Faith
The Healing Connection Hospital Chaplains Are Here For Everyone
Years ago , the hospital chaplain was usually a member of the clergy summoned for endof-life issues . The field once known as pastoral care has now evolved into spiritual care and the role and scope of hospital chaplains have evolved with it . Chaplains are an important part of the interdisciplinary patient care team who contribute to the improvement of the patient ’ s experience and well-being .
“ We support people in hearing their own wisdom ,” Dionne Blaha , Palomar Health ’ s Supervisor of Chaplains and Spiritual Care , shared with GB Magazine . “ We do not look at people as broken , needing to be fixed ; instead , we trust everyone has the resources they need to deal with their situation . In that sense , we are about connection : connecting each person with their own power , their own path and their best self .”
Dionne oversees a team of five chaplains at Palomar Health , as well as more than 60 volunteer on-call chaplains from all religious faiths . Chaplains do not make unsolicited patient visits . But all patients undergo a spiritual assessment when they are admitted and are made aware of their right to request a chaplain ’ s services . Collectively , these chaplains average 30,000 patient visits annually . To support Palomar Health ’ s diverse patient population , the
64 GBSAN . COM | MAY 2021