Chaplains are ministers with special skills in helping people during times of illness.  Vanderbilt Hospital understands the vital roles that faith and spirit play in the lives of patients and their families.  You may request a Chaplain by calling Pastoral Care at 615.343.3535 or ask your nurse or physician to call a chaplain.  Chaplains are in the hospital Monday through Friday and are on-call on the weekends for emergencies.

When to Call a Chaplain

• When you desire prayer or spiritual guidance
• When you desire a specific rite or ritual (i.e., communion, baptism, the sacrament of the sick, or annointing)
• When there is a death or crisis
• When you are wrestling with religious issues such as unresolved grief, lack of faith, inability to pray, sense of being abandoned by God, or when you experience lack of hope or question the meaning of life.
• When you need information about community religious groups and/or resources.

How to Contact a Chaplain

• Ask your nurse or other medical staff person to contact a chaplain on your behalf.
• Call the Department of Pastoral Care at 3-3535.
• Stop by the Department of Pastoral Care located in Medical Center North, D-2111.