March 26, 2026 • 6 mins
How is Temple Health showing up in your neighborhood? I’m Loraine Ballard Morrill with Care that Connects—bringing you stories that uplift, inform, and inspire you to take control of your health and connect to care where you live.
In this episode, we talk with Lakisha Sturgis, Director of Community Care Management at Temple Health, and Reverend Leroy Miles of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church about how faith-based organizations are helping bring healthcare directly into the community. Together, they share how trusted spaces like churches are breaking down barriers, building trust, and improving access to care.
Connect with Temple Health: Visit templehealth.org/events for free screenings and health fairs, and follow @TempleHealth on social media for updates on mobile health services. Many programs welcome walk-ups—no insurance or pre-registration required.
Together, we’re building healthier communities—one neighbor at a time.
In this episode, we talk with Lakisha Sturgis, Director of Community Care Management at Temple Health, and Reverend Leroy Miles of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church about how faith-based organizations are helping bring healthcare directly into the community. Together, they share how trusted spaces like churches are breaking down barriers, building trust, and improving access to care.
Connect with Temple Health: Visit templehealth.org/events for free screenings and health fairs, and follow @TempleHealth on social media for updates on mobile health services. Many programs welcome walk-ups—no insurance or pre-registration required.
Together, we’re building healthier communities—one neighbor at a time.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
How is Temple Health showing up in your neighborhood. I'm
Lorraine Baller tomorrow, join me for stories and uplift, in
form and inspire you to take control of your health
and connect to care right where you live. And I'm
delighted to welcome Lakeisha Sturgis, director of Community Care Management
at Temple Health, and the Reverend Leroy Miles from Enon
Tabernacle Baptist Church. So talk about how trusted faith based
(00:23):
organizations can be powerful partners in health. They'll both be
talking about how working together people can make healthcare more accessible,
personal and rooted in trust and building stronger communities. So
let's start with a big picture. Why do trusted community
spaces like churches and other faith based organizations play such
a powerful role in supporting community health.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Faith based organizations are important to us as a health system.
At Temple Health, they play a powerful role because we
want to ensure that we are collaborating not only to
focus onhen at base based organizations focused on spiritual health,
Temple Health, we're focused on the physical health. We're going
to bring that together and focus on the whole person.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Okay, Reverend Miles, what do you have to say about that.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
I think it's so important for Temple Health and faith
based organizations to work together because it's a force multiplier.
The hospitals do what they do, and we of course
do what we do, but when we double down on
the message and the importance of caring for yourself, not
just spiritually but physically, it improves outcomes.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Reverend Miles tell us more about the partnership between Temple
Health and Eenon Tabernacle Baptist Church. What kinds of support
of programs have made the biggest difference.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
The collaborations between Enon and Temple Health have been impactful
over a number of years, providing screenings, health screenings, metabolic screenings,
a routine screenings if you will, so cholesterol glue close,
blood pressure BMI are so so so important because it's
an indicator of what could be possibly happening in your body.
But then there's some others screenings that we've been able
(02:01):
to have offered to us from Temple and that again
has improved outcomes. It's been a wonderful collaboration and there
are many persons whose lives have been improved as a
result of Lekeisha.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
How has your teams work with enon, grown and changed.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
So as mentioned over the last few years, I employ
community health workers, which are credible messengers. So when we
participate in events held at tapern Apple Baptist Church, we
are able to leverage those relationships that our community health
workers have with the community in order to encourage them
to adhere to recommendations.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
And what would you say, and this is for both
of you, to someone who's listening today who's ready to
take a step towards better health, what would be your
bit of advice, Reverend, if I had.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
To offer any advice, I would say, own your health,
take advantage of the resources that are available to you.
In this climate, with all that's going on, it's going
to be so so so important that when they're events
like the ones that we had offer at the church
come there's no cost, but you get a wealth of
information as well as potential for follow up care.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
And I would say, you are your best advocate. You
know your body. Make sure that you are seeing your
provider at least once a year, taken advantage of the
resources in your community and ensuring that you are taking
advantage and taking care of yourself. Self care is the
best care.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I love that and Reverend Miles. I want to throw
in one more question, and that is in a previous
interview with Lekesha, she mentioned an incident where at a healthfare,
a person came in and was told they needed to
get to the hospital right away because their blood pressure
was skyrocketing and it was determined that he was having
a heart attack. So essentially, going to this event this
(03:51):
healthfare saved this person's life. And I wonder if you
can also speak on what you've experienced, what you've seen
about the impact of this connection, this partnership with Temple Health,
and how you've seen it in action.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Yes, several of our events, we've had persons who have
shown up and we don't even know how to got there.
But once it's been determined just how sick they are, yes,
we've had to have emergency services come and get them
or get them into treatment right away. And it happens
at every event that I think that's both good. I
guess it's a blessing, but it's also hurtful to know
(04:28):
that this is going on. But yes, lives are being
saved real time, and so it encourages us to just
continue the work regardless of what support looks like, but
to continue to endeavor to provide support and just realize
the number of families that are being positively impacted because
their loved ones are being cared for.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Well, that's what Temple Health does. It meets people where
they are and certainly churches are trusted entity in our
community and to be able to partner with Nan and
Temple Health is such a powerful, full partnership because people
feel comfortable coming to events that are endorsed by such
an organization as Eenon Tabernacle Baptist Church. So kudos for
(05:10):
all the great work that you do there. And Enon
has been a leader throughout these decades. I've seen how
you've stepped up when it came to getting people COVID shots,
when it was recognized that HIV was a problem and
needed people needed to get tested, breast cancer, all those things.
Knowing your numbers, Eenon has been a true leader in
(05:31):
terms of providing access to healthcare, and Temple Health has
certainly been an excellent partner. I want to thank you
both so much for joining us. Lakeisha Sturgis, director of
Community Care Management at Temple Health, and the Reverend Leroy
Miles from Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Both want to connect with Temple Health in your community,
Visit templehealth dot org, slash events to find free screenings, healthfares,
and more. Follow Temple Health on social media at Temple
Health to see where our mobile teams will be next,
and remember many of the programs welcome walk ups with
no insurance or pre registration needed. Together, we're building healthier communities,
(06:10):
one neighbor at a time. I am Lorraine Ballad tomorrow
How is Temple Health showing up in your neighborhood. I'm
Lorraine Baller tomorrow, join me for stories and uplift, in
form and inspire you to take control of your health
and connect to care right where you live. And I'm
delighted to welcome Lakeisha Sturgis, director of Community Care Management
at Temple Health, and the Reverend Leroy Miles from Enon
Tabernacle Baptist Church. So talk about how trusted faith based
(00:23):
organizations can be powerful partners in health. They'll both be
talking about how working together people can make healthcare more accessible,
personal and rooted in trust and building stronger communities. So
let's start with a big picture. Why do trusted community
spaces like churches and other faith based organizations play such
a powerful role in supporting community health.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Faith based organizations are important to us as a health system.
At Temple Health, they play a powerful role because we
want to ensure that we are collaborating not only to
focus onhen at base based organizations focused on spiritual health,
Temple Health, we're focused on the physical health. We're going
to bring that together and focus on the whole person.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Okay, Reverend Miles, what do you have to say about that.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
I think it's so important for Temple Health and faith
based organizations to work together because it's a force multiplier.
The hospitals do what they do, and we of course
do what we do, but when we double down on
the message and the importance of caring for yourself, not
just spiritually but physically, it improves outcomes.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Reverend Miles tell us more about the partnership between Temple
Health and Eenon Tabernacle Baptist Church. What kinds of support
of programs have made the biggest difference.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
The collaborations between Enon and Temple Health have been impactful
over a number of years, providing screenings, health screenings, metabolic screenings,
a routine screenings if you will, so cholesterol glue close,
blood pressure BMI are so so so important because it's
an indicator of what could be possibly happening in your body.
But then there's some others screenings that we've been able
(02:01):
to have offered to us from Temple and that again
has improved outcomes. It's been a wonderful collaboration and there
are many persons whose lives have been improved as a
result of Lekeisha.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
How has your teams work with enon, grown and changed.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
So as mentioned over the last few years, I employ
community health workers, which are credible messengers. So when we
participate in events held at tapern Apple Baptist Church, we
are able to leverage those relationships that our community health
workers have with the community in order to encourage them
to adhere to recommendations.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
And what would you say, and this is for both
of you, to someone who's listening today who's ready to
take a step towards better health, what would be your
bit of advice, Reverend, if I had.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
To offer any advice, I would say, own your health,
take advantage of the resources that are available to you.
In this climate, with all that's going on, it's going
to be so so so important that when they're events
like the ones that we had offer at the church
come there's no cost, but you get a wealth of
information as well as potential for follow up care.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
And I would say, you are your best advocate. You
know your body. Make sure that you are seeing your
provider at least once a year, taken advantage of the
resources in your community and ensuring that you are taking
advantage and taking care of yourself. Self care is the
best care.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I love that and Reverend Miles. I want to throw
in one more question, and that is in a previous
interview with Lekesha, she mentioned an incident where at a healthfare,
a person came in and was told they needed to
get to the hospital right away because their blood pressure
was skyrocketing and it was determined that he was having
a heart attack. So essentially, going to this event this
(03:51):
healthfare saved this person's life. And I wonder if you
can also speak on what you've experienced, what you've seen
about the impact of this connection, this partnership with Temple Health,
and how you've seen it in action.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Yes, several of our events, we've had persons who have
shown up and we don't even know how to got there.
But once it's been determined just how sick they are, yes,
we've had to have emergency services come and get them
or get them into treatment right away. And it happens
at every event that I think that's both good. I
guess it's a blessing, but it's also hurtful to know
(04:28):
that this is going on. But yes, lives are being
saved real time, and so it encourages us to just
continue the work regardless of what support looks like, but
to continue to endeavor to provide support and just realize
the number of families that are being positively impacted because
their loved ones are being cared for.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Well, that's what Temple Health does. It meets people where
they are and certainly churches are trusted entity in our
community and to be able to partner with Nan and
Temple Health is such a powerful, full partnership because people
feel comfortable coming to events that are endorsed by such
an organization as Eenon Tabernacle Baptist Church. So kudos for
(05:10):
all the great work that you do there. And Enon
has been a leader throughout these decades. I've seen how
you've stepped up when it came to getting people COVID shots,
when it was recognized that HIV was a problem and
needed people needed to get tested, breast cancer, all those things.
Knowing your numbers, Eenon has been a true leader in
(05:31):
terms of providing access to healthcare, and Temple Health has
certainly been an excellent partner. I want to thank you
both so much for joining us. Lakeisha Sturgis, director of
Community Care Management at Temple Health, and the Reverend Leroy
Miles from Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Both want to connect with Temple Health in your community,
Visit templehealth dot org, slash events to find free screenings, healthfares,
and more. Follow Temple Health on social media at Temple
Health to see where our mobile teams will be next,
and remember many of the programs welcome walk ups with
no insurance or pre registration needed. Together, we're building healthier communities,
(06:10):
one neighbor at a time. I am Lorraine Ballad tomorrow
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