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Spiritual Ministry Department
The Department of Spiritual Ministry supports the Clinical Center mission and vision through programs of Pastoral Care Service, Education and Research.
In the areas of service, the department provides 24-hour coverage for persons of all faiths. On a weekly basis there are 17 religious services scheduled for Jewish, Roman Catholic, Protestant and Moslem faiths. Persons of other faiths, and those who have their own spiritual practices, use the Chapel for meditation. Our pastoral services strongly support patients who are on research protocols along with family and friends who aid in the coping process. We help provide spiritual support and aid in creating a humane environment which seeks to promote total well-being. These actions aid in compliance and continue to help interpret matters of concern voiced by the patients and their families. We consult regularly with physicians, nurses, social workers, bioethicists, recreation therapists and others who are in direct contact with patients and their families through treatment cycles. We have conducted and/or participated in 20 memorial services on behalf of patients and for staff at the NIH.
Two staff chaplains from Spiritual Ministry continue to provide significant leadership in planning and directing the conferences on Federal Health Care Chaplaincy. One hundred persons came for the fifth annual conference from all sectors of federal health care chaplaincies, professional education and research. In May 1998, participants attended from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense-Army, Navy, and Air Force, the NIH Clinical Center and from the Bureau of Federal Prisons. All participants support the work of Spiritual Ministry in health care settings. Our department supports other educational programs by providing leadership on the Clinical Center Ethics Committee. A staff member from the Spiritual Ministry Department recently completed the Clinical Center's Core Research Curriculum and is using these new skills in protocol development. Chaplains also participate on Institute Review Boards.
A major initiative has been realized. Daily schedules of Outpatient Clinics/Day Hospital appointments enable us to be more available to the patients, their families and staff in regular consultations. Chaplains are also involved in developing protocol maps for newly developing research protocols, responding to codes, and assisting patients and their families in coping with the impact of the patient's diagnosis. The new protocols include the Stroke Study, in cooperation with Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland, and an interdisciplinary team on "Bereavement Pathways." Presentations are frequently presented on "Spirituality and Health Care." Leadership services are provided on Institute Review Boards.
In addition to educational programs on the spiritual dimensions of health care, our accredited program in Clinical Pastoral Education is a model for inclusiveness and diversity. The Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. has a standard for a 400 hour accredited program. Thirteen seminarians and pastors have completed this program this fiscal year. Graduates make significant contributions to the spiritual aspect of America's public health.
Chaplain Eugene Linehan, S.J. published an essay titled "The Inter Faith Years" in A Life in Jewish Education, in honor of the noted Jewish educator, Louis L. Kaplan. In addition, a 20-year cancer survivor who was a patient at the Clinical Center dedicated the book "Green Rubber Boots" to Chaplain Linehan and Dr. Steven Rosenberg of the National Cancer Institute. These are examples of the many relationships which the Spiritual Ministry Department promotes within the scientific, religious, and community leadership groups. Chaplain staff members frequently receive cards and letters from former patients. Many patients return to the Clinical Center for visits with our staff which attest to how well our spiritual ministry is received.