Chaplaincy Program
In contributing to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital's dedication to total patient care, the Pastoral Care Department attends to the spiritual, emotional and religious needs of patients and their families. We do this directly or through our continuing liaison with local clergy of many faith traditions.
We make every effort to accommodate requests for clergy or representatives of the various faith traditions. A Catholic priest is "on-call" for sacramental emergencies.
We provide hospital orientation for clergy new to the area and sponsor educational and fellowship events for local clergy throughout the year.
As an ACPE certified center for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), we offer CPE training for seminarians, those already in ministry and lay men and women looking to enhance their ministerial talents through chaplaincy training.
Contact Information
- Staff chaplains are available during the work week from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- At other hours, a chaplain is on-call, accessible through the nursing staff.
- You may contact us at 860.442.0711, ext. 2305 or through the nursing unit staff.
- The Catholic Chaplain is Bill McGann (a Permanent Deacon of the Roman Catholic diocese of Norwich.)
- Our Administrative Assistant is Rosemary O'Brien.
Chaplaincy Program for Patients and Families
How we can serve you
A chaplain can be helpful to patient and/or family in a variety of circumstances.
- When a patient is anxious due to illness, surgery, therapy or medical procedures or in need of comfort for other reasons.
- When a patient and/or family member have major health care and treatment decisions to make.
- When a patient's way of life must change following an illness.
- When a patient is admitted in a traumatic or emergency situation.
- When a patient has a long-term or terminal illness.
- When a patient is dying or has died.
Direct Support
Chaplains can assist patients and families directly through:
- Empathic listening and spiritual presence
- Bedside prayer
- Emotional support
- Help with religious dietary needs
- Discussion of cultural practices
- Discussion of their illness concerns
- Providing spiritual reading materials
Chapel
Our inter-faith Chapel is on the 1st floor, near the Red elevators. It is always open for prayer and meditation. In it you can find spiritual reading material.
Clergy Notification
If you have identified a place of worship and consent to let us share their name with your clergy, we notify your faith community of your admission by the next work day. We assist in contacting your clergy when you request sacraments, ordinances, and other rites of your religious tradition.
How you help us serve you.
Upon admission to the hospital, be sure to register your religious affiliation, your place of worship and your willingness to allow the hospital to share your name with your clergy. This is part of our way of protecting your privacy.
Sacramental Services
Catholic Communion is offered bedside each Sunday morning or by request during the work week. Catholic priests for Sacrament of the Sick, Reconciliation or other needs are arranged for as requested, with your pastor as the first choice provider. Communion or other sacraments in other denominations are provided for on request either by a staff chaplain or by local clergy.
Chaplaincy Program Information for Local Clergy
Liaison with Local Clergy
We maintain contact with the New London Clergy Group, the New London and Norwich Deaneries of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich, the Southeastern Connecticut Ministerial Alliance, Hispanic Christian ministers as well as Jewish rabbis and the local Islamic imam. Informal contact is maintained with other local faith communities. When visiting your congregation members, please stop by our office. We are located on the 1st floor in Room 1.436 around the corner from the chapel on the hallway between the Red and Blue elevators. Also, please let us know of any changes in your contact information.
Hospital Access & Orientation
We assist you with obtaining an L+M Visiting Clergy badge. This lets the nursing and security staffs identify you, especially when you are here outside of visiting hours. In addition to parking for general visitors, there are two spaces reserved for visiting clergy on the mid-level of the parking garage. We provide hospital orientation for clergy new to the area. Please click this link to access the Orientation to L+M for Clergy presentation.
Documenting Your Visits
When here for a pastoral visit, L+M asks that you "sign-in" on the Visiting Clergy clipboard at the main reception desk. and that you record you visit by completing one of our Pastoral Care yellow stickers. You can give this to the Health Unit Coordinator (HUC) for inclusion in the patient's medical chart. These are useful to us and the nursing staff in knowing which patients are receiving pastoral support. Blank stickers are available at the reception desk and at the nursing stations.
Clergy Events
We sponsor educational and fellowship events (such as "clergy breakfasts") for local clergy throughout the year. We invite you to these through our mailing list and post them on the hospital web site calendar.
Chaplaincy Board
This panel is composed of local clergy, laity and hospital staff. It provides us input and guidance on ways in which we can serve the hospital and community more effectively. You would be most welcome to join this board and are invited to contact the Pastoral Care Office at 860.442.0711 (ext. 2305 or 2273) or by e-mail at robrien@lmhosp.org.
Clinical Pastoral Care Program
Introduction
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is a process that enables development of ministry skills in a clinical setting through interaction with patients and their families, staff, peers and a certified CPE Supervisor. The Pastoral Care Department of L+M has sponsored a CPE program for well over a decade. CPE "chaplain interns" work with staff chaplains as part of an interdisciplinary team in addressing patients' spiritual needs.
Why CPE?
- Achieve greater satisfaction and fulfillment in ministry.
- Enhance self-understanding;
- Learn new skills in ministering to the sick and dying.
- Improve their pastoral skill.
- Integrate parallel issues in hospital and congregation ministry ministry.
Why CPE at L+M?
- A dynamic and progressive hospital environment.
- Socially and culturally diverse patients and staff.
- Strong community involvement.
- Large enough for a rich, broad based clinical experience.
- Small enough to retain individuality.
- Certified by ACPE o offer Level I and Level II CPE
Who should apply for CPE at L+M?
- Local Clergy of all faith traditions.
- Seminarians.
- Ministers of Care.
- Eucharistic Ministers.
- Qualified and Caring Lay Men and Women.
What's the Commitment?
- A total of at least 400 hours split between clinical work (approx 300 hours) and education/supervisory process (at least 100 hours.)
- Summer Unit of 11 weeks begins just after Memorial Day - "full-time."
- Extended Unit runs from early October through late April - "part-time".
- Serve as chaplain on two nursing units
- Written work: "verbatim" accounts of patient visits, periodic personal reflections, mid-unit and final evaluations.
Application Process
Contact Rosemary O'Brien, at 860-442-0711 (ext 2305); or send a fax 860-444-5198; (e-mail) robrien@lmhosp.org. More CPE information and the CPE application form at the ACPE web-site: www.acpe.edu.