HealthCare Chaplaincy CEO Awarded
National Ministry Network’s Highest Honor

COMISS Network Chair, the Rev. David Plummer, BCC, DPP congratulates Father Smith.

At its annual convocation in January in Alexandria, Virginia, The Network on Ministry in Specialized Settings (the COMISS Network) honored HealthCare Chaplaincy’s president and CEO, the Rev. Dr. Walter J. Smith, S.J., with its highest honor—the 2012 COMISS Medal—in recognition of his contributions to the profession and to the international field of chaplaincy care.

COMISS is a national organization of chaplaincy, pastoral care and pastoral counseling professionals, and their religious endorsing officials. Its multifaith network includes organizations that provide, certify, accredit and endorse chaplaincy and other pastoral services to persons in health care facilities, correctional institutions, mental health settings, the armed forces, business settings and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The COMISS Medal has been given only 6 times since its inception. Some previous recipients have included the noted Dutch writer and lecturer, the late Henri Nouwen, and the celebrated developmental psychologist and Pulitzer Prize winner, the late Professor Erik Erikson.

Fr. Smith’s address to the COMISS delegates will be published in late March issue of the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling and will be available on our website in April.

Making the Case for Palliative Care

HealthCare Chaplaincy’s the Rev. George Handzo was a workshop presenter in November at the annual conference of the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) which attracts palliative care professionals from around the country. Most of the 650 people registered at this educational event were doctors and nurses, followed by administrators, social workers and chaplains.

George’s topic was “Improving the Quality of Spiritual Care as a Dimension of Palliative Care,” emphasizing the important role that a professional chaplain plays on the palliative care team.

A recurring theme that ran through the presentations was the need to educate and advocate for the value of palliative care to the public, policy makers, and the health care profession itself.

CAPC Director Diane Meier, MD emphasized these grim facts:

• 5% of all insured patients account for two-thirds of insurance company costs
• 10% of Medicare patients account for two-thirds of Medicare costs
• 10% of patients in hospitals account for two-thirds of a hospital’s costs

Dr. Meier said that palliative care can reduce costs while improving patient outcomes, that key to effective palliative care is listening to the patient and family members, and that chaplains are experts at this.   

Dr. Meier made special mention of the fact that professional chaplaincy will have a certification process in palliative care within the year. This effort, which creates the first subspecialty certification for chaplains, is a result of a joint initiative of HealthCare Chaplaincy and the Association of Professional Chaplains, and is supported by grants from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations and the Retirement Research Foundation.

HCC began the pilot of the educational curriculum with a small group of chaplains on January 23rd, and will open the program to all interested chaplains in September.

Important Article on Chaplaincy Research Is Now Available to Read

“Testing the Efficacy of Chaplaincy Care,” in the current issue of the Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, is the latest and most comprehensive narrative on the importance of research in professional chaplaincy.

Its authors are HealthCare Chaplaincy’s Katherine R. B. Jankowski, George F. Handzo and Kevin J. Flannelly.

You can download and read the article here.

To highlight the key points:

• Research to date supports the importance of spiritual and religious needs of patients and their families, and that patients, family of patients, and hospital staff recognize the need for chaplaincy and are satisfied with chaplaincy care.
• But this research is inconclusive on what chaplains do that is unique to chaplaincy practice, how what they do relates directly to patient health outcomes, and which practices are best for which kinds of patients in what patient settings.
• More research is needed to describe the unique contributions of chaplains to spiritual care and identify best chaplaincy practices to optimize patient and family health outcomes.

The authors gratefully acknowledge the John Templeton Foundation which funded this work.

Last month HealthCare Chaplaincy announced Calls for Proposals for the major research initiative “Growing the Field of Chaplaincy Research in Palliative Care,” also funded by the John Templeton Foundation. This will award six to ten grants of up to $250,000 each to build capacity in the field of chaplaincy research in palliative care by creating an interdisciplinary network of experienced researchers and board-certified chaplains, promoting career development of participants, and supporting field-advancing research projects to better understand chaplaincy care in palliative care. For more information, click here.

Meet Extraordinary Patient Care Honoree
Jean-Marie A. Julien

A highlight of our 50th Anniversary Gala on November 3rd was the celebration of patient care honorees – remarkable men and women who provide extraordinary care for their patients. All were chosen by their peers at the partner institutions where HealthCare Chaplaincy manages, staffs, and operates board certified chaplaincy services.

HealthCare Chaplaincy Today is pleased to profile one honoree in each issue.

Here’s what his colleagues say about Jean-Marie A. Julien, RPA-C.

“Jean-Marie, as the Chief Physician Assistant for the Department of Orthopedics at New York Hospital, Queens, your name is synonymous with astute and compassionate patient care.

“Your calm and caring manner, coupled with your own deep spirituality, has helped frightened families navigate more securely through the life-changing events afflicting their loved ones.

“Jean-Marie, you are a gift and a beacon of hope.”

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