A chaplain is usually a person who is an ordained minister who has been commissioned by their religious faith group to minister in an institution, organization, or governmental agency. Chaplains have additional training for the specialized setting in which they work and are certified by an agency or organization that sets standards for their professional competence. The first chaplains were appointed for personal ministry to monarchs, or noblemen who owned their own chapels. Today chaplains serve in a variety of institutional settings such as hospitals, prisons, businesses, schools, diplomatic facilities and all branches of military service.

When facing a crisis, persons will turn to their spirituality as a means of coping. Many attend to their spiritual concerns within religious communities through the use of traditional religious practices, beliefs, and values. They may pray, read sacred texts, and observe rituals that are particular to their tradition. Others focus their spirituality outside traditional religious systems and beliefs. All, however, engage in a universal need to find meaning, purpose and hope in their lives. This is especially evident in times of illness or crisis. Supporting a person’s efforts to cope in the crisis of illness is appropriately thought of as spiritual care because their search leads to spiritual questions and challenges such as: Why do I exist? Why is this happening to me? If I die, what will happen to me?

Health care is more than repairing bodies when they are injured or malfunctioning. A true healthcare setting will be concerned for both body and spirit. No matter how sophisticated the medical technology, the encounter with illness or injury is still an intensely human experience. Spiritual care attempts to address this human dimension.

The Pastoral Services Department is located in the James Street entrance to the hospital. Office hours are weekdays from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Phone 544-5979. A chaplain is available 24 hours a day by pager and can be reached by calling the hospital operator.

Chaplains provide one-to-one, short-term support to patients, their families and hospital staff. The department operates on a referral basis and receives requests from nursing, physicians, social workers, patient representatives, clergy, patients and family members. In addition, chaplains are included in a number of hospital emergency protocols.

Chaplains also provide support, counseling, and referral for hospital staff and their families and limited outpatient counseling and support to former patients and their families.

Staff chaplains provide lectures and workshops for various LGH entities, community organizations and agencies. They also serve as a liaison between the hospital and Lancaster area religious communities by:

• Providing information on patients admitted to the hospital from area congregations.
• Orienting new clergy to Lancaster General.
• Developing educational events, workshops and conferences for clergy.
• Providing support and expertise to clergy dealing with difficult pastoral care issues and situations.
• Visitation of congregational members when clergy are out of town or unavailable.
• Daily visitation and Eucharist for Roman Catholic patients.

• When anxious about their condition.
• When anticipating surgery.
• After receiving bad news.
• When facing difficult decisions.
• When there are religious concerns or questions.
• When they desire someone to pray with them.
• When they wish to receive religious sacraments and do not have their own clergy.
• When struggling with the meaning of illness.
• When grieving over a loss (e.g. death, major changes, amputation).
• When trying to sort out feelings.
• When lonely or without support.
• When the patient’s family and loved ones need support.
• When patients are thankful for results and positive outcomes.