Chaplain Micheal Smith provides spiritual support for patients recovering from serious injuries in the Burn Unit at Stroger Hospital of Cook County. During the harshest weather months the Burn Unit experiences a significant increase in patients, including a large number of housing and food-insecure patients. Many homeless patients are immediately faced with the challenge of securing food after discharge, for some even when he or she is being discharged to a shelter. Recognizing this essential need, Micheal partnered with Burn Unit nurses, social workers and staff dietitians to create "Samaritan" backpacks with non-perishable items to [...]

The nurses, technicians and doctors all lined up and clamored for what Chaplain Rose was bringing to them--no, not the snack baskets she replenishes weekly. They were yearning instead for spiritual nourishment and wanted her to anoint their hands in healing oil. To commemorate Nurses Week, Rose and Chaplain Micheal made sure that the hard-working and hard-caring nurses on the units could have their tired and dry hands blessed by scented and soothing oil--a reminder that they are each agents of healing, following the call to soothe those in their care.

Oh what a night! A "roomful" of over 100 guests from across the country laughed and cried their way through the May 2nd Healing One, Healing the World spring benefit.  Full of positive energy and contagious enthusiasm, Paddle Raise Queen Kay Lewis shared heartfelt stories of the impact that Spiritual Care Visitor Training has made in her life, and in doing so, blew through all previous paddle raise records by securing pledges and donations of over $67,000. Our honorees Linda McMillan and Martha Gano gave brilliant presentations about their love for Bishop Anderson House, and we enjoyed the group presentation [...]

Individual and group participation is welcome. Cost per individual: $10, includes 2 copies of Five Wishes Cost per group of 10: $35, includes 10 copies of Five Wishes Your copies of Five Wishes will be mailed to the address provided, and the link to the Zoom workshop will be emailed the week prior to the date selected. To commemorate National Health Care Decisions Day, Bishop Anderson House offered 2 virtual workshops on Advance Care Planning using the Five Wishes format. We have learned from COVID-19 that not one of us knows what is around the corner. Completing [...]

The first session of 2021 Spiritual Care Visitor Training kicked off in January with Zoom retreats introducing active listening, the cornerstone of the course. The students, from the Chicagoland area and Wisconsin, and are now completing the 7 online modules at their own pace. Students practice their skills 2 hours per week by providing (virtual) spiritual care, and writing 2 verbatims, which provides time for reflection on their visits. Next session begins with the virtual retreats on August 21 and 28.  Learn more here, or contact Kim at Kim_Lessner@rush.edu.

The energetic Friends of the House team spent the end of 2020 planning a collection of warm winter items for Hope's Table and the CORE Center of Cook County. "I was blown away by how many people came together to donate to community members in need," shares Lesli Vipond, a member of the Friends of the House board. "We'd hoped people would participate in the clothing drive, but the support from the community and our business partners was honestly so much more than I could have imagined. What a bright spot at the end of a long year!" Bags [...]

The West Side Partners in Caring program is a bereavement support group for families who have lost their children during pregnancy or after birth.  Since the pandemic, the monthly group gatherings have moved to Zoom meetings.  This group provides parents an opportunity to share their stories and receive support from each other and from the facilitators.  Currently the group has only been open to Rush families, although historically both UIC and Stroger have participated in the program.  In January, we began dialogue with Stroger to reinitiate involvement so that more families are able to receive support after they leave the hospital.  [...]

I never thought I would miss the sound of weeping or gnashing of teeth But now I long for it over the constant hum of those damn machines They just don’t mourn quite the same. 15 minutes is all you get, no hugs no kiss on the cheek They tell the family as they don their gowns with ease I hand a form for the body’s release It is their 5th one this week They knew the funeral home address by memory What’s the purpose of someone like me? I know that I’m supposed one who can accompany, But [...]

Exciting News! We are overjoyed to share that the United Thank Offering (UTO) of the Episcopal Church is funding the creation of a Spanish language, ethnically sensitive version of Spiritual Care Visitor Training. By training members in LatinX communities, we will be reaching out to those people who are exceptionally affected by Covid-19 yet so often fall through the cracks of our healthcare system.  We are grateful to the UTO for endorsing our vision of spreading effective, healing, nurturing and reconciling spiritual care to people who are struggling, especially in these tumultuous times. “Choosing which grant applications to fund and not [...]

As healers and caregivers we are committed to continue our work dismantling racism and discrimination wherever we find it and to foster and protect the dignity and worth of every human being. Eliminating white supremacy is imperative to our charter of advancing healing of the whole person. To that end, we are calling for four things: First, we call on elected officials and political parties to formally disavow white supremacists and nationalist groups. Their rhetoric contributes to racial battle fatigue and Continuous Traumatic Stress Disorder which affects the health and healing of the whole person. We encourage all persons to [...]