The Health Ministries Association (HMA) proudly announces Deb Fell-Carlson, BSN, RN, MSPH, as the 2025 recipient of the Norma Small Outstanding Coordinator in Faith Health Ministry Award. This award honors a distinguished HMA member who directs a regional network or program and demonstrates exceptional resourcefulness in implementing innovative teaching strategies that address diverse needs within faith communities and health systems. The award is given in memory of Norma Small, PhD, RN, whose leadership and vision continue to inspire excellence in faith-based health ministry.

Fell-Carlson exemplifies the spirit of this award through her transformative leadership as Executive Director of the Faith Community Health Network (FCHN), a nonprofit she founded to equip and support Faith Community Nurses and Health Ministers across Oregon and beyond. Her visionary coordination has united nurses from varied faith traditions to promote whole-person health, advanced legislative change for community-based nursing reimbursement, and expanded educational access through the online delivery of health education programs, including The Westberg Institute’s Foundations of Faith Community Nursing course. Her inclusive teaching methods, collaborative approach, and commitment to addressing diverse spiritual and cultural health needs have strengthened faith-health partnerships at local, state, and national levels.

Through her innovation, advocacy, and unwavering faith, Deb Fell-Carlson continues to embody the legacy of Norma Small—bridging healthcare and faith communities with compassion, creativity, and transformative leadership.

Health Ministries Association
Email: info@hmassoc.org
Website: www.hmassoc.org