Gardner-Webb Students Support Community Health Through Partnership with Washington Outreach Ministry

Health Sciences Students Assist Gardner-Webb Alumna the Rev. Frances Webber with Diabetes Education Program

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—For the last six years, students from Gardner-Webb University’s College of Health Sciences have stepped beyond the classroom and into communities across Cleveland County through a partnership with Washington Outreach Ministry (WOM). While physician assistant (PA) and nursing students gain practical healthcare experience, they also help support a community-based diabetes education program taught by certified facilitators.

Dr. LaDonna Clark, director of clinical education and assistant professor in Gardner-Webb’s PA Studies Program, recruited and supervises the group of PA and nursing students who participate in WOM’s eight-week Diabetes Education Maintenance and Control (DEMAC) program. Each week, students travel to Holly Oak Park in Shelby, N.C., to perform blood pressure screenings and weight checks for participants.

According to WOM co-founder and Executive Director the Rev. Frances Webber, the joint effort highlights how organizations can achieve greater impact when they work together to address health needs. “The best description I can give is collective impact,” Webber said. “The partnership closes the gap in making DEMAC a most effective healthcare tool.”

She created the diabetes education program for WOM after seeing the need for greater health education and support in marginalized and low-income communities. “We have discovered that people will not go to get help for various reasons, but if you take the help to communities, it’s transformational,” Webber acknowledged.

As she developed the program, Webber received support from the Dover Foundation YMCA and Healthy Together Cleveland and sought guidance from a Gardner-Webb nursing faculty member. “We had conversations about what I was trying to accomplish,” Webber related. “When people don’t have food that leads to health issues. I always think about Maslow’s hierarchy. Give me what I need here, if you want me to get there. I won’t get there if I don’t have food. Food insecurity is huge in Cleveland County.”

According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Cleveland County is designated as a Tier 1 county, placing it among North Carolina’s most economically distressed counties. Through partnerships with organizations including Gardner-Webb, Cleveland Community College, Atrium Health and the Cleveland County Health Department, WOM addresses nutritional and health needs through education, outreach and direct assistance.

Webber and her husband, Lewis, founded WOM in 1995. She earned both a business administration degree and a Master of Divinity in Christian education from Gardner-Webb University. Under her leadership, the nonprofit has grown into Cleveland County’s largest emergency food pantry and serves as the Food Hub for Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina/Feeding America.

Partnering with 20 hunger relief agencies, WOM distributes food to more than 16,000 clients each month with the assistance of volunteers at 13 churches across Cleveland County. The ministry also provides monthly food assistance to low-income senior adults through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and offers additional food support through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). More than 90 families from two elementary schools receive food through WOM’s backpack ministry, while the Summer Nutrition Program serves more than 3,500 meals to youth each year.

For the College of Health Sciences, the partnership offers students an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge while serving others. “When the call came from Dean Tracy Arnold to help support this incredible program, I immediately knew it was something we had to be involved in,” Clark said. “The mission of Washington Outreach Ministry closely aligns with our commitment to serving underserved communities and improving health outcomes through education and outreach.”

Clark said students gain firsthand exposure to the social and economic factors that influence health outcomes. “Experiences like DEMAC help students better understand these realities while they are still developing their clinical and professional identities,” she said. “They learn to provide patient-centered care, communicate effectively across diverse populations and appreciate the broader factors that influence health outcomes.”

The experience extends well beyond recording blood pressure and weight measurements. “The students actually stay in class for the entire session,” Webber said. “I strongly believe that the students are fully engaged in this portion of the DEMAC class, which is very educational.”

Clark said participation in the program helps students understand challenges related to healthcare access, transportation, food security and health literacy that they are likely to encounter throughout their careers. Exposure to underserved populations is especially important in a state where many counties face shortages of healthcare professionals.

During the first five weeks of the program, Clark has witnessed meaningful connections form between students and participants. “The interactions have been overwhelmingly positive, and there has been a genuine sense of connection and trust developing between participants and the healthcare students serving alongside them,” Clark said. “Students are learning how to meet people where they are and gaining a deeper understanding of the unique challenges many individuals face when managing chronic health conditions.”

The program has made an impact on Katie Bowyer, a PA student in the Class of 2028. “I have had the chance to learn so much about interacting with patients and educating them in real time about their blood pressure,” Bowyer said. “We have been able to discuss topics like diet, stress and exercise and how these can impact health. It has been rewarding to apply what we learn in the classroom in a real-world setting.”

Program participant Pattie Hunt said the classes have inspired her to make lifestyle changes and increased her awareness of factors that can contribute to diabetes, including stress and traumatic experiences. She and her grandson now take regular walks together, and she pays closer attention to nutrition and portion sizes.

As DEMAC enters its sixth year, Webber said the program continues to open doors for GWU students while expanding resources to local residents. “We are more productive together as a team and not working in a silo,” she shared. “We are better together. This partnership allows the students to have hands-on experience and additional training on what to expect before completing their degree. Having GWU in the community is valuable to the school and the community.”

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Become More at gardner-webb.edu.