Chapter 7, Part IV: Everyone Wants Our Social Security Number (True Story)
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he current trend is for churches to employ a parish nurse.? In the past, volunteers headed up committees which provided services to the poor, elderly, sick and unemployed from the goodness of their hearts.? The organization of these functions has been delegated to the parish nurse.
One church’s health ministry reorganization included a meeting held by the parish nurse? for those wishing to volunteer or continue volunteering their services for various activities such as driving the elderly to church? services, doctors appointments, etc.? Everyone was asked to sign a sheet, whether you stayed for the meeting or not.? The sheet requested not only one’s name, address, and telephone number, but one’s social security number? as well.? Why?? Each parish nurse is associated with a local hospital which collects data? that is reported to the state health department.? Could it be that the hospital requested the social security numbers of church volunteers who assist the parish nurse? in order to help assess or track? health outreach activities mandated? by the government??
“The hospital is the principal employer of the parish nurse? minister and its parish nurse program director is her principal, legal supervisor.? Her salary is initially and primarily funded by the hospital which also extends to her all the benefits of a part-time employee, including professional malpractice insurance coverage.? Ultimately, however, it will be the parish that reimburses the bulk of her salary.? During the first year of the program’s operation, the hospital provides at least 75 percent of the parish nurse minister’s salary and the parish provides the remaining 25 percent during that year.? During the second year, the parish assumes half of the nurse’s compensation, and it covers three-fourths of it by the third year.? During the fourth year, the parish is responsible for the nurse’s entire salary, but the hospital continues the coverage for malpractice insurance and all other benefits it would ordinarily offer to a part-time employee during that year and in each year thereafter in which the program continues to function.â€[1]
There is concern that the parish nurse? is being used to pump information and families into the government’s socialized health programs.? What better way to reach the grassroots community than through someone in their church? who is loved, respected and trusted??
Please understand there is no cynicism or disrespect intended.? Parish nurses are good people whose intentions are noble and sincere.? It’s just difficult to watch the church? place an additional financial burden on its already overburdened people as it becomes an extension of the state - a state which has already imposed the highest tax increase in its history without allowing the people to vote on it as promised by Governor Carnahan.?
Schools are beginning to use the social security number? of children as their school I.D. number.? Hospitals are forming “partnerships†with local schools and entering into collaborative practice agreements.? This means the hospital contracts with the school to provide medical services for students and their families.? Hospitals also provide information tables and screening stations at school functions such as wellness fairs and fundraisers.? Before taking the blood pressure and providing other screening services, a form is filled out which requests the “patient’s†social security number.? A sampling of the brochures and materials from a hospital’s booth following a school’s wellness fair was requested by phone.? In order to mail the information, the hospital requested not only a name, address and telephone number, but a birth date and social security number!? When it was explained that the birth date and social security number were confidential, the hospital said that it was only requested for their files.? The materials requested NEVER arrived.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education? in cooperation with the University Extension? Conference Office of the
There is a reason why all these entities want our social security number.? Could it be to “establish statewide data? and information systems to accomplish public health surveillance, assessment, planning and evaluation†as stated on page 59 of the Missouri Department of Health’s Healthy Missourians 2000? volume I?
[1] “Healthcare Facilities and the Parish: A Relationship Between Two Healing Communities,” The Catholic Health Association of the