Dr. Keneshia Bryant-Moore was considering how to sustain her faith-based approach to addressing depression and other health disparities. She had a dream and wrote a letter of intent to the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute about developing a network of faith leaders across Arkansas.

Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences had longed recognized the important role of religion in improving the health and well-being of people and communities. For over a decade, UAMS researchers have successfully engaged the faith community to improve health outcomes through the development, testing, and implementation of health projects and interventions. Despite this lengthy history of innovative interventions, only a few faith leaders have the ability to engage in research. As a community nurse researcher, Dr. Bryant-Moore understood the importance of having an infrastructure that supports and empowers communities of faith to health and wholeness, as well as participate as equal partners in health research.

In 2016 the Arkansas Faith-Academic Initiatives for Transforming Health (FAITH) Network was launched. The secret to our success, “We just listen to the community and make them the center of everything. The work that we do is driven by what we are hearing from them and what they’re saying their needs are.” – Dr. Keneshia Bryant-Moore