disseminating the information with other faith community nursing networks, and offering a webinar for our members and contacts, which will include follow‑up. Please see the registration information for the webinar below this President’s Message.

At the conclusion of the campaign, FCNI will request that anyone who shared the information or used it in their congregations or faith communities to report back on key metrics such as where materials were shared, channels of outreach, engagement numbers on social media, or additional examples which may include the following:

• Social media hits (Facebook and LinkedIn)
• How many FCNs shared the information
• Number of nurses and students who received the communications
• Number of community members who were educated
• Number of flyers printed/disseminated, posters posted, newsletters or other written materials
• In‑person education attendance

These submitted metrics will provide vital information to CVEEP about the efficacy of the campaign. It will also enhance our profession as faith community nurses and help FCNI have a better understanding of the potential need for future vaccine education.

By sharing this important information with your congregations and communities, you can highlight how vaccination can be a simple and effective way to make sure summer stays healthy and filled with sunshine and connection.

Vaccine Toolkit Links: (Please use these links to access the Stay Updated Campaign resources:

• Stay Updated Campaign Landing Page
• Stay Updated Campaign Landing Page (ES)
• Posters
• Posters (ES)
• How Vaccines Keep You Healthy
• Cómo te ayudan las vacunas a mantenerte saludable
• How Vaccines Reduce Costs
• Cómo las vacunas disminuyen los costos
• Protect Your Summer Plans
• Protege tus planes de verano
• Protect From COVID‑19 Year Round
• El COVID‑19 es una amenaza durante todo el año

Here are some exciting opportunities coming up: Save the Date

• Check for the upcoming webinars through 2025
• FCNI Annual Conference October 18, 2025 – see information below

Thank you for all you do in caring for the people in your communities! I look forward to the remainder of this year as FCNI continues to grow and flourish under the talents and expertise of all of its members.

NEW BENEFIT FOR FCNI MEMBERS!

Discounted subscription to the Journal of Christian Nursing through Lippincott using code WMK028AA.

• Go to journalofchristiannursing.com and click on “Subscribe to Journal.
• Enter promo code WMK028AA in the shopping cart.
• This code takes a 1 year print + online subscription from $90 to $72.

This benefit is graciously made possible by Dr. Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner, Editor-in-Chief of JCN