By Les Gura
Sam Hickerson might not have thought longevity would end up being one of his strengths based on his upbringing.
After all, he grew up on the move, shuttling between Winston-Salem and New York and living with his family and in a foster home through the 1950s, after his father, a bootlegger, was caught and incarcerated. Twice.
A natural feel for people
But longevity has come to be part of Hickerson’s identity, as much as his people skills and the trust that others place in him.
The parking valet stand at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center was named after him in 2012, when he celebrated his 30th year of employment with the Medical Center. And this year marks his 30th as pastor of New Light Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, where he’s become, with a couple of other long-time clergy friends, “one of the old guys.’’
Hickerson has a natural vibe and feel for people, along with a recollection of faces and names. That becomes evident as he fingers his trademark white beret while holding court for an hour in the main lobby of the Medical Center, enthusiastically greeting nearly everyone who passes by — employees and visitors — by name or with a respectful “young lady’’ or “my man.”
“Many of the younger ministers look to the older guys for direction, wisdom,’’ Hickerson says. “I try not to lead anybody astray.’’
When you take on the community
Hickerson’s deep community and faith connections made him a natural early source of inspiration for Gary Gunderson when he arrived at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in 2012 as vice president of the Division of FaithHealth. Gunderson was starting a movement called FaithHealthNC, which connects congregations and their volunteers with people in need of support through their health care journeys.
To Hickerson, the FaithHealthNC movement “is an extension of New Light Missionary Baptist and the things we always proposed to do.”
“When you take on the community, you take on the community, whatever the care, whatever the concerns,’’ Hickerson says.
Meet the needs out here
There are times at the Medical Center when people arrive with concerns but not real needs, Hickerson says, noting the high cost of emergency care for both patients and the Medical Center.
“If those needs can be met out here,’’ he says, drawing a circle on a table to represent the community, “If we can intercept that trip to the Emergency Department, if we can do something preventative to keep that person from going to the ED.”
At New Light Missionary Baptist, bulletin boards offer several flyers promoting health fairs and other health-related support. Hickerson says his church, which has about 125 members, is a strong congregation for helping people.
Commitment to service is one of the reasons Gunderson chose New Light Missionary Baptist for a “Blessing of the Hands’’ ceremony in 2013 to officially introduce FaithHealthNC to Forsyth County.
Hickerson says he looks forward to working with FaithHealthNC.
“One of the things I noted in reading the book Gary has written is that it’s not important what your ethnicity is, your religion, whatever your background is,’’ Hickerson says. “What’s important is we’re people, and with this kind of work it’s people helping people.’’
