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Frequently Asked Questions for Short-term Church Teams |
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What assistance can HealthCare Ministries provide for medical
evangelism church teams?
HealthCare Ministries has a
Church Team Department that can assist the church team in many ways including resources, health education
materials, training and consultation as needed.
Contact the Church Team
Department Coordinator at (417) 866-6311 or e-mail
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.
Visit the HealthCare Ministries website: www.hopethatheals.org
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Does a church team need to register with the Assembly of God World
Missions?
Yes. There is a registration
process for all church teams going on a short-term mission trip. This includes signing an
Assumption of Risk form and registering for international insurance. With the increased unrest in the
world it is very important for every team to register
with AGWM in case an unsafe situation arises in the country of the outreach.
Call Team Processing Assistant (417-862-1447
Ext. 2067) for more information.
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Can a member of a short-term mission team get a tax deduction for the
trip expenses?
Yes. The unreimbursed travel
expenses (transportation, meals, lodging) incurred in performing the project are tax deductible. The value of his/her
labor is not deductible.
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Does a medical professional's malpractice insurance cover him/her while
working in an international clinic?
Each medical professional will
need to check with his/her malpractice insurance provider.
However, generally malpractice
insurance does not cover medical practice outside of the USA. This is not usually a problem
as long as the specific requirements of the country's government are
met and the medical professional works within his/her scope of practice.
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Does HealthCare Ministries provide medical malpractice insurance?
No
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How can a short-term medical team make a long-term impact?
The most significant long-term
impact comes from sharing God's love through compassionate
care and sharing the plan of salvation with every patient (not in a sensitive country). Medical professionals need
to focus on health education esp. for chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes,
heart disease) instead of prescribing a medication when no follow-up care medication supply is available.
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If the team does not have a doctor, can other medical professionals be
utilized on a church team
outreach?
Yes, definitely. Although
medications can not be dispensed nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurses can do physical assessments and
health teaching for the identified problems. This is true for physical therapists, occupational therapists, etc. Health education should be the focus
for all medical interventions.
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What if something happens at home and a team member is needed?
Be sure to always have several
phone numbers for contact in the country i.e. missionary's
home, office, cell phone numbers, hotel phone number and national pastor's phone number. It is surprising but many people
in foreign countries now have cell phones.
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Are there special requirements for medical professionals and
medications in other countries?
Every country is different and
the missionary will need to check on what the requirements
are. In some countries, the medical professionals' documents i.e.
licenses, college transcripts are required prior to the teams arrival. Also, some countries
will not allow medications to be
brought in and the medications need to be purchased in country.
Start all of this process early!
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