This work follows the Participatory Action Research process where patients and the principal investigator use qualitative research methods to co-create a program in a regional children’s hospital. By applying the FICA (Faith, Importance, Community, Address) validated tool for spiritual assessment and supplementing this tool with four questions designed to assess the difficulties experienced in the sickle cell journey, faith communities were engaged to meet the needs that would ease the difficulties that were identified. This work is based on the Congregational Health Network (CHN) first implemented by Rev. Dr. Gary Gunderson and colleagues at the Methodist LeBonheur Health System in Memphis Tennessee. This project is distinct from Gunderson's because it is the first implementation to focus on pediatric patients managing sickle cell disease.

121 patients and family members managing SCD were interviewed. 10 primary needs were identified: increasing SCD awareness; increasing SCD literacy; prescribed diet support; medically tailored groceries; transition mentoring into adult care; emergency transportation to the hospital; access to prescribed vitamins; appointment transportation to and from the clinic; childcare during extensive hospitalization including bone marrow transplant and emergency financial support.

3000 volunteer hours were invested by the author to secure 10 partners who joined the Congregational Health Network pilot which launched on April 17, 2023. The scope of this dissertation is to describe the inspiration for and the process of establishing this pilot; to trace the development of structural racism with particular emphasis on the delivery of healthcare to the Black and indigenous populations; to address the theological issues surrounding the treatment of blood disorders that appear to be focused on a single race; to measure utilization and efficacy through the pilot implementation phase; to propose a path forward to institutionalize the CHN and to offer a model, the Healing Tree, for the provision of more equitable healthcare. Measurement of specific health outcome data will begin in the second year of the project using baseline data secured from all participants. These activities will require a separate Institutional Review Board application and will be reported in future papers and/or publications.