Pastoral Care Services
Pastoral Care is available to you and your loved ones during your time in the hospital. Our chaplains will be a resource to you during this time in your life. We can assist in your spiritual needs through prayer, sacrament, rituals, or reaching out to a clergy that you are familiar with.
Pastoral Care Services
The Pastoral Care Services offered by Shady Grove Adventist Hospital include
- Spiritual support to all patients, their families and hospital staff
- Responding to crises and referrals in a timely manner
- Special rituals and services including: communion, anointing, funerals and memorial services
- Participation in discharge planning and other interdisciplinary meetings
- “Words to Live By” and prayer over the hospital public address system, Monday through Friday at 8:45 a.m.
- A week of Spiritual Emphasis in the spring during Holy Week and a week of Pastoral Care celebration in the fall for all in the hospital
- Support staff Prayer Ministry
- Quarterly Grief Care Support Groups for general losses
- Monthly Empty Arms, Aching Heart (EAAH) support groups for perinatal loss
- Memorial Services of Remembrance for bereaved families of deceased patients
- Employee bereavement support.
- Institutional Review Board (IRB) participation and support
Advance Directives
The Department of Mission Integration and Pastoral Care Services is responsible in assisting patients and families with the delivery, and as needed, the completion of the Advance Directive form. During the work hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., this service is available by calling the pastoral care office number (301) 279-6112. To contact the Pastoral Care Services Department after hours, in the evening and weekends, call the hospital operator (“0”) operator and ask for the duty Chaplain On-Call.
The Pastoral Care Department also provides continued in-service and community awareness education on this matter to bring the community on-board in increasing the awareness of making an advance directive a common family conversations.
Other Resources: The Maryland Attorney General provides more information on advance directives. (PowerPoint Presentation)
Ethics
Shady Gove Adventist Hospital's committed to strengthening ethical decision-making as it relates to caring for our patients. Ethics is the study of our decision-making process at a difficult moment in a patient’s life, and requires the careful consideration of rights, responsibilities, justice and fairness. An ethical problem may arise when there is disagreement about these basic considerations. Ethical dilemmas may occur when there are different or competing values involving patient care.
The Ethics Committee uses a team approach towards identifying the values and principles important to the resolution of difficult problems in decision making for patients, families, their families and medical staff. The Ethics Committee is comprised of a diverse group of individuals including, doctors, nurses, administrators, clergy/chaplains, and other staff members. As a vital member of the Ethics Committee, the Director of the Pastoral Care Services Department is the Shady Grove Adventist Hospital’s President Council representative and overseer of the Ethics Committee functions in the medical center. The Ethics Committee meets on by-monthly basis and as needed.
Consultation Request
The Nursing Administrative support handles all telephone requests for consultation for the Ethics committee. There are times this request may come from others physicians. The Administrative Supervisor can be reached within the hospital by dialing the hospital operator at (301) 279-6000. All written requests can be directed to:
Paul S. Van Nice, M.D.
Chairman of the Ethics Committee
9901 Medical Center Drive
Rockville, MD 28050