Dr. Gary Dillehay, President of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, has been a dedicated supporter and trustee of Bishop Anderson House. He describes the value of chaplaincy in the hospital environment.

“As a practicing physician, I see how disruptive hospital stays can be for patients and their families.   I remember as a medical student and later, while an intern, I would see chaplains in the halls of the hospital.  I think many hospitals at that time employed hospital chaplains to visit patients and help provide for their spiritual care.  That was certainly the case for faith based hospitals.

When I was first approached by Frs. William Gros and Trenton Pitcher about serving on the board at Bishop Anderson House, I was unaware that hospital chaplains were no longer a part of most hospital budgets.  Patients were only visited by clergy or lay volunteers, if the patient was a member of a parish which was able to provide this.  This was problematic for patients hospitalized geographically far away from their homes and home churches.  I was very happy to learn that Bishop Anderson House provides these services, by training lay chaplains, providing ordained clergy and generally supporting the need for spiritual care, along with medical care, when patients are hospitalized.

An even more critical group of patients and their families, are those who ho have no direct relationship with an organized faith group.  These people often are visited by the Bishop Anderson House staff at times of crisis or end of life situations.  A kind word, a quiet presence and gentle caring is all some of these people need and Bishop Anderson House is there to help.

More recently, Bishop Anderson House has offered their services to the healthcare providers; the doctors, nurses, aides, technical staff, anyone involved in the care of patients. The well-being of these people is critical to their ability to care for others.  I am happy to be a supporter of Bishop Anderson House and the services they provide and will continue to do so as long as these services are needed.

Gary L. Dillehay, MD, FACNM, FACR, 2013-14 SNMMI President
Gary L. Dillehay MD, FACNM, FACR, is professor of radiology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Prior to joining Northwestern University in 2006, he was professor of radiology at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. Dillehay is certified by the American Board of Radiology and the American Board of Nuclear Medicine (ABNM).

An SNMMI member for more than 25 years, Dillehay has played an active role in the society. His most recent involvement with SNMMI includes serving as president-elect, chair of the Coding and Reimbursement Committee and as a member of the Commission on Health Care Policy, Computer Technology Assessment Committee and ACNM/SNMMI Government Relations Committee. He is the SNMMI delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA). Dillehay also served in multiple leadership positions in the Central Chapter of SNMMI.

Dillehay holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota and received his medical training at the Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minn. He has published over 19 peer-reviewed journal articles and has authored 10 book chapters and two books.

Dillehay serves on the board of directors for the Joint Review Committee on Education Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology and is an AMA advisor on multiple topics.