Clinical Pastoral Education
at Advocate Bethany Hospital

Institutional Context
Advocate Bethany Hospital is targeted to be a 85 bed long term acute care specialty hospital located on the West Side of Chicago, serving an inner city population of over 70,000 residents. The current hospital was built in 1984 and provides quality health care. In March of 2006 the scope of services of the hospital changed from serving short term acute care patients to serving medically complex long term acute care patients who require an extended length of stay.

Population Served
Bethany Hospital has a 150 member medical staff representing more than 30 medical specialties and targeted to serve more than 17,000 patients annually. Bethany's offers a full range of in-hospital services, including, Telemetry/Cardiac monitoring, Cardio respiratory care and services, comprehensive radiology/imaging services, laboratory services, a stand-by emergency department, as well as in-house surgical services.

Description of Pastoral Care Department
The Department of Mission and Spiritual Care consists of a director of Mission and Spiritual care, a part-time staff' chaplain, congregational health coordinator, and pastoral care associates. The department supports, promotes and develops partnership with community clergy, the ministries of Eucharistic ministers, and the Institutional Ethics Committee. Members of the chaplaincy staff also regularly facilitate many support groups for the community and participate in Bethany Hospital's Annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration. Bethany has a distinguished list of CPE graduates in the community who maintain active involvement with the CPE program and the hospital.

Unique Educational Elements
Bethany offers an eleven week system Intensive summer CPE program. In the Fall Bethany offers a system Extended Unit. In the Extended Program there is some flexibility in the scheduling of hours and an effort is made to accommodate the needs of the participants. In both programs students complete orientation sessions and then join the permanent staff in providing pastoral care to extended care needs of patients, families, and staff. They assist in the development of plan of care to patients and their families as they assess their spiritual needs in a unique setting. They participate in leading worship services during the weekday. In addition, participants utilize music as a spiritual resource for healing and well-being of patient clientele. After their initial training, students participate in on-call coverage where they respond to requests for chaplains in any area of the hospital. Students work closely with full-time staff and meet with their supervisor and peers thus providing the environment for ministry formation and identity of one’s ministerial calling. Opportunities to participate in peer group seminars and clinical coverage with other Advocate hospitals are available.

Pertinent Information for Applicants
A non-refundable deposit, applicable to fees, is required to hold a place in any program when the applicant is offered a position.

Upon acceptance into a program students must complete the mandated pre-employment physical exam, drug screening and criminal record background check.

About Advocate Bethany Hospital

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