May 9, 2024 at 4:00:00 AM

The Gullah Church Nurses Assoc. Inc. (GCNA) was established in 1993 by Lt. Commander, Betty J. Haskins, founder and president, along with Ms. Zezalee Smalls, RN, Arabelle Fripp, and Janette Fields, Capt. Shirley Browne USN joined and impacted the organization with direction and development. Gardenia S. White joined and became an effectual leader as president. The organization shared and formulated a course of action regarding health inequities in the local rural community. The GCNA was incorporated as a non-profit, faith based health ministry in the State of S.C. in 1994. Their aim would be the grassroots implementation of health education to encourage optimal and healthy living in communities of the Lowcountry of S.C.

These high-qualified nurses, with years of combined experience across the many spectrums of nursing, volunteered to become health advocates and committed themselves to health ministry in their local churches. Thy had witnessed first hand the profound impact AIDS/HIV had in their rural community. The lack of health education was clearly evident regarding diabetes, hypertension, and the devastation of such conditions contributing to kidney disease and amputations.

The GCNA implemented educational seminars on diabetes along with blood pressure screenings at local churches. Breast care, examinations with mammogram information along with breast models were set-up at local beauty shops. The Sea Island Project Sugar, under the direction of Dr. Ida Spruill affiliate at MUSC in Charleston, requested the nurses support in collecting health data regarding diabetes among a very different genetic pool of African Americans. Community health fairs and workshops are utilized as a very beneficial platform to provide health education, demonstrations of self exams, tests, and face-to-face question and answer sessions. Partnerships with local medical health clinics, hospitals, and other organizations helped to accomplish the framework in facilitating and contributing to a more healthy community.