By By Connie Nowlin Managing editor
Atmore Community Hospital is observing Christian Emphasis Week today through Friday.
It will be marked by several observances, events and a short devotional every day.
It is in large part for members of the staff at the hospital, but members of the community are welcome to join in the devotionals, and especially the Wednesday observance, a prayer around the flagpole at 10 a.m. on the hospital campus.
The week was inaugurated to emphasize the Christian awareness of the employees, said Laurie Wallace chair of the Faith in Action committee.
"We look out for not only their physical well-being, but their spiritual well-being as well," Wallace said.
"We're promoting spiritual wellness."
The commitment of the employees to show their belief in the spiritual aspect of their lives as caregivers is known as faith in action.
Part of that action is a food drive to benefit Atmore Area Christian Care Ministry, an interdenominational food bank that serves the needy.
There was a food drive earlier this year, and the event had a great response, Wallace said.
The world of medical science is becoming more attuned to the role faith plays in healing. Studies have shown that those patients who receive prayers recover more quickly than those who do not, even when the patient is unaware prayers are offered for them.
Atmore Community is affiliated with Baptist Health Care systems.
The mission of Baptist Health is to improve the health and well-being of individuals, and to promote the sanctity and preservation of life, in the communities we serve. Baptist Health is a faith-based organization guided by the spirit of Jesus Christ and the Judeo-Christian ethic. It is committed to maintaining the highest standards of clinical and service excellence, rooted in utmost integrity and moral practice.
Consistent with its spiritual foundation, Baptist Health is dedicated to providing high-quality, cost-effective, compassionate healthcare services to all, regardless of religion, creed, race or national origin, including, as permitted by its resources, charity care to those in need.
So Christian Emphasis Week goes hand in hand with the stated mission of the facility.
"Christian emphasis is a key element of our faith based organization, " said Bob Gowing, administrator for the hospital.
"The employees at Atmore Community Hospital put their faith in action every day, in the care of the patients, and in their relationships with co-workers and visitors to the hospital.
The hospital employs 200.