How did The Chaplaincy begin?
A: The Chaplaincy began as an outreach of Richland Lutheran Church. In
1972 it was incorporated and housed at the church. Rev. John Moody was
its first and sole employee until 1975. In its beginnings, the focus of
The Chaplaincy was in pastoral counseling, particularly in the area of
grief.
Q: How long has Hospice been part of The Chaplaincy?
A: Hospice accepted its first patient and officially opened in July of 1981. In 1984, Hospice
became Medicare/Medicaid certified for Washington State and gained the
ability to charge fees for services and to bill insurance companies.
In 1996, Hospice House was built allowing patients with specific needs
to have the option of being cared for in their own homes or in The
Chaplaincy's Hospice House. In
2001, an additional 4 rooms were added to the hospice house bringing the total
to 10
rooms.
Q: How many patients does Hospice currently serve?
A: Hospice serves approximately 100 patients at any time. The
majority of these patients are provided hospice care in their own homes
or assisted living communities. In addition to in-home services, we also have a ten
(10) bed Hospice House.
Q: Where do your Chaplains work?
A: Currently, we provide Chaplain services to Kadlec Medical Center,
Kennewick General Hospital, Benton County Jail, the Juvenile Justice
Center, Tri-City Cancer Center, nursing homes and to our own Hospice
patients and families. In addition, our Emergency Services Chaplain
and volunteer chaplains are on-the-scene throughout the region.
They are there whenever the need arises and also support those who work
in crises on a day-to day-basis.
Q: What is CPE?
A: CPE stands for Clinical Pastoral Education. Our CPE program is a
nationally accredited program recognized for its quality by the U.S.
Department of Education. CPE exists to train individuals in the art of
spiritual care. The program is designed for seminary students,
religious professionals and selected lay-persons. Students who have
trained in our program are serving in various venues here in the
Tri-Cities, across our country and around the world.
Q: What is Cork's Place?
A: Cork’s Place”, is for grieving children ages 3 through 18, provides a
safe environment where children, teens and their families, grieving the
death of a loved one, share their experiences and find comfort as they
move through their healing process. It opened in the spring of 2004.
Q: How large is the staff of The Chaplaincy?
A: Currently there are over 120 individuals who are employed
by The Chaplaincy. In addition, almost 320 volunteers support
the work.
Q: How is The Chaplaincy funded?
Q: Is The Chaplaincy growing?
A: We have become recognized leaders in the care we
provide. Our continued growth and expertise is a blessing to the
communities and populations we serve.
Currently,
-
at any
one time, approximately 100
patients receive hospice care in their homes and in the 10-bed
hospice house.
-
16
full-time, part-time and on-call Chaplains comfort our community
members 24/7.
-
154
adults find support in one of the 7 grief groups and classes.
-
33
children and 29 families attend Cork's Place
For more
information see
The
Chaplaincy's 2007 Annual Report
