Partners in Caring Highlights

Winthrop Creates Chaplaincy Unit for Pastoral
Care and Education
Veteran Chaplain Named to Address Patients' and Families' Spiritual Needs

Winthrop-University Hospital has named The Rev. Winfried R. Hess as founding director of pastoral care and education, a new department that addresses the spiritual needs of patients and their families. An experienced chaplain and educator, he will serve as a liaison between the hospital and community clergy of all faiths and denominations. He will also supervise chaplain-interns who are in training for pastoral healthcare at the hospital.

The Rev. Hess will develop Winthrop-University Hospital's pastoral care department, and assess which areas of the hospital are most in need of spiritual care. He will also cooperate with local clergy to offer meaningful pastoral care to the larger community, to people of all faiths.

The announcement was made by The Rev. Dr. Walter J. Smith, S.J., president and CEO of The HealthCare Chaplaincy. He was joined by Daniel P. Walsh, president and CEO of Winthrop-University Hospital, in Mineola, New York.

The Rev. Hess will also promote an awareness of the spiritual dimension among healthcare workers as well as patients. He noted that, while doctors, nurses, and other staff create a congenial and collaborative atmosphere at the hospital, they also work under a lot of stress. "They have to fight for the lives of their patients every day," he said.

"Winthrop-University Hospital and The Chaplaincy are fortunate to attract such a dedicated and skilled chaplain and educator," said Father Smith. "He, in turn, is blessed to work in an outstanding medical institution that is so committed to spiritual support as a component of medical care."

The Rev. Hess was pastor and chaplain at the Center for Psychiatry of Frankfurt University, where he founded a charitable organization to support and enhance the quality of life of the mentally ill. As pastor of the largest Lutheran community in Frankfurt, he began a children's worship service, started a partnership with a congregation in Ghana, Africa, and developed dialogue with minority groups.

He studied theology in several German universities, and earned a Master of Divinity degree at the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, before completing a clinical pastoral education residency at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn. He and his wife, Linda Sierra-Averitt, a behavioral psychologist and Long Island native, have two children.