For Lewis County residents experiencing poverty, homelessness, and limited access to essential resources, Crystal Lough has become a consistent source of support through her work as a Faith Community Nurse.
Starting this movement in 2018, Lough worked with the New Life Southern Baptist Church’s outreach at an elderly high-rise complex. She and her husband visited the area, where they recognized a routine need for this work. Now, Lough conducts weekly outreach in a poverty-stricken area of the community to provide food, clothing, and resources based on whatever need arises.
She earned her national certificate of training from the WVU School of Nursing as a faith community nurse less than a year ago, but as the administrator and nurse director for the Lewis County Health Department and faith-based nursing outreach, Lough has helped gain numerous partners.
“Faith community nursing is important because it combines professional nursing practice with spiritual care, health education, and community outreach to improve the overall well-being of individuals and families,” Lough said. “Nurses should pursue training in faith community nursing to expand their clinical efforts beyond the traditional services of clinics, hospitals, and offices.”
Over the past year as an FCN, Lough has been conducting outreach to lower-income areas, providing education to seniors, providing blood pressure readings for heart disease prevention, and planning a health fair in conjunction with the health department and the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum during the countywide yard sale in August. Lough’s current goal is to further expand efforts in her community while bringing awareness to the program.
"The work being done by Crystal speaks to the faith community nurses role in building grass roots, access to care points in rural communities," said Dr. Angel Smothers, Associate Dean for Community Engagement at the WVU School of Nursing.
Funding for this work has been made possible through the Pallottine Foundation of Buckhannon. If a nurse is interested in taking the training, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Smothers at asmothers@hsc.wvu.edu. Scholarship support is available for nurses in counties supported by this foundation.
-WVU-
sm/6/26/2026
MEDIA CONTACT:
Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu