Parish Health Ministry
Our Parish Nurse, Candace Guilds, earned an A.A.S. degree from Corning Community College in 1981 and subsequently became licensed as an RN in Pennsylvania and New York. Additionally, she earned Bachelor’s of Science and Master’s of Science degrees in Nursing from Elmira College and Syracuse University in 1987 and 1991 respectively. Returning to Syracuse University, she completed the Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Certification Program in 1997. Through course work at Mansfield University she also earned School Nurse Certification.
Nursing experiences have included working with clients in long term care as well as pediatrics, labor and delivery, medical surgical and mental health settings. Home Health Nursing in the Cowanesque Valley allowed for creatively providing patient care in each patient’s home. Managing health services for developmentally disabled adults and children in residential settings offered an expanded role which included direct resident care and supervision of all staff.
As a Nurse Educator of greater than twenty years, Candace was a faculty member at BOCES of Steuben and Chemung counties, Arnot Ogden School of Nursing in Elmira, NY and Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, PA. Prior to retirement from Penn College in 2011, she earned Parish Nurse Certification. Her desire to continue nursing and give back to the community she grew up in was a perfect mix for developing a Parish Health Ministry at Calvary. The ministry began in March 2011.
Currently, as the Parish Health Minister at Calvary, she provides a variety of services to our church members, day care children and workers and the surrounding communities. Some of the activities include a monthly blood pressure screening, CPR and Safe Sanctuary classes and presentations as requested by various groups like UMW. Confidential discussions regarding health concerns, home visits and parishioner advocacy top the list as most important.
Our Parish Nurse's weekly office hours are Tuesday and Thursday from
9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Friendship Center, Room 1. Appointments may be made for other more convenient times. She can be contacted at (570) 827-2627 or (607) 725-3378.