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AdventHealth Florida Team Members Given Super Bowl Tickets — and More News Shorts

2021-02-10-adventhealth

In this week’s Adventist news round-up, stories from Florida, California, Jamaica, and Rwanda.

AdventHealth Florida Team Members Given Super Bowl Tickets. From AdventHealth, two AdventHealth Florida team members were surprised with Super Bowl tickets. Belinda Spahn, a critical care unit nurse at AdventHealth North Pinellas, and Heather Stegmeier, an infection control manager at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel received a personalized video message from Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski, inviting them to Super Bowl LV Tampa Bay. The two front-line caregivers were among 7,500 health care workers given the opportunity to attend the Super Bowl in person. The game also had special meaning to AdventHealth because the teams vying for the championship represented two of the health system’s largest markets.

Team members at AdventHealth Carrollwood received a very special delivery from Super Bowl LV halftime performer The Weeknd, thanks to Postmates! In honor of Black History Month, The Weeknd had 150 meals from Mamas Southern Soul Food in Tampa, Florida, delivered to team members at the hospital — many of whom were able to attend the Super Bowl in person. From AdventHealth, “Health Care Workers Take Center Stage at Super Bowl LV.”

Loma Linda University Neurologist Details Ethical Parameters of Mind-reading Technology. According to The Christian Post, amid an increasing Big Tech push to implant devices into the human brain, a Seventh-day Adventist Christian neurology doctor has detailed the ethical parameters of mind-reading technology that companies like Facebook seek to utilize. Dr. Travis Losey, the vice-chair of the department of neurology and co-director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Loma Linda University in Southern California, said that when it comes to the use of brain interface technology, the purpose should be to heal something that was harmed by disease or a disorder.

"The core ethical issue with the brain-computer interface is similar to issues with medication,” he offered. I think it's only ethical to use medications when they are being used to restore function that has been lost or affected by a disease. The same principles would apply to brain-computer interfaces.”

Asked about how Christians should think about the lofty topic of neuroethics in light of the rapid speed of technological advances and emerging ethical quandaries, the doctor said that there is no higher calling for a Christian than to help people affected by disease. He said believers should enter the field to ensure that these technologies are used appropriately. Losey added that Christians should engage the National Institutes of Health, which oversees the use of these neurological devices. From The Christian Post, “Christian neurologist details ethical parameters of brain-reading technology.”

Jamaican Adventist-operated Health Center Holds Free Health Clinic. According to the Jamaica Information Service, Seventh-day Adventist-operated H.S. Walters Health Centre in Jamaica held one of the medical camps providing Jamaicans with free medical checks and medication. Executive Secretary at the Central Jamaica Conference (CJC) of SDAs, Pastor Nevail Barrett, said the church willingly opened its health center as well as its May Pen church in Clarendon to accommodate the camps. He said that the CJC will support other medical camps going forward.

Health Ministries Director at the CJC Deon Bent Henry said persons were excited to access the medical assistance, noting that the day was filled with goodwill and selfless service. This spells well for humanity, and we are grateful as a Conference that they have reached out to us,” she said. Persons received medication, and we are looking forward to the growth of the partnership,” she added.

Indias High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency Masakui Rungsung, says the inaugural medical camps held at 14 locations across nine parishes on January 31 will become a yearly event. The High Commissioner was able to mobilize a team of doctors from the Indian community for the camps who happily came on board.” The High Commissioner thanked the physicians and other volunteers for making the camps possible. From Jamaica Information Service, “Indian High Commission’s Medical Camps To Become Annual Event.”

Rwandan SDA Student Witnesses with Her Gospel Singing. According to The New Times, Vumilia Mfitmana 24, is an upcoming gospel artist who had planned to use her talent to preach the gospel, having been trained to sing by her mother at a tender age. Mfitimana is a Seventh-day Adventist at Elayon Church in Ruhango District in Rwanda and a student at University of Gitwe in Southern province. She decided to sing gospel music in 2018. She considered that her music would reach out to a great number of people in Rwanda and hoped to transform them. Her aim was, and still is, to win souls to Christ through momentous gospel songs with a touching message. While writing her songs, she focuses on cheering and counseling people but also teaches them how to live in peace and harmony.

Through my songs, I also remind people that we are just visitors on earth with different purposes to fulfill and that we shall all be accountable to God. Since the world will come to an end, we will have to prepare ourselves for the second coming of Jesus by repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior,” the gospel vocalist said. She is however, looking forward to doing music as a profession.

Once the COVID-19 situation clears, she anticipates organizing a concert and promoting her songs on her YouTube channel (Vumilia Official) and fully venture into music once she completes university. From The New Times, “Young artiste on preaching the gospel through music.”

 

Please note: Spectrum news round-ups are an aggregation of regional, national, and international publications around the world that have reported on stories about Adventists. As such, the accuracy of the information is the responsibility of the original publishers, which are noted and hyperlinked at the end of each excerpt.

 

Pam Dietrich taught English at Loma Linda Academy for 26 years and served there eight more years as the 7-12 librarian. She lives in Yucaipa, California.

Image: Team members at AdventHealth Carrollwood received a very special delivery from Super Bowl LV halftime performer The Weeknd, thanks to Postmates. Photo courtesy of AdventHealth.

 

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