Friday, April 4, 2008 at 1:01am
Spiritual leadership in healthcare
Column: Executive Soul
At Orlando Regional Healthcare in Orlando, Fla., spiritual care of patients is a priority. Indeed, Orlando Regional has been characterized by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and state regulatory bodies as offering "state of the art" spiritual care for its patients.
How has this happened? In describing its services on its website and in other published materials, Orlando Regional stresses the commitment it has made to developing a strong chaplaincy program, since 1982. The mission of the Spiritual Care Department is "to encourage the growth and healing of mind, body and spirit through a spiritual presence of faith, hope and love."
The mission gets lived out in a number of ways. First, spiritual care for patients and families is offered around the clock through hospital chaplains and connections with patients' own faith communities. The patient's chart includes not only medical information but also a spiritual assessment and record of care provided and a care plan. Second, the Spiritual Care Department offers ethics consults and help with processing end-of-life decisions. Third, in the belief that caregivers can offer better spiritual care when they themselves are receiving spiritual care, Orlando Regional provides spiritual care for its team members. Team members are offered educational programs, pastoral counsel and spiritual direction. Spiritual direction, the newest offering for team members, is described thus:
In spiritual direction, team members experience a safe environment in which they can "unpack" their questions without fear of judgment. In that freedom, they are able to reflect deeply on their life experiences, often discovering that the questions, and the answers, are more common than once thought.
Finally, spirituality is integrated into patient care through complementary therapies. The Orlando Regional Mind/Body/Spirit Center works with chaplains to offer guided imagery, healing touch, walking the labyrinth, a healing high tea, and prayer shawls, among other offerings.
The Spiritual Care Department also convenes a Community Council on Spirituality and Healing, an interfaith group of community spiritual care providers. The Community Council seeks to improve the quality of spiritual care in healthcare, and to offer educational programs for team members and community healthcare professionals.
Through its long-term, careful, integrated commitment to spiritual care, Orlando Regional has served its patients and caregivers well. Spiritual care, part of caring for the whole person, has strengthened the human connection between caregiver and caregiver, and between caregiver and patient. Convinced that whole-person care contributes to healing, Orlando Regional has pioneered the way in spiritual care, and thus served its patients and community well.
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Margaret Benefiel, Ph.D., author of "Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations," works with leaders in business, healthcare, churches, government and non-profits to help them develop spiritual leadership. Visit her website at www.ExecutiveSoul.com. © Copyright 2008 by Margaret Benefiel.
How has this happened? In describing its services on its website and in other published materials, Orlando Regional stresses the commitment it has made to developing a strong chaplaincy program, since 1982. The mission of the Spiritual Care Department is "to encourage the growth and healing of mind, body and spirit through a spiritual presence of faith, hope and love."
The mission gets lived out in a number of ways. First, spiritual care for patients and families is offered around the clock through hospital chaplains and connections with patients' own faith communities. The patient's chart includes not only medical information but also a spiritual assessment and record of care provided and a care plan. Second, the Spiritual Care Department offers ethics consults and help with processing end-of-life decisions. Third, in the belief that caregivers can offer better spiritual care when they themselves are receiving spiritual care, Orlando Regional provides spiritual care for its team members. Team members are offered educational programs, pastoral counsel and spiritual direction. Spiritual direction, the newest offering for team members, is described thus:
In spiritual direction, team members experience a safe environment in which they can "unpack" their questions without fear of judgment. In that freedom, they are able to reflect deeply on their life experiences, often discovering that the questions, and the answers, are more common than once thought.
Finally, spirituality is integrated into patient care through complementary therapies. The Orlando Regional Mind/Body/Spirit Center works with chaplains to offer guided imagery, healing touch, walking the labyrinth, a healing high tea, and prayer shawls, among other offerings.
The Spiritual Care Department also convenes a Community Council on Spirituality and Healing, an interfaith group of community spiritual care providers. The Community Council seeks to improve the quality of spiritual care in healthcare, and to offer educational programs for team members and community healthcare professionals.
Through its long-term, careful, integrated commitment to spiritual care, Orlando Regional has served its patients and caregivers well. Spiritual care, part of caring for the whole person, has strengthened the human connection between caregiver and caregiver, and between caregiver and patient. Convinced that whole-person care contributes to healing, Orlando Regional has pioneered the way in spiritual care, and thus served its patients and community well.
— — —
Margaret Benefiel, Ph.D., author of "Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations," works with leaders in business, healthcare, churches, government and non-profits to help them develop spiritual leadership. Visit her website at www.ExecutiveSoul.com. © Copyright 2008 by Margaret Benefiel.