Clinical Pastoral Education
at Advocate Christ Medical Center

Institutional Context
Advocate Christ Medical Center is a major medical center which includes a regional trauma center and a 695 bed teaching hospital. It is located in the southwest Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn, on 95th Street and Kostner Avenue, between Pulaski and Cicero, roughly half way between the 95th Street exits on Route 94 (Dan Ryan Expressway) and Route 294. (Tri-State Tollway).

The neighborhood immediately surrounding the hospital is middle class, predominantly Catholic, eastern European and Mediterranean. There is a growing Muslim population in the community.

Christ Medical Center's emergency room receives many patients from the inner city of Chicago. It is one of the busiest regional Level I trauma centers in the State of Illinois.

Population Served
The patient population includes people with roots in Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Hope Children's Hospital is designated a Level III (highest level) pediatric trauma center. Specialties include Pediatric Cancer and Heart Institutes which draw patients from increasingly larger service areas. Additional renowned programs such as Rehabilitation, High Risk Obstetrics, Intensive Care Nursery, Psychiatric and Substance Abuse attract patients from beyond the neighborhood of the hospital. These clinical specialties and the seven intensive care areas provide CPE students with opportunities for longer term and follow-up pastoral relationships.

Description of Pastoral Care Department
The department currently includes nine full-time and six part-time chaplains, one of whom serves as the Vice President of Mission and Spiritual Care and member of the Administrative Team and two of whom are CPE supervisors. There are four stipended residency positions and a supervisor in training. The department supports, promotes and develops the ministries of eucharistic ministers, volunteers, visiting parish clergy and the Ethics Committee. Members of the chaplaincy staff also regularly facilitate many support groups for the community and participate in community educational activities.

Unique Educational Elements
Christ Medical Center, as part of the Advocate system CPE Center, offers a full range of programs which include a stipended residency, summer intensive programs, extended programs, and supervisory education. The annual cycle of programs is usually compatible with the academic schedules of most seminaries so that seminarians may take intensive or extended CPE programs at various times during the year. The extended units accommodate students that cannot take a full time program. All programs draw on and are coordinated with Advocate system resources.

The system-synchronized CPE resident program features a twelve-month, three-term curriculum. Each four month term includes a typical 12 week intensive CPE unit followed by a five week integrative time. The integrative times allows for specialized learning in ministry by way of projects, studies, and/or formal research efforts. The resident curriculum also attends to the consultative and certification needs of those considering professional chaplaincy.

Each year has a summer intensive program containing as many as six or seven students and an extended program from October to May, containing five to seven students. Occasionally we have had a second extended program from January to September 1. The extended program is scheduled to accommodate the needs of the participants and has occasionally been offered in evening and/or weekend hours.

All students rotate through eight-hour shifts of on-call week-end duty with responsibilities for the trauma center and the general hospital areas. Students are expected to remain in the hospital because the shifts can be intense. For weekday clinical assignments there are opportunities to specialize in the various medical and surgical areas of care.

As a large medical center, Christ Medical Center offers unique didactic opportunities such as specialized medical and behavioral health lectures, ethics consultations and opportunities to learn along with medical students and medical residents. Year-long residents have the opportunity to engage in a ministry specialty, for presentation to the department and possible publication. Residents may choose to participate in these groups as part of their educational experience. In addition, there are many departmental activities open to residents.

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.

Students may not begin a program until they have complied with the mandated pre-employment physical exam, drug screening, and criminal record background check.

For More Information...
Ms. Karen Darr
Advocate Christ Medical Center
4440 West 95th Street
Oak Lawn, IL 60453
708.684.4189
Karen.Darr@advocatehealth.com

About Advocate Christ Medical Center

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