Region 2 includes: 

Sierra Pacific Synod, Southwest California Synod, Pacifica Synod, Grand Canyon Synod, and Rocky Mountain Synod                                            

Region 2 Calendar

Welcome to LFCNA-the Lutheran
Faith Community Nurse Region 2 web page.
Allow us to introduce ourselves. 

Janet Mortinsen

The congregation I serve is Bethany Lutheran Church located in Cherry Hills Village, CO; it is an ELCA congregation with about 1200 families. There are 2 full time pastors and currently an intern along with myself as part of the Pastoral Care Team. I have been a member of Bethany since 1997 and been on staff since April 2011 (my first position as a FCN.) My children were raised in this congregation, and I volunteered in other
capacities such as Sunday School Education, Vacation Bible School, Care Ministries and MOPS.

Certainly, the most meaningful part of faith community nursing is the relationships developed. I feel so honored to walk a path with members and/or staff while they grieve or experience a difficulty in life, have need for health information or finding available resources, or to companion & listen. Every day is a little different – just like nursing has always been for me and I enjoy the challenge of those days being different.

I enjoy a lot of other activities – I exercise every day…yoga, spinning, golf, walking; I started sewing about
1 ½ years ago and I am part of a book club. I am always reading or listening to a book. I love spending time with my husband & 3 adult children when I get the chance – we cook a lot together.

Deborah Frusciano

I am originally from Michigan and moved to Arizona in 1999. I received my BSN from University of Detroit Mercy and have worked as an RN for over 37 years. While in Michigan I was active in my church, St. Peters Lutheran Church where I was involved in Stephen Ministry and in volunteer nursing activities. While in Michigan I worked in ICU, Hospice, Homecare and did volunteer work at a domestic violence shelter, Salvation Army Homeless Shelter and AIDS Interfaith Network.

After moving to Arizona in 1999, I worked at Phoenix Children’s Hospital as the Pediatric HIV Nurse Coordinator from 1999-2015. While at Phoenix Children’s Hospital I served on the Nurse Practice Council and was the representative on the Phoenix Metropolitan Area HIV/AIDS Ryan White Planning Council. I also had the privilege of working extensively with refugee populations from all over the world with spiritual and psycho-social needs in addition to their medical needs.            

I have been a member of Spirit of Grace since 1999 and have been coordinator for CPR/AED training, blood pressure team, Stephen Ministry, Advent Giving Tree and have served on the church council. I have been on staff at Spirit of Grace in a part time paid position as the Faith Community Nurse since January 1, 2019.

I completed Faith Community Nurse training in 2007 and updated my training in 2018 through Duet Congregational Health Services. I am an instructor for the Foundations of Community Nursing course at Duet for the mental health and grief modules.

Cancer Support Group for Spanish Speaking Persons

Spanish Cancer Support Group: Pilar Flores, social worker at Holy Cross Health Centers in Aspen Hill and Silver Spring, is facilitating a virtual cancer support group for Spanish speaking adults who are currently in treatment for cancer. It is held on Teams and it is every 4^th Monday from 6:00 - 7:00 PM. Please see attached flyer and promote as appropriate. For more information please contact Pilar Flores at pilar.floresramirez@holycrosshealth.org or 301-754-8583

Our Covid-19 Stories Feeding the Hungry

In Golden, CO, we have a thrift shop/food bank that our Church helps support with food all through the year.  However, this Spring, we not only started a food drive amongst ourselves, but many of us asked our friends and neighbors to help out.  The response was great.  Some even gave large donations of money, so the Christian Action Guild could buy those items that were needed that hadn’t been donated.  While the Church is closed, we can remain the hands, feet and voice of our Lord in our hurting world! 

There are many ways we can reach out to those in our communities, our country and our world.  Please share, either on our webpage or in our newsletter, ways in which you and others are dealing with this pandemic.  You may spark an idea for someone looking for a way to help!

Education Programs

The following are Educational Partners with the Westberg Institute and provide the Foundations of Faith Community Nursing Course.  As you will notice, there are several courses scheduled at this time, but included is the contact information for the course coordinator for each site.  You can contact them directly for dates of the next course.

1. Arizona: Contact person: Denise Viker, denise.viker@dignityhealth.org

2.  California: Hoag Health, Orange County, Contact Person: Susan Johnson, susan.johnson2@hoag.org, Phone: 949-764-6594.

3.  Colorado: Colorado Parish Nurse Education Consortium, Contact Person: Sue Ann Glusenkamp, glusenkamp@augustanadenver.org

4.  New Mexico: No current program

5.  Utah: No current program

6.  Wyoming: Wyoming Health Council, Contact Person:  Sue Tardif, sue.tardif@yahoo.com  
                        No Current program, but Sue is working on it. 

Information Request

We would like to identify all Lutheran parish nurses working in congregations of Region Two.  Please send an e-mail with your information to Janet Mortinsen, janet@bethany-denver.org. in order to keep an updated list of Lutheran faith community nurses in this region.

Funds are available to provide displays for synod meetings if you are interested in presenting the concept of faith community nursing to groups within your synod.  Please let us know how we can help.