'Caring for the Human Spirit Conference' to Highlight Value of Spiritual Care in Health Care
New York, NY (PRWEB) January 12, 2017 -- HealthCare Chaplaincy Network (HCCN) will hold its fourth annual “Caring for the Human Spirit Conference” on March 13-15 in Chicago, Ill., with a content-rich agenda focused on the further integration of spiritual care throughout health care disciplines and settings.
The three-day conference, at the Sheraton Grand Chicago, will offer multidisciplinary sessions and workshops designed for health care chaplains; and, new this year, specific tracks for nurses and social workers, respectively, with the opportunity to earn a certificate as a spiritual care generalist.
“This year’s conference puts multidisciplinary compassionate care in the spotlight,” said Rev. Eric J. Hall, HCCN”s president and CEO. “It is becoming increasingly clear that spiritual care is such a critical aspect of whole-person care and the overall patient experience that all types of providers need to enhance their knowledge and skills. The wide reach and depth of this conference recognizes that we need health care chaplains as the spiritual care specialists and others on the health care team as spiritual care generalists to all contribute to the best quality care for people in distress.”
Known for its research-based agenda and transformative experience, the annual conference will again include top clinicians and researchers in spiritual care, palliative care, oncology, and patient experience as presenters. For the keynote address, Roshl Joan Jiko Halifax, Ph.D., founder of the Upaya Zen Center and Institute, Sante Fe, N.M., will present on “Perspectives on Compassion: An Essential Practice in Chaplaincy.”
The plenary speakers are: Deborah B. Marin, M.D., Blumenthal Professor of Psychiatry, and director, Center for Spirituality and Health, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York; The Rev. Kathie Bender Schwich, MDiv, FACHE, senior vice president, Mission and Spiritual Care, Advocate Health Care, Downers Grove, Ill.; Shane Sinclair, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Cancer Care Research Professorship, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgery, Alberta; and Jason A. Wolf, Ph.D., CPXP, president, The Beryl Institute, Southlake, Texas.
Both the conference’s agenda and attendees are reflective of spiritual care’s increasing integration in health care. A growing body of research demonstrates the positive impact of professional chaplaincy and spiritual care on medical outcomes, patient experience and satisfaction, and cost of care. Recently, the American Medical Association adopted policy recognizing the importance of individual patient spirituality and its effect on health, and encouraged giving patients access to spiritual care services.
The conference also includes more than 30 workshops, poster sessions, an exhibit hall, a pre-conference training on advance care planning, and a renewal of commitment ceremony for chaplains. Participants can attend in person or via webcast. CMEs, CEUs, and contact hours are available for physicians, chaplains, and social workers, respectively; and CNEs are pending for nurses.
For more information and to register, including early bird registration through February 18, visit http://www.healthcarechaplaincy.org/conference.
About HealthCare Chaplaincy Network™
HealthCare Chaplaincy Network™ is a global health care nonprofit organization that offers spiritual-related information and resources, and professional chaplaincy services in hospitals, other health care settings, and online. Its mission is to advance the integration of spiritual care in health care through clinical practice, research and education in order to improve patient experience and satisfaction, and to help people faced with illness and grief find comfort and meaning—whoever they are, whatever they believe, wherever they are. For more information, visit http://www.healthcarechaplaincy.org, call 212-644-1111, and connect with us on twitter and Facebook.
Carol Steinberg, HealthCare Chaplaincy Network, http://www.healthcarechaplaincy.org, +1 (212) 644-1111 Ext: 121, [email protected]
Share this article