Bishop J.W. Macklin & Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Jr. Co-Host Interfaith Advanced Care Session

Over 60 religious leaders and faith-based organizations convened in Northern California to address better care for advanced illness and to launch the Alameda County Caring Alliance in Oakland California on November 12, 2013.

The Alameda County Caring Alliance (ACCA) kicked off its half day agenda with breakout sessions and facilitated discussion to grow the capacity of each participant. The meeting also marked National Family Caregiving Month.

Held at the Allen Temple Baptist Church, the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC), along with local clergy, stakeholders, and health providers convened one of the first interfaith gatherings to close the partnership gap between the faith and healthcare sectors.

C-TAC is a national alliance of 100+ health systems, consumer advocacy organizations, faith-based organizations and others.

Glad Tidings COGIC Senior Pastor, Bishop J.W. Macklin, enthusiastically embraced the gathering, while also sharing his personal experience with advanced care decisions. “When we come to the table with mutual appreciation for each other, we can learn a great deal from each other. We’re going to build on this, and see some tangible results come out of our collaborative work.”

The diversity of Northern California was represented by a broad spectrum of faith leaders, and stakeholders including Pastor Gregory Payton (Baptist Ministers Union), Pastor Raymond Lankford (Healthy Oakland), Carl Chan (Asian Health Services), senior leaders of Kaiser Hospital, Alameda Health Care Alliance, and many others.

“Every congregation is challenged with finding care for families dealing with advanced illness. This cuts across all ethnic and class lines,” said Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Jr., Senior Pastor, Allen Temple Baptist Church.

Following break-out sessions addressing the barriers, opportunities and current efforts within the faith community to provide support to caregivers, participants reached a consensus to commit themselves to building a movement to transform advanced care through ACCA.

“This is truly a Kairos moment for the health care system,” said Brad Stuart, ACI Strategies.

For more details on the Alameda County Caring Alliance, or to get involved, contact Minister Cynthia Carter-Hill at ccarter-hill@allen-temple.org.