Adventist Midwest Health (AMH) facilities co-sponsor health fairs in various cross-cultural settings to meet the healthcare needs of all people. In May 2005, more than 2,000 members of a Hindu temple participated in a health screening, the second one there, which was co-sponsored by Adventist GlenOaks Hospital.

Adventist GlenOaks Hospital partnered with the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) in Bartlett, Illinois, to provide a health fair and Teddy Bear Clinic. More than 450 children had the opportunity to meet emergency medical services providers, tour an ambulance, and discuss emergency room procedures with staff.

“The Teddy Bear Clinic is a great way to diffuse a fear of hospitals in children,” explains Tina Johnson, Adventist GlenOaks Hospital Marketing site manager. “Many physicians on the Medical Staff of Adventist GlenOaks, and other Indian-Asian physicians in the Chicago area, donated their time, and based on screening results from free Cholestec tests were able to triage and treat patients at the health fair or suggest specialty treatment for diabetes, heart problems, or high cholesterol," notes Johnson. “Certified nurse midwives were on hand to offer women instruction on proper self-breast exams.”

According to Brinsley Lewis, Adventist GlenOaks Hospital CEO, “This endeavor, which was well attended, illustrates our mission as a faith-based organization to work with people of all faiths in extending healthcare ministry.”

"During a recent Mission Peer Review, the surveyors were very pleased with the community outreach of this large non-Christian faith group in helping meet our mission of extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ," noted Jonathan Leach, Adventist Midwest Health Ministries and Mission regional director.

Walter Wright, Lake Union Conference president and Adventist Health System board chairman, noted the fine detail and breathtaking artistry of the handcrafted marble and limestone of the temple amazed him. The Mandir features 15 domes, 108 carved columns, and unique designs in the ceiling carved by many stonecutters. The BAPS temple and cultural center sits on 30 acres in Bartlett, Illinois, a far northwestern suburb of Chicago.

Although the temple has become an architectural site of notoriety, the Hindu Mandir is not a monument or museum, but an active place of worship for the Hindu community. It is made of 7,000 tons of Italian Carrara marble and Turkish limestone that were hand-carved in India, shipped to the United States, and reassembled in Bartlett.

“The architecture of the temple is inspirational,” noted Leach. “It was built without steel with interlocking stones that fit together like a very intricate jigsaw puzzle."

Wright said he felt totally accepted and welcomed there, and noted the guide said the temple was a place “for a person of any faith to meditate.”

According to Leach, “Through our interaction with BAPS, we have found the members of the community very open to the spiritual dimension. This has given us opportunities to share our perspective, as well as to listen to understand their religion. We are thankful, [with] all the faith-based hospitals that surround the BAPS temple, that they have chosen us to partner with them for their wellness needs.”

As a result of its successful partnership with Adventist GlenOaks, BAPS has pledged a $10,000 grant to the hospital to fund a yearlong diabetes awareness and care program. BAPS volunteers participated in 10K walks across North America to raise funds used in community outreach programs in the areas of health, education, environment, and family care.

“BAPS selected Adventist GlenOaks Hospital to receive this gift because we share the passion they have of providing free healthcare and education to the less fortunate in our community,” noted Brinsley Lewis, Adventist GlenOaks Hospital CEO. “This gift will enable us to sponsor community screenings for diabetes and offer free nutritional counseling, especially to women experiencing gestational diabetes.”

Delora Hagen, Adventist GlenOaks Hospital chaplain, says, “We are here to develop relationships with the community, and if we don’t understand each different culture it is so much more difficult to relate in a way that is understood.

“For example, some cultures believe hot tea, rather than ice chips, should be given to a woman in labor. We need to meet these needs so they understand we are here to provide wellness for them." Through our care and compassion, we hope they catch a glimpse that we offer a way to healing in body, mind, and spirit.

Hagen relates, “When Gottfried Oosterwal, a medical anthropologist, presented on Cross-Cultural Caring at Adventist GlenOaks Hospital last year, he said, ‘We should treat other people the same by treating them the way they want to be treated in their culture.’ By our willingness to understand the way a patient wants things to be, we have experienced new energy among the staff at the hospital.”

Lynn Larson is writer/media liaison for Adventist Midwest Health.