Hospital chaplains in demand; Brigham has dedicated mesothelioma chaplain

Sep 18, 2009

Hospital chaplains are members of the clergy who visit patients and their families in the intensive care unit (ICU) and other hospital units. Chaplains anoint the sick, provide comfort in the face of bad news, run family meetings, and attend medical rounds. Physicians have noticed that patient and family satisfaction increase when chaplains are around.

The demand for chaplains has gone up in recent years. The number of requests for chaplains has increased 23 percent over the last five years at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Requests have increased 30 percent for Massachusetts General Hospital since 2006. The pastoral care program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has increased its number of chaplain visits ten-fold since last year.

There are several explanations for the increased demand for hospital chaplains. Hospitals have been treating sicker patients—both religious and nonreligious patients and families—who have questions about aggressive treatment and death. The hospitals are also treating a greater number of Latino patients, many of whom are deeply religious. Additionally, hospitals are utilizing chaplains from a variety of faiths for pastoral visits—ministers, priests, rabbis and imams—and many hospitals have chaplains assigned to specific units. Chaplains may take a nondenominational role, ministering to patients of different faiths.

Some chaplains minister to trauma patients, others to terminally ill patients. At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, renowned thoracic surgeon Dr. David Sugarbaker hired a chaplain devoted only to his mesothelioma patients. Mesothelioma is a rare but serious form of cancer that is caused by asbestos exposure. Dr. Sugarbaker said that patients who received regular pastoral visits got through surgery more smoothly and often recovered more quickly.

For the full story, go to The Boston Globe.

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