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FOCUS AREAS SPIRITUAL/PASTORAL CARE

Inspired by the essentiality of spiritual/pastoral care, CHA stays abreast of the changing landscape of health care and identifies challenges and opportunities for delivering spiritual care in new and creative ways.

Recognizing spiritual health as a critical component of whole-person care, we are a passionate voice and resource for spiritual care, seeking to maintain the highest quality of care by the chaplains who serve Jesus’ healing ministry within our member ministries. CHA advocates for adequate staffing to ensure the sacramental and spiritual needs of patients and staff are addressed. We consult with our members through advisory councils and board-certifying groups to address innovations and gaps that will better serve patients, families and co-workers. 

Spiritual Care and Emerging Technology

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Essential Services of Spiritual Care in Continuing Care Settings

Essential Services of Spiritual Care in Continuing Care Settings
Pastoral Care: Standard Work and Staffing Tool

Essential Services of Spiritual Care in Acute Care Settings

Standard Work and Staffing Tool for Acute Care Settings
CHA Publications

Spiritual/Pastoral Care Articles

Season 5: Episode 5 - Spiritual Care and Emerging Technology

Emerging technologies can help health care providers with a multitude of daily tasks from efficient data processing to helping doctors with bedside conversations. But can it be used in the realm of spiritual care and whole person care?

Theresa Edmonson, Vice President of Spiritual Health for Providence St. Joseph Health, and Antonina Olszewski, Vice President of Spiritual Care for Mission Integration at Ascension, join the show to discuss the latest trends in technology and spiritual care. The two highlight the recent work of CHA’s Spiritual Care Advisory Council, explain why they feel hopeful about the future of AI in spiritual care settings, and reflect on how the foundresses and founders of Catholic health care can inspire us as we move boldly into the future.

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Spiritual care is not unique to Catholic hospitals and nursing homes, but it is integral to their identity. Catholic teaching lifts the importance of honoring the whole person — both body and spirit — seeing the two as integrally connected. It would be impossible for us to offer Catholic health care without dedicating colleagues to spiritual care. They go by many different names — chaplains, pastoral caregivers, spiritual companions and more. Most are professionals who've prepared for their ministry with years of study and certification. Others are generous volunteers from the local community. All help us to fulfill our mission in an explicit way. And today we give thanks for their presence in our midst.

— Excerpted from  A Prayer for Spiritual Caregivers