Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ
Pilot program emphasizes inpatients’ spiritual needs AMITA Adventist GlenOaks has intro-
the clinical care whiteboards in patient
that encourages physicians, nurses and
rooms, as well as in-room signage explaining
patient care technicians to prioritize
when it’s appropriate to request a chaplain.
inpatients’ spiritual needs by alerting the
“A chaplain referral can be for spiritual
hospital’s chaplains when a patient needs
comfort, emotional comfort and/or a referral
spiritual care or emotional support.
to the patient’s own faith tradition,” said
Julie Busch, associate vice president, Internal Communications, AMITA Health
David de Ramos, D.O., president of the
physicians and staff to use PerfectServe, a
AMITA Adventist GlenOaks medical staff.
HIPAA-compliant app for clinical commu-
“It is not necessarily a religious referral but
nications, to send spiritual-care refer-
it is definitely an extension of our mission.
rals quickly and easily to chaplains. The
We want our staff and physicians to inten-
program also encourages patients and their
tionally help our patients experience our
families to request a chaplain’s care when-
mission and help us enhance patient care
ever necessary. AMITA Adventist GlenOaks
and the patient experience by recognizing
24 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021
when a patient is in emotional or spiritual distress and by asking a chaplain to intervene.” AMITA Adventist GlenOaks is using Mission Matters posters as well as decals on computers in patient care areas to increase awareness of the program among physicians and associates, said Alfred Kambaki, director of Spiritual Care and Clinical Pastoral Education. de Ramos conceptualized Mission Matters and worked with Kambaki and Mark Bondarenko, senior director, Spiritual Care, to implement the pilot program this past spring. Plans call for measuring and analyzing the program’s impact at AMITA Adventist GlenOaks, and if it’s beneficial, expanding it to AMITA’s three other legacy Adventist hospitals, Kambaki said. “As a faith-based health system, we need to set ourselves apart from non-faithbased health systems, and this program is a way to enhance the patient experience – and the mission experience – in our hospitals,” de Ramos said. P
is adding chaplain contact information to
duced a pilot program, Mission Matters,
The Mission Matters program enables
S P EC I AL FEATU R E
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