Today we’d like to introduce you to Leila Hightower.
Hi Leila, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. I have two siblings and one is deceased. My parents were strong advocates of the importance of getting your education. My dad would always say “get your sheepskin and it could never be taken away even if you lose your job”. During the summer, my mom would enroll us in summer reading programs and we had to attend “school” at home before we could go play. In second grade on Career Day, I stood up and said I wanted to be a Nurse. Fast forward, I graduated from Saint Louis University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. I immediately started working at Barnes Jewish Hospital in 1991 to present. The desire to take care of people was rooted and grounded in my heart. In 2008, I began working as a Heart Failure Educator under the guidance of a Nurse Practitioner. This included providing heart health education in hopes of decreasing hospital readmissions. My strong faith in God has allowed me to continue the journey of providing education and giving back the knowledge I obtained throughout my nursing career to a community in need. When working in the community, I often ask myself “how would I feel if I was in their shoes”. The answer to this question inspired me to start Health Literacy Ministry(HLM) under God’s guidance.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. My faith in God, support of my nurse manager, family, board members and volunteers has motivated me to keep going even on my worst days. I was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphedema and Kidney disease. There were days that I could barely walk without experiencing pain and discomfort because of the swelling in my lower extremities. My nurse manager graciously allowed me to work remotely still utilizing my knowledge and skills to assist the unit. My board members and volunteers have been very supportive and invaluable by participating in HLM’s activities and events. We had a 95 year old retired nurse volunteering as a peer supporter who was a part of a mother/daughter team providing blood pressure screenings in the community. I would want people to realize that in spite of your chronic illnesses, with a strong faith in God you can be an overcomer. This can set you apart from others.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In 2012, God gave me the vision to start Health Literacy Ministry to show His love in the community by providing heart health education to seniors 60 years of age and older concerning hypertension and heart failure in north St. Louis City. Due to the noted research and need, we changed the criteria. We now provide services for seniors 55 years of age and older who live in St .Louis city and some county zip codes. Furthermore we include basic diabetes and kidney disease education. We also provide education to seniors from different cultures utilizing interpretation services. We are mobile and our services are free. We travel to various senior buildings in the community providing monthly blood pressure screenings. During the screenings we provide attendance prizes which include puzzles, word searches, household and personal hygiene items that can help save the senior some money and maintain cognitive function. HLM was a small nonprofit not recognized by the larger companies when we first started. We had a small amount of funding to further our mission. Our mission is to provide education to seniors helping them self manage the disease process by taking control of their health. Praise be to God, Barnes Jewish Hospital Foundation gave us our first grant to purchase blood pressure monitors, digital weigh scales and pill boxes to provide to the seniors that met the criteria free of charge. Since then, we have received more grants from Barnes Jewish Hospital Foundation, St. Louis Philanthropic Organization and Episcopal Presbyterian Health Trust. In addition, we also provide education in creating a balanced meal and portion control utilizing the healthy plate method and rubber food for demonstration. We provide education based on the individual’s level of understanding . HLM started with 10 clients, now we have had over 800 and have conducted over 2,000 blood pressure screenings in the community. We strive to decrease health disparities through education by motivating seniors to be proactive and less reactive.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something surprising would be my heightened enjoyment of creating interactive educational materials so people can have fun while they learn. This will also help people to understand their disease process and help them make informed health decisions. I have created a brochure about low sodium, low cost foods for people to use while grocery shopping, a Heart Health word search and the Game of Heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hl-ministry.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/lh8672025
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealthLiteracyMinistry/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leila-hightower-534a3346/?_l=en_US
- Twitter: https://x.com/hl_ministry
- Other: lh867@hl-ministry.com
