USA Health chaplain named to Positive Maturity’s Top 50 Over 50
“Kim has made a huge difference in the lives of our staff and patients in a very short amount of time,” said Kerry Flowers, director of organizational development. “I think I speak for everyone at USA Health when I say I cannot imagine our organization without her.”
By Michelle Ryan
mryan@health.southalabama.edu
Kim Crawford Meeks is known as Mrs. Claus, a fairy godmother, a shoulder to cry on, a hand to hold – and that’s just at USA Health, where she serves staff and patients as a chaplain and manager of the Spiritual Health and Counseling Department.
She has inspired many others throughout the state with her involvement with Ms. Senior Alabama, Inc., a nonprofit organization encouraging women older than 60 that they have a purpose, offering the opportunity for each member to connect in their communities and providing a sisterhood of support.
For her impact, Positive Maturity named Crawford Meeks among its Top 50 Over 50, an annual list which recognizes individuals who find opportunities to make a difference. The Birmingham-based nonprofit offers counseling, social, volunteer and employment opportunities for senior adults, in-home senior companions for frail individuals, and free prescription drug assistance.
“My name is on the award, but I feel it should include my mother who taught me to work hard and that we have a purpose,” Crawford Meeks said, “and the many other people who have been part of my journey of education, growth, and encouragement.”
Crawford Meeks began her spiritual care journey first in the funeral home field, but church ministry had always been part of her life. Noting her gift for working with grieving families, her manager suggested she become a hospice nurse.
But, deciding nursing was not the field for her, Crawford Meeks instead enrolled in Bible college. During that time, she said her daughter was run over by a motorcycle and had to undergo several surgeries.
“Before one of her surgeries, a chaplain walked in the room to pray with us, and I talked with her about chaplaincy,” she said. “I felt my calling was to combine my heart for ministry and those in grief and distress through becoming a chaplain.”
Rev. Penny Njoroge, Ph.D., was the chaplain who led the prayer at the hospital before her daughter’s surgery.
“Kim's passion to help others grow and achieve their dreams became her greatest tool of shaping and beautifying more lives than she will ever know,” said Njoroge, who was also a Ms. Senior Alabama first runner-up. “I cannot fully describe in words how Kim's life has constantly brought out the best in others.”
Aside from her role at USA Health, Crawford Meeks devotes time serving as chair for the Ms. Senior Alabama, Inc. board of directors. She learned about the organization while working at a hospital in Birmingham, and the cover of Senior Living magazine featuring a lady all dressed up caught her eye.
The article about Ms. Senior Alabama prompted her to join the organization. And despite the name, it is about more than a pageant.
“Since 2020, we have grown and now we are a nonprofit senior women's organization encouraging women that they all have a purpose and providing a support group across the state,” she said. “Our women participated in over 170 events/organizations across the state last year, and the Alabama Governor's Office of Volunteerism recognized us for our volunteer efforts in 2023.”
Many of Crawford Meeks’ nominations for the Positive Maturity award echoed her compassion, kindness, and commitment, and they came from Ms. Senior Alabama leaders and participants, fellow chaplains, and coworkers at USA Health.
Kerry Flowers, director of organizational development at USA Health, noted these qualities but described her creativity as her signature flair.
“Kim has made a huge difference in the lives of our staff and patients in a very short amount of time,” he said. “I think I speak for everyone at USA Health when I say I cannot imagine our organization without her.”
Crawford Meeks is a board-certified chaplain, endorsed by the Baptist General Convention of Texas, with a Master of Divinity degree from Liberty University and specialized training in spirituality and mental health. She completed clinical pastoral education at UAB, and she joined USA Health in 2022. She is a laughter yoga instructor and author of the children’s book “Growing Wings.”
“The most rewarding part of my work at USA Health would be the many precious people I meet that I am privileged to add to my heart,” Crawford Meeks said. “As a chaplain, I have been blessed to step into sacred moments that are beyond anything else in this world I can imagine.”
