When you are a patient in the hospital, you expect excellent medical care from trained physicians and staff. Attending to the spiritual and emotional needs that come along with a hospital stay is just as important.
"When patients are facing a crisis, spirituality can be a powerful coping mechanism," says Jeremy Simmons, M Div, chaplain at Columbus Regional Healthcare System.
"It's vital to have a trained spiritual care provider to help patients navigate through events that are life changing. Spiritual care is important in a hospital setting because it provides an opportunity for a holistic approach to care."
Thanks to the support of the Foundation at Columbus Regional and to a partnership with Carolinas Healthcare System, spiritual care at CRHS is once again possible.
Simmons has a Master's of Divinity from Duke University and is a resident in the clinical pastoral education program at Carolinas Healthcare System. As he attended seminary, he is qualified to serve as a pastor in a local church, but his role in the hospital is different than that of a pastor.
"Pastors help people grow in their faith and usually have a particular faith base that they serve," Simmons said.
"Chaplains are trained to work with all beliefs and to engage people in the faith that provides strength and meaning to them. As a chaplain, I meet a diverse group of people where they are, regardless of their religious faith."
Simmons performs daily rounds on each floor of the hospital and visits the Donayre Cancer Care Center daily.
"In addition to my rounds, I respond to referrals that involve end-of-life concerns, prayers or rituals, grief support, crisis counseling and family support," Simmons said.
Currently, he is on-call for all emergencies. In the near future, he will be providing lunch-and-learn opportunities for spiritual leaders in the community and will be forming a volunteer chaplain group that will be helpful in attending to the spiritual needs of CRHS patients.
For more information on the Clinical Pastoral Education program, or to contact the chaplain's office, please call 910-642-1702.
