First Fridays at LCHC Lawndale Christian Health Center

Dennis Bourne is the newest provider to join Lawndale Christian Health Center’s Behavioral Health team. Before coming to Lawndale, he served as a program supervisor and clinician at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, where he helped to spearhead the agency’s initiative to increase the cultural competence of its treatment model and staff. He attends New Community Covenant Church of Bronzeville and is responsible for the church’s annual, city-wide workshop exploring the intersection of faith and race. He is passionate about helping people who have experienced trauma and oppression to recognize and reach their potential in Christ.

Bruce Rowell, MD has been a pediatrician at LCHC since 1995 and is LCHC’s Chief Clinical Officer for Quality. As a Jesus follower and physician, his career and interests center around the personal and missional challenges we are all called to as Christians in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. In this episode, he shares thoughts on human flourishing. *We apologize for the background noise beginning this episode!

Bishop Horace E. Smith, M.D. has a dedicated ministry that not only reaches his congregation at Apostolic Faith Church, but extends into his medical profession. Dr. Smith is the author of the book, 'Blood Works', which examines how the physical properties of blood are a showcase of God's marvelous redemption and creation. In this book he guides the reader to a better understanding of the incredible nurturing, cleansing, and healing power God has put into every drop of blood.

Dr. Carl Earl Lambert, Jr. will discuss and delve into the call to medicine by sharing both his personal perspective gained from years of experience, as well as helping us each reflect on our own lives in light of a greater purpose.

Dr. Lambert received his M.D. from Rush University Medical College in 2011, and completed his residency at the West Suburban Medical Center in 2014. He is now an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and is involved with academic medicine as well as mentorship, recruitment, and retention of minority students into medicine and making Christ known in his everyday life through whatever situations the Lord chooses. He enjoys providing thorough, compassionate, and whole-person continuity and preventative care to people from all communities and walks of life as medical director of the Rush University Family Physicians group.

Dr. Elizabeth Tung presents her research findings surrounding the complex health effects of recurrent exposure to neighborhood violence. Dr. Tung is an internist and social epidemiologist at the University of Chicago who studies social risk factors for chronic disease. She recently conducted focus groups and surveys with patients at LCHC to learn more about the complex health effects of recurrent exposure to neighborhood violence. Some of the topics covered include chronic stress and worry, social breakdown, chronic isolation, constrained choice, and limited access to healthcare and resources needed to manage health.

Pastor James Brooks will discuss the important role of prayer and what a powerful gift it is to commune with the Lord. Pastor Brooks serves as the Senior Pastor of Harmony Community Church and the Chief Ministry Officer at Lawndale Christian Health Center. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Northern Theological Seminary where he was the first Dr. John Perkins Scholar graduate. Pastor Brooks is committed to listening and responding to the people who have been hurt and marginalized by society.