By Peggy O'Farrell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Church always has been a place to mend the soul. Ella Holiday and thousands of others are learning that church can help them keep their hearts healthy as well.

"What I've learned is that I've got to take care of my condition and I can't be as liberal with myself as I have been because of my age," Mrs. Holiday, 80, says. She attends Our Savior Catholic Church in Covington, and survived a stroke three years ago.

The American Heart Association has educated African-American churchgoers on the dangers of heart disease, hypertension and stroke through the "Search Your Heart" program for several years. Now the organization is planning to expand the program into the Hispanic community.

"We have research studies that have shown for the last 15 years that church is a place to reach, in particular, those ethnic groups that are at greater risk of dying from heart disease," says Candace Alexander, director of field health initiatives for the heart association's Ohio Valley affiliate. Hispanics and African-Americans are at the top of the list for heart disease death.

Through the program, churches sponsor health fairs so members of the congregation can get health screenings and information about heart disease and its risk factors. Volunteer nurses within the congregation might provide blood pressure checks for members, and speakers present educational programs on health issues. A pastor might dedicate a sermon to the importance of good health management.

Many people are more receptive to health messages from their pastor than from their physician, says the Rev. Michael Harris, pastor of Emmanuel New Mount Zion Christian Center in College Hill, a "Search Your Heart" church.

"Especially in the African-American community, there's such a level of trust and security in the pulpit," he says. "It's not a scare tactic kind of thing. When people have trust in their leadership, they have trust in the message."

Many of the churches in the "Search Your Heart" program have volunteer members who, as registered nurses, counsel church members on heart health issues.

Katherine Simpson, a cardiac care nurse at Mercy Western Hills, has been the parish nurse at Our Savior in Covington for about 10 years. She routinely talks to parishioners about diet and exercise and the importance of keeping diabetes and high blood pressure under control.

Ms. Simpson was on hand when fellow parishioner Mrs. Holiday suffered a stroke during services one Sunday, and helped take care of her until the ambulance arrived. Ms. Simpson had counseled Mrs. Holiday about taking care of her high blood pressure.

Mrs. Holiday, who works at a day-care center in Covington, says she felt fine that morning while she was getting ready for church.

"We stood to say the Lord's Prayer and I began to feel funny, like woozy," she says. Then she collapsed.

Though she was strong enough to try to argue the paramedics out of taking her to the hospital, it didn't work. A doctor in the emergency room at St. Elizabeth Medical Center told her she'd suffered a stroke.

Her left leg and foot were partially paralyzed, but physical therapy and sheer determination took care of that. "I'm doing great now," Mrs. Holiday says.

Ms. Simpson thinks church is the perfect place for lessons in wellness.

"First of all, they're familiar with the surroundings and they're familiar with the person giving the information and they're more likely to take the information in more clearly than if they're in the doctor's office," Ms. Simpson says. "A lot of times, the caregiver is not culturally in tune with the patient. Here, you have people who already know you. You're part of their culture. You're part of their neighborhood."

When the Rev. Mr. Harris preaches about health and healing, he draws from the Bible, noting that Jesus was credited with healing the sick.

"Right now there are people who are suffering. In the Scriptures, it always tells how they brought people to Jesus who had health issues. They were blind. They were lame. They had leprosy," he says. "Two thousand years later, people see the reality. It's not just some biblical story from past times. It's applicable today."

He points out that the first hospitals were founded by churches and staffed by priests and nuns. "The church and science were two towers of healing. Over the years, they've gotten separated, but we've brought it back."

Emmanuel New Mount Zion long is an advocate for its members' health needs. The church provides education on HIV and AIDS prevention and counsels members on alcohol and drug addiction.

Heart disease was a natural fit, considering how vulnerable African-Americans are to it and its risk factors, including hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, says Mamie Harris, the Rev. Mr. Harris's wife and coordinator of the "Search Your Heart" program at the church.

"In the African-American community, we believe that if you're not stuck in bed, you're not sick," Mrs. Harris says. "We want to deal with things before they get that bad."

To learn more about "Search Your Heart, call the American Heart Association at 281-4048.

E-mail pofarrell@enquirer.com

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