Dr. Chris Berry
After 7 years serving the uninsured and underinsured in and around Lake Highlands, Healing Hands Ministries has hired a new Medical Director – Dr. Chris Berry. Dr. Berry, who has years of experience working in “safety net” clinics in Dallas, lives in Lakewood with his wife and two children.
What drew you to Healing Hands Ministries?
I was drawn by my relationship to [Founding President and CEO] Janna Gardner and our shared vision of a grace-based or Christian-minded approach to this problem of vulnerable populations with limited access to care that we have in Dallas. That, plus this shared sense of hope that we can be a seed that begins a much broader movement to raise the level of charity care in the community. Janna and I share that desire.
You obviously have a passion for this – do you consider it a ministry?
I call it ‘working out our faith in love.’ This is combining my medical interest and skills with my love for Jesus and my understanding of what my role is as a Christian, which is to extend the grace I have received to as many others as want it. So ministry could be a word, I probably would call it a mission.
How do you balance work life and family life?
I don’t think I do a good job of balancing – I want to, but I think that’s the nature of this. It’s all so mixed together. When it becomes a mission it tends to pull you in.
What has been the biggest surprise since you started November 3?
Probably the wide variety of ethnicities, which I think is attributable to the clinic’s proximity to Vickery and the large refugee population there. I expected to meet plenty of Spanish speaking patients, but I think it was the large numbers from the Middle East and a variety of African locations already in just the first two weeks of being here. I’ve never had a patient from Iraq, for example.
And what kind of communication difficulties do you have?
Well I speak Spanish, but that’s not enough. We often have to rely on family members, but I look forward to using translation services made available by Texas Health Dallas.
What other challenges do you see that need addressing?
This clinic is already a high-quality clinic, but what I want is for any clinic for the underserved that I’m a part of to be as good as or better than any other outpatient or family clinic in town. So, very high quality care following all the latest guidelines with a staff that’s very efficient and up-to-date on what should be done and how it should be done. This should be a patient-centered medical home, really pushing the envelope on that level of care.
This clinic exists within what I consider an unjust medical system, and I’ve been to Indonesia after the tsunami and I’ve been to Haiti after the earthquake. There’s something about Dallas that’s particularly troublesome to me, because we have so many resources and so much money and yet we can’t seem to get meds like Lisinopril and Metformin, which are very basic, cheap medicines in the hands of people with high blood pressure and diabetes who are having strokes and diabetes. It’s a systemic problem. We have some of the best healthcare in the world just a stone’s throw away, but if you don’t have the ticket, you don’t have the access.
Got any feel good stories?
We do, but many clinic stories aren’t feel good stories. A lot of people don’t get better. As a Christian, it’s important to tell the truth. But the hope is that Jesus died to redeem us, and there’s going to be a resurrection someday. Most of what being a physician is, is a willingness to step into the pain with someone and heal when we can heal, give hope when we can give hope.
But, yes, there are feel good stories. We had this father and son referred to us. They were going to the emergency room two or three times a week. There was nothing really wrong – what they really needed was a community that cared. The more we showed we cared, the more they came to us instead of the ER. After a while, they ended up coming over and mowing our lawn. It was having someone to listen and being part of a community that healed them, not the medicine.
I also had a lady with a new diagnosis of colon cancer who came to me. She had tried to get into the Parkland system but had been told there was a wait – by the time she received the treatment she needed, she’d probably be dead. I was able to connect her to a doctor who’s a dad on my daughter’s volleyball team, and she got treatment in time. I know those patients feel isolated and scared. The joy that I have is when we’re able to connect people to the right clinic or doctor who can help. Those are happy stories.
You send patients to other clinics or doctors?
I often rely on other physicians or clinics in the community to help patients. Healing Hands is well thought of in the community. It’s viewed as well-run, wise with its money and a good collaborator.
So what’s the best way to help Healing Hands?
I guess it depends who you are. If you’re a medical provider – particularly a physician – consider accepting referrals for specialty needs or volunteering in the clinic. If you’re a member of the community, you can help with the emotional and spiritual care of our patients. Healing Hands recently started a Community Coffee, where members of the community gather for coffee with patients, praying together over a shared cup of coffee and a dessert. This is an example of the kind of volunteering that can lead to breaking down barriers and connecting across cultures, possibly leading to more lasting relationships. Other opportunities include sharing Christmas meals or donating children’s jackets. I think we’ve got some ‘out of the box’ thinkers here on staff, so if people want to help, you can call and we can figure something out. And, of course, a clinic like this is always going to need money.
Dr. Berry will relieve Dr. Nelson Forsyth, 77, who will become Medical Director Emeritus. I asked Dr. Forsyth, now retired after 46 years in Dallas, about the years he served Healing Hands and the new role he will step into.
Seven years ago the clinic was ready to open but needed a Medical Director in order to meet Texas requirements. I, having just retired, needed a place to serve. What amazing progress has occurred in these seven years! Our first night we saw four patients. We wanted to be a patient centered medical home but didn’t know at that time it would indeed be called just that – a PCMH. I am most proud that the clinic looks like and functions as any office you might visit in Dallas.
My ‘new role’ will be to be available if needed to help with recruiting other physicians – particularly specialists – to serve with us. Actually that is what I have been doing all along. I will also be seeing patients in the Tuesday evening clinic. I will continue to attend medical conferences at Baylor and Presbyterian on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
So many people have talents that we need, and might otherwise have to spend money we could be using in ministry. A person who wanted to volunteer should consider their talents and contact Janna to see where they are needed. One thing that specifically comes to mind is the need for Spanish interpreters for the evening volunteer clinics Tuesdays and Thursdays 6-9 p.m. Whatever amount of time they could be available would be very helpful.
Healing Hands Ministries is located at 8515 Greenville Avenue.
