Spiritual Care & Chaplaincy
Spirituality and Health Care
The field of health care is broadly defined as the field concerned with the maintenance or restoration of health of the body or mind. More and more, health care is moving toward becoming “patient-centered care” in which, as Rev. Eric J. Hall explains, “The patient is the source of control for their care. The care is customized, encourages patient participation and empowerment, and reflects the patient’s needs, values and choices. Families and friends are considered an essential part of the care team.” Patient-centered care takes into account a patient’s social, emotional and spiritual concerns, not just the patient’s physiological disease.
Now that a trend is moving toward a better balanced approach to health care, Spirituality is being added to a patient’s course of therapy and care. This provides for a more purposeful approach that includes the body, mind and spirit of the patient, their family and friends, along with the social, emotional and spiritual concerns of the patient. Spirituality is a dynamic and intrinsic aspect of humanity through which persons seek ultimate meaning, purpose and transcendence, and experience relationship to self, family, others, community, society, nature, and the significant or sacred. Spirituality is expressed through beliefs, values, traditions and practices.
Chaplains are here to assist you with any religious or spiritual needs that arise during your stay. If a Chaplain does not come by to visit you, please have your nurse or doctor have a Chaplain paged to come to where you are in our hospital.
Ethics
Chaplains are trained to receive the questions that colleagues have regarding ethical concerns, to help name the ethical issue at stake in accordance with the Covenant Health Ethics Ready Reference Grid, and to point to the next step for resolving the ethical concern.
Administration:
- Bary Moynihan, associate chaplain and spiritual care manager
Staff chaplain:
- Angelina Daniels, BCC
- Keith Cooper
- Lark Cooper
- Sherita Hagberg
- Sr. Carmela Macabanti
- Edward D. George, Jr, ACPE Certified Educator, BCC
Chaplains are available to assist patients with a Medical Power of Attorney; Directive to Physician, family or surrogate, (sometimes called a Living Will); or to discuss any health care concerns, problems, issues that may involve any religious or spiritual rituals and/or rites.
View more information about advance health care planning services available at Covenant Health.
Memorial services for the following are provided on an ongoing and as needed basis for:
- Infant loss
- Patient/family
- Caregiver
- Blessing of the Hands
- World Day of the Sick
Other services are offered throughout the year based on our Religious and Spiritual Calendars.
Communication will be provided when these services are presented.
The best way to reach a Chaplain is to ask your nurse, and have the Chaplain on your floor paged to come for a visit.
Chaplains provide 24-hour care based on the need of the patients, their families and friends and the hospital staff.
- 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Chaplains are available for any religious or spiritual need.
- 10 p.m. - 6 a.m. Chaplains are available for emergencies only and can only be contacted by the House Supervisors.
- When you are scheduled for a hospital visit, due to any medical procedure requiring a hospital stay
- When admitted into the hospital
- When arriving on your floor and being admitted by your nurse, you can request a Chaplain with the admitting nurse
- When you call the operator of the hospital, you can request a Chaplain
- When you visit with your doctors, any therapist, or anyone with a Covenant Health badge, can request a Chaplain