Our Foundation as Spiritual Caregivers

The Spiritual Care Department consists of an interfaith team of staff chaplains who offer holistic ministry to patients, families and staff.

• We believe in a personal and loving God whose presence in all persons is the source of human dignity.
• Persons are relational, and the support of others in a caring community.
• The revelation of a compassionate God teaches us that suffering can be transformed and made meaningful.
• During life's journey all persons have opportunities to heal and be healed.
• The challenge of a hospital stay is to integrate personal beliefs and values into the healing of body, mind, and spirit.

What We Do

Our challenge as spiritual caregivers is to respect and honor people's inherent ability and desire to find God's compassion and love.

Emotional/Spiritual Support

• Prayer
• Foster the search for inner strength and wisdom
• Encourage expression of feelings and concerns regarding current illness
• Explore spiritual concerns and perceptions of how present illness impacts one's life
• Guide reflection on the meaning of events
• Emotional support in times of crisis

Religious/Cultural Practices

• Consider expectations regarding religious/cultural practices during hospital stay
• Assess desire for sacramental ministry
• Guided imagery and relaxation techniques
• Identify usefulness of religious rituals as part of the healing process

Grief and Loss Issues

• Grief support group
• Visit past losses and their meaning
• Facilitate emotional/spiritual responses to current crisis
• Cultivate an environment to freely discuss painful feelings and concerns
• Provide support and clarify information establishing code status or changes of code status
• As appropriate, enable life review
• Attend to the issues surrounding death
• Comfort in the midst of fear, anxiety and loss
• Nurture the process of forgiveness and reconciliation
• Quarterly memorial services
• Available for family conferences.

Chapel and Reflection Rooms

Space is available and open to all for prayer, meditation, or quiet time at the following locations:

Memorial Hospital - Main

1165 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa
Chapel, off lobby
Mass: Mon - Fri at noon, Sunday at 4 p.m.

Memorial Hospital - Sotoyome

151 Sotoyome, Santa Rosa
Reflection Room, off lobby

Memorial Hospital - Fulton

1287 Fulton Rd., Santa Rosa

Reflection Room, off lobby

Petaluma Valley Hospital

400 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma
Reflection Room, off lobby

Area Lodging

To assist patients' family members the Spiritual Care Department maintains a list of area motels and hotels that offer special "Hospital Rates"