Piedmont Hospital's Spiritual Care Services staff is a resource for the spiritual and religious needs of all patients within the hospital. We also are available to the hospital staff. Our office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. An on-call chaplain is always available to respond to needs and emergencies at night and on weekends. The Spiritual Care Services staff is responsible for assisting with the spiritual and religious needs of each patient, family member and staff member who requests our services.

Services:

• Calling local churches, synagogues or religious centers for patients when requested.
• Providing pastoral care to patients, their families and hospital staff when requested.
• Offering religious resources for all of the major religions/faith groups.
• Collaborating as team members on the Ethics Committee, the Institutional Review Board and other committees within the hospital.
• Serving our local community through various committees and boards.

Staffing:

Our staff is made up of two clinically trained, board-certified chaplains, eight on-call chaplains, and a number of trained and experienced lay volunteers.

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Department of Spiritual Care Services is to provide quality spiritual, emotional, and religious support to patients, families, staff, and community of Piedmont Hospital in an inclusive, respectful and timely manner.

Code of Ethics:

The Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) addresses specific guidelines regarding the code of conduct for professional board-certified chaplains to follow regarding the carrying out of Spiritual Care Services. Further information is available on their website at www.professionalchaplains.org.

Chapel:

An interfaith chapel is located on first floor near the lobby of the hospital. It is always open and available for meditation, reflection and prayer to people of all faiths. A variety of religious resources are also available for use in the chapel.

Spiritual Care Services Volunteers:

Spiritual Care Services volunteers are lay workers from local congregations who have a minimum of 50 hours of training and experience in the ministry of spiritual care. Each person must be a member of a local congregation, make application, be interviewed and accepted by the Spiritual Care Services staff. A commitment of two years is requested, which includes two hours of visitation each week, two hours of group supervision per month and one hour of education per quarter.

Clergy Parking:

Complimentary parking is available for local clergy who visit someone from their local congregation. They should be prepared to show proof of their clergy status when leaving the parking deck to receive complimentary parking.

Religious Solicitation and Distribution of Literature

To maintain an environment of moral and spiritual integrity for all our patients and their families, no distribution of religious literature is permitted on the hospital premises without prior approval of the Department of Spiritual Care Services. Religious literature indiscriminately left in public areas will be removed.

Likewise, the unsolicited visitation or proselytizing of patients by clergy of any faith group, religious organization or sect is not permitted for any purpose, unless specifically requested by the patient or his/her family member.