The Hospice Chaplaincy Show with Saul Ebema: Recent Episodes

Saul Ebema and Joe Newton

A show about the psycho-spiritual aspects of hospice care. On the Hospice Chaplaincy Show, you will hear stories of experts in the field of end of life care and grief counseling.This fun and educational podcast explores their life stories and theories of practice.

In Today’s episode, Saul talks to Janelle Benuska on her work as a death and grief doula. Janelle Benuska is a death + grief doula, licensed massage therapist, energy worker, hospice volunteer, Death Café facilitator, mother, wife, and deathcare advocate. Her services focus on active listening, facilitating and holding space, and her practice is rooted in community and love, deep, authentic connection and devotion to attentive, intentional care. For more information, please visit https://www.ourdyingday.com/.

In Today’s episode, Saul talks to Chaplain Anthony Balistreri on his life’s journey and chaplaincy in the jail system. Chaplain Anthony is currently in his ongoing assignment as Chaplain in the Racine County Sheriff’s Office, which he has held since he established their Chaplaincy Counsel in 2016. In this position, he has established healthy, constructive relationships within the office as well as with other government offices in Racine County amongst elected officials and laymen.

Anthony holds both an undergraduate degree in Physics and an MBA from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Giving to the Nations, a worldwide nonprofit organization.

He is also an ordained non-denominational pastor, he serves as the senior pastor of an international ministry headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin and has served on the boards of other Southeastern Wisconsin ministries and Christian schools.

In today’s episode, Saul talks to E. Jane Wyatt on memory and elder care. E. Jane Wyatt is a Licensed Professional Counselor, with M.A. in Health Education and a M.S. in Guidance and Counseling. Becoming the primary caregiver for her mother and dealing with her progressive dementia gave Jane deeper insight into issues regarding caregivers and the lack of easily accessible resources for them. Her education and personal experiences have given her the knowledge to create those resources and the motivation to help others now traveling the path she has already walked.

In today's episode, Saul talks to Adam McHugh on his book "Blood from a stone: A memoir of how wine brought me back from the dead." Adam McHugh is a wine tour guide, sommelier, and Certified Specialist of Wine. He is a regular contributor to Edible Santa Barbara & Wine Country and a happy resident of the Santa Ynez Valley.

Adam is the author of the memoir Blood from a Stone: A Memoir of How Wine Brought Me Back from the Dead, which tells the story of how he stumbled his way from hospice chaplain and grief counselor in Los Angeles to wine tour guide and sommelier in the Santa Ynez Valley.

A former hospice chaplain and Presbyterian minister, he wrote two books while in professional ministry: The Listening Life and Introverts in the Church. He was featured in Susan Cain's bestselling book Quiet, and wrote articles on introversion and listening for Psychology Today, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and Quiet Revolution.

Adam is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College and the Princeton School of Theology.

In today’s episode, Saul talks to Wendy Cadge about her new book, “The Everyday Work of Chaplains”. She is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Brandeis University. She founded and co-directed the Transforming Chaplaincy Project from 2015-19, and in 2018 launched the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab. An award-winning teacher, she has published more than 75 articles and raised more than $6.5 million in support of her own research and teaching and that of colleagues.

Dr. David Clark is Professor emeritus of Medical Sociology at the University of Glasgow’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies in Dumfries, Scotland and has wide-ranging interests in end-of-life issues in the global context.

He founded and led the Glasgow End of Life Studies Group.

He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern Denmark, and a Visiting Researcher at the University of Navarra, Spain.

Saul Ebema talks with Dr. Cathy Siebold- a legendary social worker, psychotherapist and social movement theorist.

Cathy Siebold is also the author of “The Hospice Movement: Easing death pains.” In this interview, she talks about her recollection of the earlier years of the hospice movement.

In this interview, Cathy Siebold who has witnessed firsthand the evolution of hospice care since its modern incarnation in the 1960s, presents a balanced and objective analysis of the movement’s accomplishments and failings.

You can also read more about that in her book “The Hospice Movement: Easing Death’s Pains.”

Having participated in Camp Kangaroo two weeks ago, Saul is taken back to his conversation last year with one of the founders of camp kangaroo Russell Hilliard. Dr. Hilliard is the Senior VP, Patient Experience & Staff Development at AccentCare Hospice and also the Founder of the Center for Music Therapy in End of Life Care.

In today’s episode, Saul talks to Wes Moldogo on holding space for veterans. Wes is a Chaplain for a small community hospice in Central Oregon. He also currently serves as a Chaplain in the Army National Guard. In this episode Wes talks about Veterans: specifically the connection between their EOL care, and how deeper upstream palliative care could more likely lead to good, robust outcomes. He also explores spiritual distress/pain and disharmony that he encounters; both with current soldiers and with the veterans at EOL … which show parallel trends.

In Today's episode, Saul talks to Monique Jones about her journey. Monique is a chaplain who has worked both in hospital and hospice settings. In this episode she shares about her life experiences and journey to chaplaincy.

Donna’s research program focuses on health services and health policy; primarily in relation to aging, ageism, and end-of-life care. Her work is oriented to myth busting, to ensure effective and accessible healthcare services for older and younger people. Her investigations often involve population data and mixed-methods research. She has over 300 articles, books, book chapters, and other peer-reviewed communications in print. She is frequently and widely consulted for expert commentary on aging, end-of-life care, health policy, healthcare services, and health system trends and issues.

She earned her MA in Religion and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She taught in the Religion and Philosophy Department at The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey for over a decade earning the Dunbar Abston Jr. Chair for Teaching Excellence.

Favorite Jobs and Assignments:

News reporting for CFTO-CTV in Toronto, Canada
Host of The Rosemary Keevil Show (original, I know!), a live, drive-time, current affairs talk show, CFUN Radio (CHUM National Radio Network) in Vancouver, Canada
Guest relations for the Vancouver International Film Festival
Managing editor of Scarlett magazine (now defunct: not my fault!) for the professional woman, in Vancouver
Can-can dancer at Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Casino in Dawson City, Yukon
Destination representative for Sunflight Holidays in Tahiti, French Polynesia

As a speaker and spiritual teacher, Jennifer is a recognized leader in personal development and spirituality, and has led signature workshops on intuition, meditation, connecting to the Spirit World, and other spiritual themes. She continues to study new teachings and regularly attends workshops as well, including the Arthur Findlay College in the UK.

As an author, her healing meditations and new book, A Healing Journey, provide comfort and guidance, like a lighthouse in a storm for those seeking peace and renewal. Jennifer’s gifts of wisdom, insight, and intuition are unparalleled—whether she is teaching a workshop live or leading groups online.

Recently, she has been studying existential concerns at the start of life: what does our origin mean to us? What is the meaning of our beginning? What does it mean to bring life into the world? By comparing and contrasting existential concerns at birth and death she tries to unravel processes of meaning, with specific focus on embodiment and relationality. In the past, she has studied concepts of symbolic immortality (notions of a “postself”), ethics of end-of-life decision-making and the role of secular or personal spirituality. Other research interests are: identity theory, relational and narrative perspectives, ritual as intervention/method used in pastoral care, interdisciplinary research and mixed-methods.

Anne teaches pastoral theology in St Patrick's College, Maynooth and is Visiting Lecturer and Supervisor at the Margaret Beaufort Institute in Cambridge, England. She supports ministry colleagues in her Pastoral Supervision practice. Anne is married with three adult children. She loves swimming in the Atlantic at first light, throughout the year. She recently published her book Called: Women in Ministry in Ireland based on interviews with female Christian ministers across the denominations from the four corners of Ireland.

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Clinical Psychology
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
1998 – 2004

Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
1992 – 1996

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

Director of Clinical Training
University of Arizona, Department of Psychology
2019 – present

Associate Professor of PsychologyUniversity of Arizona, Department of Psychology
2017 – present

Assistant Professor of PsychologyUniversity of Arizona, Department of Psychology
2012 – 2017

Assistant Professor in Residence
UCLA, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science
2007 – 2012

Postdoctoral Fellow
UCLA, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology
2004 – 2007

Intern, Health TrackUCLA, Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital
2003 – 2004

A Florida native, Hank is a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in history and was on football scholarship. He received his Master of Divinity degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

After serving for five years right after seminary in a very traditional church in Macon, Georgia he moved to the Washington, DC area to be a part of the very nontraditional Church of the Saviour. For a year following the move to DC, Hank worked as a carpenter and then for four years directed an inner-city ministry for hard-to-employ people. In 1983 Chaplain Dunn began his healthcare work as a nursing home chaplain. He has served as a hospice chaplain and volunteered nights and weekends as an on-call chaplain at a community hospital.

He is a past president of the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association and has served on several ethics committees. Hank is a frequent speaker nationally on the topic of making end-of-life decisions and spirituality and healthcare.

To help him explain end-of-life decisions to patients and families, he wrote a booklet to hand to them so they could reflect on the issues discussed. As an afterthought, he sent the book out to other institutions to see if they would be interested in purchasing it for their clients. First published in 1990, Hard Choices for Loving People: CPR, Feeding Tubes, Palliative Care, Comfort Measures, and the Patient with a Serious Illness is now in its Sixth Edition, with over 3.9 million copies sold, and it is being used in more than 5,000 hospitals, nursing homes, faith communities and hospice programs nationwide. His second book, Light in the Shadows: Meditations While Living with a Life-Threatening Illness, is a collection of reflections on the emotional and spiritual concerns at the end of life. Besides speaking on topics related to his books, Chaplain Dunn has also been a leader of silent retreats. Hank has recently moved to Oxford, Mississippi after 39 years living in the DC suburbs of Virginia. He enjoys fly fishing, wilderness camping, hiking, kayaking and life in general.

Suzy Hopkins is a retired journalist who worked for four Northern California newspapers, then founded and ran a community magazine in the Sierra foothills for 10 years.

Hallie Bateman is a writer and illustrator based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Buzzfeed and many others. Together Suzy and Hallie created the book: What to Do When I’m Gone: A Mother’s Wisdom to Her Daughter.

Dr. Cacciatore specializes in counseling those affected by traumatic death. She works with and counsels families from all around the world who have experienced catastrophic deaths. Her therapeutic interventions are always presence-and-mindfulness based and include narrative, dialectical, and trauma-focused therapies. She also teaches meditation, mindfulness, and compassion and ahimsa practices to students and clients from around the world.

As an advocate of “green” mental health care after a traumatic experience, she is a member of the American Psychotherapy Association, the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and the National Center for Crisis Management. She spearheaded and directs the graduate Certificate in Trauma and Bereavement program at ASU.

Her research has been published extensively in peer reviewed journals such as The Lancet, Birth, Death Studies, Omega Journal of Death and Dying, Social Work, Social Work and Healthcare, and Families in Society.

Dr. Cacciatore received her Doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her Masters degree and Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Arizona State University. Her work has been featured in major media sources such as People and Newsweek magazines, the New York Times, Boston Globe, CNN, National Public Radio, and the Los Angeles Times.

She has been the recipient of many regional and national awards for her empathic work and service to people suffering traumatic grief. Among them, the Hon Kachina Award in 2007, the Sr Teresa Compassionate Care Award, the Empathic Therapist of the Year Award, Arizona Foothills Arizona Women Who Move the Valley Award, and the Parents of Murdered Children Father Ken Czillinger Award.

Tom is also a well-known speaker, having offered conference programs across the United States, Canada, and Japan and in England, Australia, Israel, and Germany as well as innumerable talks and workshops for nurses, physicians, funeral directors, clinical psychologists, social service providers, gerontologists, hospice workers, bereavement coordinators, clergy, educators, civic organizations and the general public.

He taught philosophy at Bowling Green State University for nearly twenty-five years, serving as Department Chair for eleven years and leading efforts to establish the first Ph.D. in Applied Philosophy in the world in 1987. Tom left as Professor Emeritus in Philosophy in 1995 to become an independent applied philosopher. A Past President of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, he also served as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement.

Tom is also a well-known speaker, having offered conference programs across the United States, Canada, and Japan and in England, Australia, Israel, and Germany as well as innumerable talks and workshops for nurses, physicians, funeral directors, clinical psychologists, social service providers, gerontologists, hospice workers, bereavement coordinators, clergy, educators, civic organizations and the general public.

He taught philosophy at Bowling Green State University for nearly twenty-five years, serving as Department Chair for eleven years and leading efforts to establish the first Ph.D. in Applied Philosophy in the world in 1987. Tom left as Professor Emeritus in Philosophy in 1995 to become an independent applied philosopher. A Past President of the Association for Death Education and Counseling, he also served as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the International Work Group on Death, Dying, and Bereavement.

For instance, relatives sometimes worry their loved one will be “doped up” or become addicted to strong pain medications. Or they may fear their family member will suffer severe pain or other symptoms without sufficient relief. In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Miles will shade some light on all of that.

Katie is a practicing adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner. She is also the founder and CEO of Death Care Coach, a company offering end-of-life guidance, consulting, education, and coaching to families, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Before founding Death Care Coach, she taught full-time as a Professor at Drexel University in the College of Nursing and Health Professions Undergraduate Program, and an adjunct Professor in the Nurse Practitioner Program.

Duncan has been working in healthcare for over 10 years in various roles and various specialties. She has spent time in hospital and intensive care settings. She has also worked in home-care and community settings, navigating her way into diverse homes while developing strong, trusting relationships with her patients and their families. In addition, Duncan has spent time in sub-acute rehab, assisted living, independent living, nursing home, and long-term care facilities. She continues to be an everlasting student continuously learning from those who allow her the privilege of being at their bedside, especially as they journey through their dying process.

Of all the places Duncan has worked, her greatest love has always been end-of-life hospice care. It has been her honor to be at the bedside of irreplaceable fellow humans as they take their last breaths in their physical bodies. Their journeys have taught her that life is a precious gift, and there is an opportunity to find beauty even at the very end. As a result, Duncan has made it her mission to educate, coach, and provide holistic services focusing on end-of-life matters.

In this episode, Saul and Joe reflect on the 100 published episodes of The Hospice Chaplaincy Show and reaching listenership in over 50 countries.

She received the Canadian Association of Teacher Education (2021) thesis and dissertation award for her work’s contribution to teacher education. Using her skills and expertise for service, she created and led numerous Grief and Writing Through Grief workshops for educators and bereavement support centers across North America. Apart from being an educator, she is a writer at heart and has released two books based on her doctoral dissertation: Life: To Be Given Back Again to Whence It Came and the companion stories The Revelations of Eapen.

Links:

Book 1: “Life: To Be Given Back Again to Whence It Came” – A dissection of prolonged grief, cultural grief illiteracy, the healing power of rituals and communal grieving, and an analysis of the impact of expressive storytelling on bereavement can be viewed here: www.diopress.com/life

Book 2: “The Revelations of Eapen” – The author’s intimate exploration of eastern and western cultural interactions with the phenomenon of grief before, during, and after her father’s death can be viewed here: www.diopress.com/revelations-of-eapen

Academic Article: “Braiding western and eastern cultural rituals in bereavement: An autoethnography of healing the pain of prolonged grief” - https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2021.1983158

His research, advocacy, and consultation have resulted in the development of first- time music therapy programs in hospices throughout the nation, thereby creating many new music therapy positions. He is the author of the text, Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapy: A Guide to Program Development and Clinical Care, and his research has been published in a wide variety of scholarly journals. He also wrote a chapter titled, Music and Grief Work with Children and Adolescents, in a book titled Creative Interventions with Traumatized Children, edited by Cathy A. Malchiodi. Dr. Hilliard has provided keynote addresses for healthcare conferences and is a frequent presenter at professional conferences worldwide.

She has published more than 20 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, and the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Her research has been covered by media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, and NPR. Prior to pursuing her PhD in public policy from the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, Dr. Cross spent several years as a social worker in home hospice and inpatient palliative care. Dr. Cross’ current research priorities are identifying, understanding, and improving the experiences of people facing structural inequities at end of life, particularly poverty.

Cheryl’s entrepreneurial spirit flourished in photography, modeling and fashion. She launched a successful international bridal line, Christopher and LaLou. Cheryl, along with her husband, has always been involved in community and ministry. Along with others, she brought Young Life to Southeast Texas and launched a bible study for unchurched women called Wellspring. Life and family forever changed with the death of two of her sons and one grandson. Her life is shared with her husband, Gary Christopher, two children, and seven grandchildren. Her days are now filled with doing the things she loves: cooking, writing, painting and speaking with others who grieve significant loss.

Jean has extensive experience counseling individuals, couples, and families through issues of loss, grief, chronic pain and disease, trauma, anxiety, stress, and depression, communication and relationship problems, and transitional phases of life. Jean had been a Hospice nurse for years in patients' homes. She feels especially grateful for the blessed opportunity to have served those special patients and their families during such a sensitive transitional time.

Jean’s training also includes national certifications as a practitioner in Holistic Nursing, Imago Relationship Therapy for singles, couples and families, and Reiki Healing Mastership. She also is trained in the utilization of relaxation and meditation techniques, interactive guided imagery and visualization, the One Brain Stress Defusion System, interpersonal communication skills, spiritual introspection, and other integrative healing modalities. Throughout the years Jean has developed and taught classes and courses on the above named topics as well as on subjects of puberty and healthy self esteem for adolescents. Also, Jean held the positions of Integrative Therapy Nurse and Community Health Educator Nurse for Women’s Health at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital Hamilton.

Jean Daly combines her knowledge of complimentary/integrative therapies with traditional medical practices to offer a true holistic perspective to the process of healing and to the maintenance of health and wellness. She is passionate about her work and enjoys being able to assist those who wish to reach a more authentic level of physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual well-being.

Marcus has authored four books and is currently at work on a fifth. He holds a B.S. in sociology from Missouri State University and a M.S. in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University in the city of New York.

In 2017, Marcus was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dame where he teaches pre-meds the art of “being with.”

Marcus lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife, Marvelyne, and his Seeing Eye dog, Elliott. He is, in his words, a social media junkie and loves to connect with healthcare professionals nationwide. All social media information can be found at www.MarcusEngel.com.

Resources:

Website: www.MarcusEngel.com
Free Resources for Healthcare Professionals: https://marcusengel.com/freeresources/

Publications:

Marcus’ book, “I’m Here: Compassionate Communication in Patient Care”: https://marcusengel.com/store/
Marcus' podcast, “Compassion & Courage: Conversations in Healthcare”: https://bit.ly/MarcusEngelPodcast

Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbxEThhntfs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9v4XfwwWac

In Today's episode, Saul talks with Holly Vossel a reporter for hospice news about improving access and quality of hospice care for LGBTQ+

Dr. Maingi is the Dana-Farber Cancer Network Health Equity & Inclusion liaison at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at South Shore. Dr. Maingi is also co-chair of the ASCO SGM Task Force and a member of the Diversity and Inclusivity Task Force, Symptoms and Survivorship Task Force, and Practice Health Task Force.

In this week's episode, Saul talks with Chaplain Kevin Jordan on his life's journey, calling and ministry.

Jose is the co-founder of Inner Immersion, LLC, an organization teaching a breakthrough mindfulness modality. Together with his wife and partner, Anastasia Hernandez, he has recently co-founded Immersive Arts, a collaborative of art, design and medical professionals working with hospitals and other healthcare organizations to offer calming, comforting and healing experiences for patients, families and staff in these settings while providing the platform for further research into art’s impact on health outcomes.

Education

CMHIMP Certified mental health integrative medicine provider
Psy.D., Clinical Psychology, Ryokan College, Los Angeles, CA
M.A., Clinical Psychology, Ryokan College, Los Angeles, CA
B.A., Studio Art, Scripps College, Claremont, CA

Phi Beta Kappa

Embracing Life After Loss shows readers how to smile through the difficult times - how to take a break from the pain of your loss and find joy in life again. This book is a steadfast compass that offers hope and resilience to anyone trying to navigate through dark times. Here is the link to the BOOK

Embracing Life After Loss: A Gentle Guide for Growing through Grief (Book About Grieving and Hope, Daily Grief Meditation, Grief Journal, for Readers of Good Grief)

After years of caring for people with serious illness as a physician, Jennifer’s husband, Bob Lehmberg, was diagnosed with a stage IV, metastatic cancer. But caregiving for the man who had made a 40-year career of caregiving as a physician was not easy. When Jennifer’s husband was diagnosed and later after he died, she turned to what had brought her comfort for years—art journaling. She documented and depicted the raw, honest, beautiful and exhausting reality of caregiving through collage, tableaus, notes and observations. She included much of the wisdom and perspective she learned from her husband in his years as a physician.

Here is the link to the book

The Hospice Doctor's Widow: A Journal

Paul’s Publications

That’s great! You can tell us how you are feeling’ – Mark, a recently severely physically disabled 11-year-old boy with a brain tumor in G. Fitchett and S. Nolan (eds), Case Studies in spiritual care. (with Liz Bryson and Sally Nash). JKP, 2018
Chapter Holding the whispers in the dark in Skills for children’s work SCM 2019.
What do pediatric chaplains do? Developing a taxonomy of chaplaincy with children and young people. (With Emma Roberts et al) Journal for Healthcare Chaplaincy, summer 2018.
Coeditor, Skills for Pediatric chaplaincy, (with Mark Bartell and Sally Nash) JKP, April 2018.
What is the distinctiveness of pediatric chaplaincy? Findings from a systematic review of the literature. (with Wilf McSherry) Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 2017.
A Machine Learning Approach to Evaluating Illness-Induced Religious Struggle (With Daniel Grossoehme et al) Biomedical Informatics Insights 2017.
Chaplaincy with children and young people (with Nigel Roberts) Grove Youth Series, 2016.
Editor, Supporting Families with Sick Children. Red Balloon Resources, 2016.
Reflections on using metaphors in exploring spiritual and religious needs with young people with cancer and their families (with Sally Nash) Journal for the Study of Spirituality, 2015.
The Chaplains – Reflecting on the BBC Two Television Series. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 2015.
Spiritual care with sick children and young people (with Kathryn Darby and Sally Nash). JKP 2015.
Multifaith care for sick and dying children: a multidisciplinary guide (with Madeleine Parkes and Zamir Hussain) JKP 2015.
Parents’ Spiritual and Religious Needs in Young Oncology (with Kathryn Darby and Sally Nash). Cancer Nursing Practice, May 2014.
Understanding and responding to the spiritual and religious needs of young people with cancer (with Kathryn Darby and Sally Nash. Cancer Nursing Practice, March 2014.
Birmingham Children’s Hospital: Pediatric end of life care and bereavement pathway in Spirituality and End of Life Care (ed Peter Gilbert), Pavilion, 2013.
The spiritual care of sick children: reflections from a pilot participation project (with Kathryn Darby and Sally Nash). International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 2013.
Editor Working with children and young people: Good Practice Guidelines for Healthcare Chaplains Red Balloon Resources, 2013.
Coping through prayer, an empirical study in implicit religion concerning prayers for
children in hospital (with Tania Ap Sion). Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 2013.
Supporting Dying Children and their Families, SPCK 2011.
Tools for Reflective Ministry (with Sally Nash) SPCK 2009.
Skills for Collaborative Ministry (with Sally Nash and Jo Pimlott) SPCK 2008.
What Theology for Youth Work? Grove Youth Series, 2007.

Prior to her 2019 move to Columbia, she served as Associate Director of the Program for Biomedical Ethics at Yale School of Medicine. She edited Dying in the Twenty-First Century (MIT Press, 2015) and is author of The Lost Art of Dying (HarperOne, 2020), a popular press book on the preparation for death.

Books

The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom.
Dying in the Twenty-First Century: Toward a New Ethical Framework for the Art of Dying Well.

She published a collection of essays, Violation, in 2015. Her incredible work has appeared in Harper’s, Antioch Review, Conjunctions, Threepenny Review, The New Yorker, and Tricycle, among other journals. Tisdale also teaches at Dharma Rain Zen Center in Portland, Oregon.

Alexandra has taught for California Poets in the Schools, Stillpoint Center for Spiritual Direction, Motherless Daughters of the San Gabriel Valley, and for a number of churches, community centers, and other organizations. She has had poetry and prose published in Ruminate, Gyroscope Review, Pirene's Fountain, Selfish Magazine, Presence Journal, Poets Reading the News, and others. Alexandra received the Summer 2018 Denver Lighthouse Writers Workshop Fort Lyon Fellowship, an incredible opportunity to teach classes at the Fort Lyon Residential Community in Las Animas, Colorado.

Terence Youk began work in film and television production in1986, first as a composer and later writing, producing, directing, and editing independent documentaries, crafting promotional media and producing news spots for a variety of broadcast clients. Under the auspices of the production company, Brook Hollow Productions, Inc., he has collaborated with carefully selected creative and technical associates according to the unique requirements of each production.

His programs for broadcast have aired on PBS, A&E, the Wisdom Channel as well as independent distributors of educational and presentation films crafted for nonprofit institutions, including: Thich Nhat Hanh & Plum Village, National Hospice Foundation, Institute of East-West Medicine and many others. He also has served as a freelance producer for several new gathering entities, including CNN, NBC, MSNBC, and ABC news.

EXPERIENCE

Producer, production & editor credits include National Geographic (Most Mad Seas), A&E (Most Mad Seas), Wisdom Channel (Thich Nhat Hanh: Roots of Peace)( now defunct), PBS National (Body & Soul), CT Public television (Backyard Bird Watcher), Outdoor Life Channel (Fly Fishing in the East). News Gathering: CNN, NBC News, MSNBC, ABC news. Promotional media content: National Hospice Foundation, NHPCO, VNA of Vermont, NH VNA & Vermont Institute of Natural Science.

Award-winning independently produced films include: Thich Nhat Hanh: Roots of Peace, Numen: The Nature of Plants and Pioneers of Hospice & the Birth of Modern Hospice and The Next Dali Lama? (Director Mickey Lemle) released in 2017 (served as assistant editor).

You can find more of Terence Youk’s work on his website HERE.

In this interview, Cathy Siebold who has witnessed firsthand the evolution of hospice care since its modern incarnation in the 1960s, presents a balanced and objective analysis of the movement’s accomplishments and failings.

You can also read more about that in her book “The Hospice Movement: Easing Death’s Pains.”

She uses social movement theory to frame her discussion. Siebold traces the bell curve of growth, maturity, and decline that, to a point, has characterized the hospice movement. Founded by a diverse group of religious leaders, nurses, social workers, and laypeople, the movement was galvanized by the plight of a silent majority: dying patients, often isolated from family and friends in a hospital where intensive, last-ditch efforts to “cure” them were valued more than their own comfort and wishes. In its struggle to survive, the movement coalesced fairly quickly around the goal of securing eligibility for reimbursement from federally funded and private insurers. The movement attained this goal in the 1980s, giving the entire concept of hospice care legitimacy and, ironically, a secure place within the same health care system early hospice activists had struggled to escape.

Paul is the Chaplaincy manager and Spiritual Care Lead at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital in England. He is co-founder of the Paediatric Chaplaincy Network, Centre for Paediatric Spiritual Care and Convenor of the Grove Youth Series.

Here’s a link for the videos of the books narrated by Bear Grylls. https://paediatric-chaplaincy-network.org/resources/pcn-videos/

She is ordained and ecclesiastically endorsed by the Assemblies of God. Kimberly graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri. Prior to graduate school, Kimberly received her Bachelor of Science in Religion from Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia. Before joining Lighthouse, Kimberly completed her Clinical Pastoral Education at Advocate Good Samaritan in Downers Grove, Illinois and at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Illinois. Kimberly lives with her family in LaGrange, Illinois. She has one dog, Java. Kimberly loves nature and travelling.

On October 8th, it will be 4 years since Elly Sheykhet’s daughter Alina was killed by her ex-boyfriend, Saul and Joe spoke with Elly Sheykhet to see how she is coping and continuing to keep Alina’s memory alive.

Alina Sheykhet was a student at the University of Pittsburgh and was killed by Matthew Darby at her off-campus apartment Oct. 8, 2017. She was 20 years old.

Darby was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in October.

Elly Sheykhet, said Alina will always shine through a foundation called Alina's Light. It raises money for causes that were important to her, like performing arts, children and animals.

The foundation also has a focus on domestic violence awareness. Court records show Darby was served a protection from abuse order a short time before he murdered Alina.

Her parents are also working to get Alina's Law passed to protect others.

Here is there website: https://alinaslight.com/

Becoming a hospice nurse opened her eyes and changed how she saw her world. She discusses some of the wonderful people she cared for until they passed, and the lessons she learned about life through death.

https://www.thehospiceheart.net

You can find a list of Neumann's writings here

Katie’s story “What Happened in Room 10?” won a George Polk Award for Magazine Reporting in 2021. It is the product of a months-long investigation into the first COVID outbreak in an American nursing home — and, more broadly, the rise of the for-profit nursing home industry.

Previously, she worked as a documentary film correspondent and producer at NBC News. She made short documentaries from across the United States and abroad. And she appeared on The Today Show, NBC Nightly News and MSNBC.

Before that, she was as a foreign correspondent for VICE News, based in London, and Europe reporter for Maclean's, Canada's largest news magazine. She won a Canada National Magazine Award for her coverage of Ukraine's Euromaidan revolution.

Katie is a graduate student of History and Philosophy at Oxford University, and worked as a researcher for the historian Timothy Garton Ash.

You can buy Katie's book HERE

The Inevitable: Dispatches on the Right to Die

Saul Ebema: Florence Wald received a Bachelor of Arts degree in physiology and sociology from Mount Holyoke College in 1938 and immediately enrolled in the 30-month nursing program at Yale University.

However, by the time Florence went to Yale University School of Nursing, there was beginning to be a shift in philosophy of care where the primary focus was on the disease, and not on the patient. This disease orientation was a result of the rapidly growing knowledge in medical science that was overshadowing everything else at the time.

You are listening to Personhood. The story of Florence Wald and the Hospice movement. This is episode 2- “the care of the terminally ill in the 1940s and 50s” and I am your host- Saul Ebema.

As American lifestyle shifted into high gear after the great depression, dance and music styles did as well. The upbeat tempos of swing music seemed to match the mood of the country. As the economy boomed, the people danced.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: While the dance music got louder and fun, world events got louder and dangerous.

The Second World War had already started in September of 1939 in Europe. At first, the United States remained officially neutral in the conflict.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: Even if the draft was not popular, in hindsight, it helped the United States to be ready in case of an attack. It was not long after that the Japanese empire ended America’s isolation from the war with a surprise attack.

While Americans were going through their day, all of a sudden, all the media channels were interrupted. Those who were listening to the baseball game between the Dodgers and the Giants over the radio where interrupted by this message.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: Japan had staged a surprise attack on American military installations in the Pacific. The most devastating strike came at Pearl Harbor. In a two-hour attack, Japanese warplanes sank or damaged 18 warships and destroyed 164 aircrafts. Over 2,400 servicemen and civilians lost their lives. President Roosevelt knew that something had to be done.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: As American soldiers marched on to war, the president acted as pastor in chief and led the entire country through prayer.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: And off- America went to war.

Despite of the fact that America was in the second world war, the medical arena in the early 1940s was filled scientific discovery and a growing faith in medical authority. That faith in medicine was even strengthened by the development of injectable penicillin.

This new development showed promise in medical progress. Then there was the development of more anti-tuberculosis therapies that enabled the disease to be controlled. Not long after that, sanatoriums for tuberculosis patients were no longer necessary.

Music

Barb Newton: As medicine progressed, death came to be discussed only in terms of its avoidance, and any other conversation on the topic, at least from the American Medical Association, was practically nonexistent. Instead, articles regarding terminal diseases focused on symptoms and new treatment options rather than outcomes or mortality rates. Despite acknowledgment by at least some specialties in the medical profession that death was a part of patient care, the American Medical Association at that time was not willing to make this concession of inadequacy.

Saul Ebema: As a powerful coalition representing the entirety of the medical profession, the American Medical Association was the medical authority of the time, and their refusal to acknowledge dying patients greatly influenced society’s perception of terminal care.41 In the eyes of the medical profession, however, if it could not be visibly cured, it was not a medical concern, and discussion of such conditions was seen as counterproductive to medical efforts. To acknowledge dying was to admit that medicine had failed, and that the authority which the public had assigned to the medical profession was not deserved.

Veronica Drase: With the heavy focus on disease during that time, Florence was dismayed that nursing was lost in the treatment of the disease, and she questioned if she had made a major career mistake.

While still questioning her choice of career, she went on to work for the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Initially, the Visiting Nurse Service of New York was patient focused. That is what was attractive to Florence.

However, after their reorganization, the Visiting Nurse Service of New York took on a physician driven model of care that focused more on the disease than the patient. Florence found physicians were unprepared to accept her vision of care. She remained with the Visiting Nurse Service of New York for 2 years (1941-43) but left dissatisfied. For Florence, the art of nursing was being lost to the science of medicine, so she quit.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: Florence had not anticipated how nursing would be heavily influenced by the medical model that focused on the disease and symptom treatment rather than the patient focused model of care. She left the nursing profession in 1944. Around that time, the Second World War was raging, and it was a difficult emotional time. Florence wondered if her beliefs about life and medicine fit the times.

Archival footage

Barb Newton: After that, Florence did the unthinkable and enlisted in the Army. She felt an obligation to help the military men and women who were fighting the atrocities of Hitler. Ironically, Florence was assigned to a small maternity ward at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Eighteen months later, the war ended, and so did her military service.

Veronica Drase: During her 8-year sabbatical from nursing, Florence became a clinical research assistant at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital on a surgical metabolism unit. It was here that she met her husband to-be, Henry Wald, one of Florence’s research subjects who was in officer’s candidate school.

Florence and Henry dated 3 years before he proposed marriage to her in 1948. Henry had completed his military service and had graduated from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in NYC with a degree in engineering. Because Florence’s father was dying, her mother had breast cancer, and her professional path was uncertain, she declined Henry’s proposal and there- the relationship mutually ended.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: In Florence’s years as a researcher at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, the medical landscape was changing. In 1946, the Hill-Burton Act was passed and with it came the campaign to build more hospitals.

Barb Newton: With the building of hundreds of hospitals around the country due to the Hill Burton Act, hospital care for the sick became the norm instead of home care. This led to a new turn of events because more people started dying in the hospitals instead of at home. While the establishment of many large hospitals by 1950 was a big accomplishment for the country, for the dying, it resulted in a difficult and painful journey.

Archival footage

Veronica Drase: Where once families gathered around the deathbed at home, dying patients now found themselves alone in ICUs tethered to machines. The denial of mortality also reinforced the most gruesome features of death and dying. Unable to face their own anxieties, doctors prolonged life long after the hope of recovery had ended and failed to communicate honestly with the dying.

Families hid behind falsely cheerful demeanors or withdrew entirely, thus heightening patient’s sense of isolation. In addition, Intensive Care Unit regulations at the time severely restricted the presence of relatives who wished to keep deathbed vigils.

Saul Ebema: Although there was plenty of space for the dying in those hospitals, the hospital administrators did not demand the delivery of adequate care for the dying. Within the medical staff, there was this attitude that death signaled a physician’s failure. This led to terminally ill patients being largely ignored by the medical staff.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: Then came the 1950s!

The 1950s were marked by the post-World War II boom. America had already cemented its status as the ultimate superpower. The economy was booming, and the fruits of this prosperity led to people being able to afford–new cars and suburban houses. The middle class became stable and of course, rock and roll music became a big thing.

Music

Saul Ebema: Rock and roll music celebrated themes such as young love, freedom, and self-discovery. For Florence, this meant pursuing a second master of science from Yale—this time in psychiatric nursing.

Barbara Newton: Upon completing her psychiatric nursing master’s degree from Yale University in 1956, Florence was invited to join the Rutgers University faculty. This opportunity was particularly appealing because Rutgers was beginning a master’s program in psychiatric nursing. More importantly, she would have the privilege of working with Hildegard Peplau. For Florence, she was finally in the right spot, at the right time.

Saul Ebema: Hildegard Peplau was a visionary nurse leader who was enhancing communication and creating the scientific foundation of the patient-nurse relationship. Florence enjoyed working as her assistant and she continued to develop her own skills and theories that would later influence her work in hospice care.

Music

Saul Ebema: In 1959, Florence officially became the fourth dean of Yale University’s School of Nursing.

Veronica Drase: Florence also had a major personal triumph as a result of being named dean—after 10 years, she reconnected with Henry Wald. As Henry was sitting in a coffee shop, the man next to him had a newspaper open to an article and picture announcing Florence’s deanship. Henry had been married for nearly a decade and, with two children (Shari and Joel), had recently lost his wife in a car accident. He couldn’t believe he had found Florence for the second time in his life.

In 1959, Florence, at 40, and Henry, at 35, met again and soon married. Florence was delighted to also have found two wonderful children, who were 6 and 8 at the time, to complete a family.

Music

Saul Ebema: Although there were no major changes in the 1950s regarding care for the terminally ill. A group of Psychologists and psychiatrists, begun to openly talk about the subject of death and dying.

Barb Newton: In 1956, psychologist Herman Feifel organized a symposium at the annual conference of the American Psychological Association to address ‘The Concept of Death and Relation to Behavior.’

Soon after that, articles begun to emerge in both national and state medical journals urging physicians to restore dignity to the dying. A major way was to focus less on prolonging life and more on improving its quality.

Music

Saul Ebema: In 1959, McGraw-Hill released the book, The Meaning of Death, which later went on to receive international acclaim and became a big inspiration for the modern hospice movement.

The Meaning of Death finally called attention to the problem that had affected the medical profession for over half a century, and demonstrated that, by the second half of the twentieth century, at least some medical professionals had come to acknowledge the denial of death as a detriment to quality care and many agreed that U.S. physicians rarely devoted full attention to care of the terminally ill.

They often turned away from their patients after realizing that they could not cure them. Terminally ill patients felt isolated, abandoned by their doctors, and able to see family only during rigidly enforced hospital visiting hours.

In the 1940s and 50s, the dying process was still not considered a part of medicine. It continued to lack the sense PERSONHOOD!

End notes

Saul Ebema: This podcast is written and produced by Saul Ebema. Our historians are Barb Newton, and Veronica Drase.

This podcast is recorded at Audiohive podcast studios in Joliet, IL and our studio engineer is Brian Mackender.

Thank you for listening!

[1] John Gabriel. “The Hospital and the Changing Social Order,” 17.

[2] Ernst P. Boas, “A Community Program for the Care of the Chronic Sick,” Hospitals: A Magazine for the Hospitals of the United States and Canada February (1936): 18-19.

[3] Carl Voegtlin, “Approaches to Cancer Research,” National Cancer Institute Journal 1 (1940): 15.

(4) Sarah E. Pajka, “Doctors, Death, and Denial: The Origins of Hospice Care in 20th Century America.” 2017.

(5) Beth P. Houser and Kathy N. Player, “Pivotal Moments in Nursing: Ladies who changed the path of a profession.” Volume 11, 2007.

Saul Ebema: In Latin, the word hospice means to host a guest or stranger; Florence Wald, centered her life on hosting a dignified end of life process that honored the patient’s personhood. Her ideas around death and dying led to the formation of the first modern hospice in the United States in 1974. Because of her, there are thousands of hospice programs around the country- serving millions of patients and families.

Florence’s pioneering efforts have forever changed the heart of the American society to accept and engage in an end-of-life process that she described as “appropriate, understanding, and natural.”

And in 1998, she took her rightful place in the National Women’s Hall of Fame with legends such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Harriet Tubman, and Florence’s idol, Lillian Wald.

You are now listening to Personhood! The story of Florence Wald and the Hospice movement – Episode One and I am your host Saul Ebema

On April 6, 1917, just 13 days before Florence Wald was born, the United States decided to enter World War I. President Woodrow Wilson gave a speech to Congress on April 2, 1917 asking for them to declare war on Germany. In his speech he said that the U.S. would go to war to “fight for the ultimate peace of the world.” And on April 6, 1917- the US military marched to war.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: When World War I initially broke out across Europe in 1914, it was mainly between the central powers led by Germany, Austria, and Hungary against the Allied countries led by Britain, France, and Russia.

At the start of the war, President Woodrow Wilson declared that the United States would remain neutral.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: Just as America went into the battlefield against Germany, on April 19th, 1917, Florence Wald was born into a German family to Mr. and Mrs. Schorske in a divided world. Although the Schorske family were second-generation Americans, their values and culture were heavily influenced by their German heritage.

Before the war started, the Schorskes spoke German at home so the children would be bilingual. However, during the war, fear of isolation turned them to English speaking.

Deeply rooted in Bronx, New York, The Schorskes exposed their children from an early age to the ideas of kindness, love, care, and equality for all.

Barb Newton: In interviews and presentations, Florence often said that her parents were members of the socialist party and as such, she was exposed to a variety of social justice-based causes from a young age.

Her parents often volunteered to teach English to the immigrants on New York’s Lower East Side and raised Florence and her brother Carl to show concern for others and advocate for social justice.

Saul Ebema: This upbringing deeply rooted in the ideas of universal equality and compassion, would ingrain Florence with deep-seated beliefs about the world and how people should fundamentally be treated. These concepts would later directly influence her practices around hospice care.

Danelle Shoemaker: Despite of her generally positive upbringing, life was not always perfect in Florence’s early childhood. She experienced a number of health issues as a young child that required frequent hospitalizations.

In 1926, when Florence was 7 years old, her family traveled to Florida to facilitate Florence’s recovery from an episode of life-threatening pneumonia.

On the return trip home, they stopped in Washington, DC, and there Florence was diagnosed with scarlet fever.

Archival footage

Brian Mackender: Scarlet Fever was a leading cause of death in children during the early 20th century. When a child was found to have scarlet fever, they went through weeks of isolation in the hospital.

Saul Ebema: For 7-year-old Florence, this meant weeks of isolation in Garfield Hospital. Florence later described that experience as being trapped in a “vintage Civil War hospital.”

Barb Newton: This was the first time Florence had been separated from her family, and it was a challenge for everyone. Her private nurse, Eunice Biller, from Richmond, Virginia, cared for Florence like she was her own child. Eunice Biller understood the impact of scarlet fever on Florence and did everything to keep her spirits up. In addition to her care, she provided spiritual support, music therapy, art and craft and toys for Florence to play with.

Saul Ebema: Florence would later reflect that it was the care of her nurse, Eunice Biller that made her “feel like a person, not a patient with a contagious disease.”

Danelle Shoemaker: When Florence’s mother visited, due to the isolation policy at the hospital, she was not allowed into the hospital. But Eunice Biller, her nurse would carry Florence to the window, where Florence would wave to her mother 3 floors down.

From this time forward, Florence was committed to becoming a nurse. Her favorite pastime as a child became playing nurse to the dolls she had at home.

Saul Ebema: It was that kind of compassionate care which valued the sense of personhood that would later evolve into the hospice philosophy of care.

Music

Saul Ebema: When Florence was 10 years old, the family traveled to Germany to reconnect with their roots and visit with the extended family. She loved it there.

In 1932, Florence and her mother returned to visit family in Berlin- this time, they found an entirely different Germany. The Nazis were promoting anti-Semitic activities and organizing pro-Hitler rallies. The country seemed to be filled with unexpected outbursts of hate and violence towards the Jewish citizens.

This validated what the Schorskes had been reading in the U.S. papers and led them to help Jewish families immigrate to America.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: In 1934 when Florence was 17 years old, she decided to go to college.

Barb Newton: From a young age, Florence was always a determined girl. So, when she broke the news about her desire to go to college to her father, he was not happy. Her father, like many men of his generation did not believe that women should go to college, and he discouraged her from doing so.

Remember, this was also the period of the great depression in America, but her family had the means and could afford her college education.

Saul Ebema: Florence was not the person to easily take no for an answer. After some convincing, Florence’s dad allowed her to attend Barnard College and live at home.

Barb Newton: Florence however, had another idea. She chose to attend—Mount Holyoke College—which meant she would live hours away from home in South Hadley, MA. Her father was not happy with her college choice, but he allowed Florence to begin a new and independent life.

Saul Ebema: Meanwhile, the American healthcare system that she would later reform, was being hit hard by the great depression.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: Patients and donor organizations could no longer afford to make donations to voluntary hospitals and those hospitals struggled to stay afloat. Many people felt hopeless, like they were living in a boulevard of broken dreams.

Music

Brian Mackender: Approximately 20,000 beds and 418 hospitals were withdrawn from use during that time, and private institutions were forced to take on some of the burden to care for sick patients.”[1]

This difficult period led to a social consciousness that called for action to help improve the care for people with tuberculosis, and those with terminally illness.

In an article that appeared in Hospitals: A Magazine for the Hospitals in 1936, stated that the system of care for the terminally ill was categorized as inadequate or nonexistent care.[2]

Abrams in his book, “Spitting is Dangerous,” writes that doctors did not want to be surrounded by terminally ill patients because it showed the limitations of their skills and of the medical world.

Saul Ebema: If a patient was deemed “incurable” at any point during the treatment process, they were immediately discharged. In fact, patients that fell under this classification were often refused admission to the hospital entirely because of the “incurable policy.”

Danelle Shoemaker: The incurable policy was actually similar to the current practice of triage. During disasters or large-scale emergencies, responders designate “color tags” for patients based on the priority of their immediate care and transport.

Patients who are expected to die are given black tags, matching those of patients who have already died, and are only treated and transported after all other patients have received care, including those with non-life-threatening conditions.4

The mantra behind this system is provision of the “greatest good for the greatest number of people,” which often entails giving priority to some patients while others are neglected. 5

Saul Ebema: Some historians suggest that the refusal to admit terminally ill patients to the hospital in those times was motivated by self-serving motives. They believe that the incurable policy existed as an assurance of low mortality rates, during a time when hospitals had reputations to build.

If hospitals avoided admission of those patients expected to die, they could boast of higher cure rates than their competitors, and patients who could afford to pay would be more likely to choose their hospital for care. More paying patients, of course, meant better business for the hospital.

Music

Saul Ebema: In those times, terminally ill patients without money or family were sent to the almshouse as a last resort.

Brian Mackender: Almshouses were public charity centers created to house the chronically ill.

While almshouses were intended as refuges for those close to death, they were typically primitive, unpleasant, and were unable to provide real treatment or pain relief.

Dependence on almshouses was intended more to keep the dying off of the streets than to help them obtain a comfortable death, and was reserved for patients who were very poor, homeless, or without family to care for them.

Saul Ebema: Tuberculosis patients who were terminally ill were sent to sanatoriums.

Here is a piece from the Oregon experience

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: In the eyes of the medical community in the 1930s, late-stage tuberculosis, was every bit a hopeless condition and the presence of tuberculosis patients in hospitals was seen as pointless, even outright dangerous.

It was argued that patients with tuberculosis, wasted space and resources that could be used for other more treatable cases. More importantly, they were considered infectious and could spread the disease to other people in the hospital.

The solution to the rejection of tuberculosis patients led to the creation of sanatoriums.

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: Tom Walsh, in his book “Community Health,” records a quote from William Spear, a doctor at the Oakdale Sanatorium near Iowa City, Iowa. William Spear described his experience with open-air porches as follows:

“When I arrived, they were behind the times in terms of surgical treatment of tuberculosis (Tuh bur kyuh low suhs). Patients were forced to stay in bed in open-air cottages. You froze them in the wintertime and roasted them in the summertime. Patients didn’t leave their beds unless it was absolutely necessary.”

Archival footage

Saul Ebema: The location of sanatoriums tended to be away from towns and railroads and at higher elevations. The geographical isolation made sanatoriums difficult to reach for visitors. Even if visitors could reach the sanatorium, it was often discouraged.

Music

Saul Ebema: The avoidance of patients with cancer, the other prominent “incurable” disease at the time, was just like that of tuberculosis. Unlike tuberculosis, cancer was not fended off and it was rarely beaten.

Brian Mackender: Survivors were usually those who had undergone extensive surgery and even then, the disease could return. Due to its high fatality rates and the lack of promise in its treatments, medical authorities like the American Medical Association were reluctant to address the disease, and for the most part, its address was seen as a waste of medical time. The majority of care for terminally ill cancer patients was left to religious associations and took place in almshouses or centers resembling hospitals. A few large centers like Calvary Hospital in New York City existed to provide charity comfort care for cancer patients and were staffed by nuns rather than physicians.

Saul Ebema: The 1930s was a tough time for the terminally ill! With the exception of the government creating the National Cancer Institute in 1937, little progress was made in caring for the terminally ill. Regardless of where the death occurred, in the first half of the 20th century, the dying process was not considered a part of medicine. It lacked the sense PERSONHOOD!

End notes

This podcast is written and produced by Saul Ebema. Our historians are Barb Newton, Danelle Shoemaker, and Brian Mackender. This is the first of many episodes to talk about Florence Wald and the Hospice movement in the United States.

This podcast is recorded at Audiohive podcast studios in Joliet, IL and our studio engineer is Brian Mackender.

[1] John Gabriel. “The Hospital and the Changing Social Order,” 17.

[2] Ernst P. Boas, “A Community Program for the Care of the Chronic Sick,” Hospitals: A Magazine for the Hospitals of the United States and Canada February (1936): 18-19.

[3] Carl Voegtlin, “Approaches to Cancer Research,” National Cancer Institute Journal 1 (1940): 15.

(4) Sarah E. Pajka, “Doctors, Death, and Denial: The Origins of Hospice Care in 20th Century America.” 2017.

(5) Beth P. Houser and Kathy N. Player, “Pivotal Moments in Nursing: Ladies who changed the path of a profession.” Volume 11, 2007.

A Vice President of Hospice UK, David is also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and has been a board member of the European Association for Palliative Care.

In 2015 he served the Scottish Government as Consulting Editor to its Strategic Framework for Action in Palliative and End of Life Care and assisted the Scottish Parliament in its enquiry We Need to Talk about Palliative Care.

David founded the International Observatory on End-of-Life Care at Lancaster University in 2003, and has wide ranging interests in the history and global development of palliative care. David remains involved in studies of the global mapping of palliative care development, and in research to inform policy and service implementation in palliative and end of life care.

His monograph on the history of palliative medicine from the nineteenth century, entitled To Comfort Always, was published by Oxford University Press in 2016. With a particular knowledge of the life and work of Dame Cicely Saunders, he has edited her letters and selected publications and his biography of her Cicely Saunders: A Life and Legacy was published to mark the centenary of her birth in 2018.

He was appointed Professor of Sociology at Sheffield Hallam University in 1993 and in 1995 became Professor of Medical Sociology at the University of Sheffield. He moved to Lancaster University in 2003 and in 2005, and with support from the Irish Hospice Foundation, took up the position of Visiting Professor in Hospice Studies at Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin, where he worked on the creation of the All-Ireland Institute for Hospice and Palliative Care.

David started working at the University of Glasgow in October 2009, where he was Director of the Dumfries Campus for six years before taking up his current role.

He was awarded the OBE in 2017 for services to end of life care research.

Books Published

Clark, D. (2018) Cicely Saunders: A Life and Legacy. Oxford University Press: Oxford. ISBN 9780190637934 (doi:10.1093/oso/9780190637934.001.0001)
Clark, D. (2016) To Comfort Always: a history of palliative medicine from the nineteenth century. Series: Oxford medical histories. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199674282
Inbadas, H. , Gillies, M. and Clark, D. (2016) Scottish Atlas of Palliative Care. University of Glasgow: Glasgow. ISBN 9780852619513
Clark, D. (2013) Transforming the Culture of Dying: The work of the Project on Death in America. Oxford University Press: Oxford. ISBN 9780199311613
Bingley, A. and Clark, D. (2008) Palliative Care Developments in the Region Represented by the Middle East Cancer Consortium: A Review and Comparative Analysis. Series: MECC palliative care monograph, 07 (6230). National Cancer Institute, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health: Bethesda, MD, USA.
Wright, M. and Clark, D. (2006) Hospice and Palliative Care in Africa: A Review of Developments and Challenges. Oxford University Press: Oxford, England. ISBN 9780199206803
Clark, D. , Small, N., Wright, M., Winslow, M. and Hughes, N. (2005) A Bit of Heaven for the Few? An Oral History of the Hospice Movement in the United Kingdom. Observatory Publications: Lancaster, England. ISBN 9780954419202
Winslow, M. and Clark, D. (2005) St. Joseph's Hospice, Hackney: A Century of Caring in the East End of London. Observatory Publications: Lancaster, England. ISBN 9780954419233
Clark, D. , Wright, M. and Luczak, J. (2003) Transitions in End Of Life Care: Hospice and Related Developments in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Series: Facing Death. The Open University Press: Buckingham, England. ISBN 9780335212866
Clark, D. (2002) Cicely Saunders: Founder of the Hospice Movement: Selected Letters 1959-1999. Clarendon Press: Oxford, England. ISBN 9780198516071
Clark, D. and Seymour, J. (1999) Reflections on Palliative Care. Series: Facing Death. The Open University Press: Buckingham, England. ISBN 9780335194544
Clark, D. (1993) Partners in Care? Hospices and Health Authorities. Avebury: Aldershot, England. ISBN 9781856282277
Lewis, J., Clark, D. and Morgan, D. (1992) Whom God Hath Joined Together: The Work of Marriage Guidance. Tavistock/Routledge: London, England. ISBN 9780415055543
Clark, D. and Haldane, J.D. (1990) Wedlocked? Intervention and Research in Marriage. Series: Family life series. Polity Press: Cambridge, England. ISBN 9780745603117
Burgoyne, J. and Clark, D. (1984) Making a Go of It: A Study of Step-Families in Sheffield. Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 9780710203182
Clark, D. (1982) Between Pulpit and Pew: Folk Religion in a North Yorkshire Fishing Village. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, England. ISBN 9780521240710

RELATED LINKS:

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Suzanne's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzanneworthley/

Suzanne's Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzanneworthley

In Today’s follow up episode, Joe and Saul once again talk remotely with Dr. Phillip D. Williams about his incredible life’s journey. Dr. Phil is currently a chaplain at the VA Healthcare Center in Temple Texas. He has also authored many books and is passionate about end-of-life care. In this episode, you will learn a little bit about his life’s journey

Biographical Sketch - Dr. Phillip D. Williams, BCC-HPC

| Present Position | Chaplain, Southeast Texas, VA Healthcare Center, Temple, TX VA National Chaplain Chairman Hospice Specialty Certification Board, Hampton, VA Consultant, Williams Church Consulting Group, Temple, Texas Adjunct Professor/Board of Governors, Rockbridge Seminary, Springfield, Missouri
| |
| Work History | Chaplain, Polytrauma/Spinal Cord Care, VA Medical Center, Palo Alto, California Lead-Chaplain/Bereavement Coordinator, CHRISTUS, VNA, San Antonio, Texas Chaplain/Bereavement Coordinator, Nurses in Touch Hospice, Floresville, Texas Chaplain, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), Baptist Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas Pastor of Church Planting, Community Bible Church, San Antonio, Texas Vice President, Buckner Church and Community Relations, Dallas, Texas Executive Pastor, Concord Missionary Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas Adjunct Professor, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, Texas Pastor and Founder, Capitol Region Fellowship, Great Falls, Virginia Assistant Pastor and Administrator, Calvary Baptist Church, Baltimore, Maryland Executive Pastor Staff Coach, Christian Fellowship Church, Vienna, Virginia Special Agent (Dignitary Protection) for Secretaries of Defense, Weinberger, Carlucci, Cheney and their foreign counterparts Chief of Economic Crimes Division, Hq US Army Criminal Investigation Command Department of Defense White Collar & General Crimes, Drug and Homicide Investigator Senior Counselor and Educator for Substance Counseling, West Berlin, Germany US Army Infantry Soldier
| |
| Education | Doctor of Ministry, summa cum laude, Howard University School of Divinity, Washington, D.C. Master of Arts, Religious Education & Counseling, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia Bachelor of Science, The University of The State of New York, Albany, New York Associate of Arts, Law Enforcement, Central Texas College, Killeen, Texas FBI National Academy, Quantico, Virginia Chaplain Board Certification, Nation VA Chaplain (NAVAC), Dayton, Ohio Chaplain Board Certification, The Association of Certified Christian Chaplains, Orlando Florida Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Residency, Baptist Health, Little Rock, Arkansas Chaplain Orientation Electronic (CORE), Hampton, Virginia Warriors 2 Soulmate Coaching Certification, Biloxi, Mississippi VA Whole Health Coaching Certification, Palo Alto, California VA Polytrauma/TBI 101, Palo Alto, California
| |
| Author | ANSWER! A Spiritual Gifts Identification Workshop Community Bible Church Multi-Site Leaders Guide Don’t Go There!! Timnah is not God’s Plan for You G.A.L.S. The Destroyers of Lives Know Your Church and Where You Fit In (1st edition) Know Your Church and Where You Fit In (2nd edition) Twelve Days of Christmas, Reliving the Memories Weeping in The Name of Jesus (unpublished) SELFISHNESS: A Whale of a Story JUMPSTART Your Week 52 Devotionals Out of My Briefcase Be the Presence of God: In Trials and Transitions Dr. Phil’s Daily Dose: 366 Devotionals © 2017 FRANCES Ready to Die Dr. Phil’s Daily Dose: 366 Devotionals © 2018 Say Yes to a New Normal: A Journey from Depression
| |
| Awards | Doctor of Ministry Award for Academic Excellence , Howard University, Washington, D.C. Employee of the Quarter, Nurses In Touch, Floresville, TX 2018 Henri Award Nominee for Literary Excellence in Christians Writing, Dallas, TX

The Role of Symbols in End of Life Care

Symbols are objects that take on a deeper meaning for the person grasping them. Every symbol points beyond itself to a reality for which it stands.

Symbols can be both corporate and private, easily recognized but contextualized in the individual experience.

Rituals in End of Life Care

Symbols are often (though not always) tangible, representational, and passive; rituals, on the other hand, are active, responsive, and collective. Rituals, for the sake of this study, are a collection of actions.

A ritual is a stereotyped sequence of activities involving gestures, words, and objects, performed in a sequestered place, and designed to influence preternatural entities or forces on behalf of the actors' goals and interests.

Rituals may be seasonal, hallowing a culturally defined moment of change in the climatic cycle or the inauguration of an activity such as planting, harvesting, or moving from winter to summer pasture; or they may be contingent, held in response to an individual or collective crisis.

Symbols are often used in rituals. Consider a commonplace, mundane example. The simple action of planting a tree has a routine—prepare the soil, dig the hole, place the tree, cover with soil, water, etc. This may not seem like much of a ritual, but when that planting is done in memory of someone who has died within a community that celebrates the life that has gone before, and the individuals participate in the planting, this simple act becomes a ritual, a ritual of remembrance.

Rituals are active and may be rooted in tradition or they are active, built on the simple action and then assigned metaphorical significance.

Glenn is a graduate of University of Maine and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. He has a passion for incarnation-based ministry which is why he fell in love with Hospice Chaplaincy...which he did NOT see coming i.e. never considered Hospice Chaplaincy until service on the CCU unit during the VA. His military awards include Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge for coming under direct fire.

This episode is designed to help adults have the needed conversation with a child when death happens in a family. It involves tips on what to say and what not to say.

Kristina Jansz in her article, “The importance of pausing” writes.

Imagine reading a book in which there are no commas or periods. Page after page, all the words run together making it near impossible to decipher the intended meaning.

Imagine listening to a piece of music that doesn't have any rests in it. What you'd experience is a collection of meaningless noise.

Imagine getting into a car and driving it from point A to point B. At your start point you press the accelerator and, without stopping at stop signs or traffic lights, you don't release your foot until you reach point B. This action will cause chaos and destruction to you and those around you.

The commas and periods in written word and the rests in music are what give context and meaning to these forms of expressions.

Using the breaks while driving allows you to interact with others respectfully and safely on the road. All of these are examples of Pausing and they create order out of chaos. In the same way, taking time out to Pause brings meaning to the energy you output in your life.

In the final stages of life, sexuality is often regarded as not important by health care providers. It is often assumed that when life nears its end, individuals and couples are not concerned about sexual issues and so this is not talked about. Although the need or ability to participate in sexual activity may wane, the need for touch, intimacy, and how one views oneself do not necessarily wane in tandem. Individuals may in fact suffer from the absence of loving and intimate touch in the final months, weeks, or days of life. Dr. Anne Katz has made it her mission to address this topic. You can find out more about Anne's work here; http://www.drannekatz.com/

Susan Pinker TED Talk
- Face-to-face communication matters
- - Book: The Village Effect by Susan Pinker
- Humans are social beings
- When we feel connected with others, we feel better
- Robert Waldinger & the Harvard Study of Adult Development TED Talk
- Quality relationships are key
- - Practice compassion
- Social media and connectedness
- Social relationships are so much more than just hearing people’s voices.
- - The best way to direct your energy towards a meaningful life is through compassion, love, laughter, and friendship. Can you get that through social media?
- - Be compassionate and kind.

The Village Effect: How Face-to-Face Contact Can Make Us Healthier and Happier

Since 2016, he has worked with Frome Medical Practice in Somerset, UK to develop a new model of primary care combined with compassionate communities, one of the most effective therapeutic tools we have in improving length of life and well-being. The health outcomes of this model have been dramatic, with this being the first intervention that has been effective in reducing population emergency admissions.

Along with Professor Allan Kellehear, Dr. Abel formed Compassionate Communities UK, which he is Director with a mandate to develop the broader rollout of compassionate communities in both primary care and end-of-life care. Projects are underway in multiple areas in the UK, and several international cities.

Dr. Abel is joint author of The Compassion Project, along with the prize-winning novelist Lindsay Clarke. The book describes the background to the Frome Project, its implementation and the wider implications of the application of compassion both in medicine and in society at large.

He has published regularly on models of public health palliative care, is an international keynote speaker, appears in media and runs a podcast, Survival of the Kindest.

He will also be speaking at the Elevate compassion virtual summit. You can register to attend the summit for free here.

The Compassion Project: A case for hope & humankindness from the town that beat loneliness

Honors and Awards

SLU Scholarly Works Award (for the book The Crisis of US Hospice Care)
Emerald Literati Award for Excellence (for the article “Putting the ‘Right to Die’ in its Place: Disability Rights and Physician-Assisted Suicide in the Context of US End-of-Life Care”) 2019
Bicentennial Fellowship, Saint Louis University 2017
Graduate Student Essay Prize, University of Chicago Program in Medicine and Religion 2013
Irving K. Zola Prize for Emerging Scholars in Disability Studies, Society for Disability Studies 2011
Hastings Center Report Young Scholar Essay Contest, Hastings Center 2010

Community Work and Service

Board of Directors, Gateway End-of-Life Coalition
Board of Directors, VOYCE (a long-term care ombudsman organization)

Daniel is passionate about helping people deal with what’s going on in their lives. Depending on the setting that means embracing their mortality, coping with hospitalization or maintaining combat readiness.

Joe Newton has been the co-host of the Hospice Chaplaincy show from the very beginning but he has never shared his journey to hospice chaplaincy work. We thought this would be a great opportunity for our listeners to get to know Joe Newton a little more.

Sharondalyn is also an educator certified in Georgia and California, she taught students from Pre-K through collegiate levels in her home state of Georgia, and she is an advocate in the education field. Through her career expansion in chaplaincy, she continues to provide compassionate care and hopes that others can reap the benefits that chaplaincy services can bring.

You can find more about her work at; https://booklaunch.io/chaplainlife/reflectivespaces

Paul’s Publications

That’s great! You can tell us how you are feeling’ – Mark, a recently severely physically disabled 11-year-old boy with a brain tumor in G. Fitchett and S. Nolan (eds), Case Studies in spiritual care. (with Liz Bryson and Sally Nash). JKP, 2018
Chapter Holding the whispers in the dark in Skills for children’s work SCM 2019.
What do pediatric chaplains do? Developing a taxonomy of chaplaincy with children and young people. (With Emma Roberts et al) Journal for Healthcare Chaplaincy, summer 2018.
Coeditor, Skills for Pediatric chaplaincy, (with Mark Bartell and Sally Nash) JKP, April 2018.
What is the distinctiveness of pediatric chaplaincy? Findings from a systematic review of the literature. (with Wilf McSherry) Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 2017.
A Machine Learning Approach to Evaluating Illness-Induced Religious Struggle (With Daniel Grossoehme et al) Biomedical Informatics Insights 2017.
Chaplaincy with children and young people (with Nigel Roberts) Grove Youth Series, 2016.
Editor, Supporting Families with Sick Children. Red Balloon Resources, 2016.
Reflections on using metaphors in exploring spiritual and religious needs with young people with cancer and their families (with Sally Nash) Journal for the Study of Spirituality, 2015.
The Chaplains – Reflecting on the BBC Two Television Series. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 2015.
Spiritual care with sick children and young people (with Kathryn Darby and Sally Nash). JKP 2015.
Multifaith care for sick and dying children: a multidisciplinary guide (with Madeleine Parkes and Zamir Hussain) JKP 2015.
Parents’ Spiritual and Religious Needs in Young Oncology (with Kathryn Darby and Sally Nash). Cancer Nursing Practice, May 2014.
Understanding and responding to the spiritual and religious needs of young people with cancer (with Kathryn Darby and Sally Nash. Cancer Nursing Practice, March 2014.
Birmingham Children’s Hospital: Pediatric end of life care and bereavement pathway in Spirituality and End of Life Care (ed Peter Gilbert), Pavilion, 2013.
The spiritual care of sick children: reflections from a pilot participation project (with Kathryn Darby and Sally Nash). International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 2013.
Editor Working with children and young people: Good Practice Guidelines for Healthcare Chaplains Red Balloon Resources, 2013.
Coping through prayer, an empirical study in implicit religion concerning prayers for
children in hospital (with Tania Ap Sion). Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 2013.
Supporting Dying Children and their Families, SPCK 2011.
Tools for Reflective Ministry (with Sally Nash) SPCK 2009.
Skills for Collaborative Ministry (with Sally Nash and Jo Pimlott) SPCK 2008.
What Theology for Youth Work? Grove Youth Series, 2007.

In this week’s episode, Saul and Joe talk remotely with Janine Folks who works as a chaplain with Seasons Hospice in Detroit, MI. Janine began her chaplaincy journey with a pediatric hospice where she was instrumental in helping the families of dying children process grief. In this episode, she shares her remarkable life journey and professional transition to Hospice Chaplaincy.

Her book addresses topics that family, friends, and loved ones often shy away from - what will happen in the final days or weeks before we die? Our society is programmed to ignore death until it's right at our door, but experienced hospice nurse Beth Cavenaughwants us to be prepared and know our options so that our final days on Earth can be filled with peace, comfort and love, rather than worry and fatigue.

You can find more about Beth here; www.bethcavenaugh.com

Raised in the Goddess tradition and since having her children, Awen has walked a path as a healer, teacher, and celebrant. She tries to live in a way which embodies wildness and a deep love and compassion for all beings.

Awen seeks to hold space for change and transformation. She teaches people how to live life by the moon, trust the coincidences and find their way into sacred connection.

When not raising her four awesome kids, she can most often be found drinking tea in her tiny temple shed at the bottom of her garden in Birmingham.

In 2019 she published her first book – Moon Wise. An exploration of living life in tune with your Natal Moon Cycle.

In 2016 Jason answered the call to chaplaincy and began pursuing the needed education and qualifications. He has worked both as a hospital and hospice chaplain. He is currently the full-time chaplain for Hospice of Southwest Georgia. He is also the Lead Minister for Cornerstone Church of Christ.

Give A Mile is a nonprofit organization that provides flights for those that cannot afford to fly to be with a loved one who is palliative or critically ill. They have just expanded to the U.S. and would love to get connected to families that need their flights.

The Founder, Kevin Crowe experienced this power first-hand during the passing of his good friend Ryan who relished such visits. Once Kevin learned through Kulacauses.com that over 10 trillion air miles went unused in 2011 alone, Give A Mile was born.

Here is how the Give A Mile process works.

• You will need an email confirming the medical situation from a nurse, doctor, social worker, or chaplain.

• You will need to fill in an application for each person requesting a flight. Please make sure the info on the applications is accurate as Give A Mile uses this to book the flights (video is optional). You can fill out the attached application or do it via the web link https://Request.giveamile.org

• Give A Mile will need the attached waiver signed and sent back by the person flying

• Once Give A Mile have your application and waiver, they will take it to the flight review team for approval. If approved they will connect you to the person that books their flights and she will coordinate with you. If an emergency flight, Give A Mile usually can get it turned around in 4 hours once they have all the required documents.

You can find out more about Give A Mile at www.giveamile.org

Dr. Jim deMaine is Retired Pulmonary/Critical Care MD. Emeritus Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

He is an advocate for those unable to speak for themselves; and also passionate about ethics of autonomy and how that plays out in nursing homes and assisted care; in creating systems to help the frail elderly avoid unnecessary and unwanted interventions; in finding ways to document DNR wishes so that unwanted CPR is avoided.

He gives frequent talks in the community about personal experiences using stories from his experiences with patients to illustrate the complexities of making our values known and respected.

You can buy his book here

Facing Death: Finding Dignity, Hope and Healing at the End

Dr. Jeff Spiess is the author of the new book, Dying with Ease: A Compassionate Guide to Making Wiser End of Life Decisions. In 2016, the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine named him the 12th annual recipient of the Josephina B. Magno Distinguished Hospice Physician Award. And in January 2019 he fulfilled a lifelong dream of appearing on JEOPARDY! (he came in 2nd)

Dying with Ease: A Compassionate Guide for Making Wiser End-of-Life Decisions

With her background in traumatic brain injury, mental illness, elder law and disability law, Ms. Cornish brings a distinctive set of abilities to her work with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

In 2010 Ms. Cornish founded the Dementia & Alzheimer’s Wellbeing Network (DAWN®) in Moscow, Idaho. Through her hands-on work with dementia, she developed a proprietary method for working with people who have dementia—one that helps them develop and retain a sense of security and wellbeing. The DAWN Method® is simple enough to be used by caregivers in the home and works in care facilities as well. It targets the emotional distress that accompanies cognitive decline so that behaviors are avoided and caregiver stress is minimized.

Today the DAWN Method is in use with seniors in Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington, using a two-tiered care system of case managers and dementia care specialists. Ms. Cornish provides training in the DAWN method and consults with families in the Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington region.

Connect with Judy here at the DAWN Method!

From graduate school, she was appointed to work on the Women’s Campaign where she collaborated with Jewish women from around the state of Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts, assisting in leadership development and strengthening women’s voices in philanthropy.

After her first child was born, she pursued her Chaplaincy dream and worked in Miriam Hospital’s cancer unit and surgical intensive care units during her CPE residency. She worked for over 2 years at the VNA Care New England as a Hospice Chaplain and for the past 6 years (and currently) as a behavioral health clinician in Emergency Departments.

Her unique perspective and ability to help others suffering from mental health and/or addiction and serving those individuals at end of life, is the reason Meredith says she feels honored to do this holy work.

Dr. Goodhead is a Methodist Minister with 14 years Church based experience gained in several localities throughout the UK, both urban and rural. In his role at St Christopher’s Andrew is concerned to ensure that all End-of-Life Care professionals have the skills and confidence to offer spiritual assessment and ongoing support to all patients and their families.

He has a particular interest in the concept of spiritual pain as a way of understanding spiritual need. For patients with faith needs Andrew is developing the pastoral and religious role of the Spiritual Care Lead. Andrew graduated in 2014 with the King’s College, London, MSc in Palliative Care. His dissertation explored the experiences and attitudes of community clergy in caring for dying people.

Andrew has published his thesis with Wipf & Stock (USA) under the title A Crown and a Cross; the Origins, Development and Decline of the Methodist Class Meeting in Eighteenth Century England.

In November 2010, Mortality published the results of Andrew’s research into memorialization: A textual analysis of memorials written by bereaved individuals and families in a hospice context. In July 2011, The European Journal of Palliative Care published Physiotherapy in Palliative care: the interface between function and meaning, this is a philosophical examination of how physical ability affects the way in which meaning can be made.

His most recent paper, (accepted by Palliative Medicine) based on his MSc dissertation study is ‘I think you just learnt as you went along’ – Community clergy’s experiences of and attitudes towards caring for dying people: a pilot study [in process of publication]. Andrew is a co facilitator for the Spirituality Education Group on the European Association of Palliative Care and a member of the Spirituality Taskforce of the EAPC.

In this interview, Cathy Siebold who has witnessed firsthand the evolution of hospice care since its modern incarnation in the 1960s, presents a balanced and objective analysis of the movement’s accomplishments and failings.

You can also read more about that in her book “The Hospice Movement: Easing Death’s Pains.”

She uses social movement theory to frame her discussion. Siebold traces the bell curve of growth, maturity, and decline that, to a point, has characterized the hospice movement. Founded by a diverse group of religious leaders, nurses, social workers, and laypeople, the movement was galvanized by the plight of a silent majority: dying patients, often isolated from family and friends in a hospital where intensive, last-ditch efforts to “cure” them were valued more than their own comfort and wishes. In its struggle to survive, the movement coalesced fairly quickly around the goal of securing eligibility for reimbursement from federally funded and private insurers. The movement attained this goal in the 1980s, giving the entire concept of hospice care legitimacy and, ironically, a secure place within the same health care system early hospice activists had struggled to escape.

You can purchase the book here on amazon.

The Hospice Movement: Easing Death's Pains (SOCIAL MOVEMENTS PAST AND PRESENT)

Terence Youk began work in film and television production in1986, first as a composer and later writing, producing, directing, and editing independent documentaries, crafting promotional media and producing news spots for a variety of broadcast clients. Under the auspices of the production company, Brook Hollow Productions, Inc., he has collaborated with carefully selected creative and technical associates according to the unique requirements of each production.

His programs for broadcast have aired on PBS, A&E, the Wisdom Channel as well as independent distributors of educational and presentation films crafted for nonprofit institutions, including: Thich Nhat Hanh & Plum Village, National Hospice Foundation, Institute of East-West Medicine and many others. He also has served as a freelance producer for several new gathering entities, including CNN, NBC, MSNBC, and ABC news.

EXPERIENCE

Producer, production & editor credits include National Geographic (Most Mad Seas), A&E (Most Mad Seas), Wisdom Channel (Thich Nhat Hanh: Roots of Peace)( now defunct), PBS National (Body & Soul), CT Public television (Backyard Bird Watcher), Outdoor Life Channel (Fly Fishing in the East). News Gathering: CNN, NBC News, MSNBC, ABC news. Promotional media content: National Hospice Foundation, NHPCO, VNA of Vermont, NH VNA & Vermont Institute of Natural Science.

Award-winning independently produced films include: Thich Nhat Hanh: Roots of Peace, Numen: The Nature of Plants and Pioneers of Hospice & the Birth of Modern Hospice and The Next Dali Lama? (Director Mickey Lemle) released in 2017 (served as assistant editor).

You can find more of Terence Youk’s work on his website HERE.

In today’s episode, Saul Ebema sits down to talk remotely with Charles James Parker- the new Director of Hospice Division for the Spiritual Care Association. Here is a little insight about Charles James Parker. • Originally from Long Island NY • Prior Active-Duty Air Force (over 17 years) • Ministry over 12 years • Chaplaincy background includes: Acute Care, Oncology, Palliative Care, and Hospice. • Currently serves as a hospice chaplain/bereavement coordinator in Biloxi MS. • Adjunct Professor with the University of Theology and Spirituality.

Marellen Mayers also works as a Hospice Chaplain at Gilchrist Hospice. She has also attained the following degrees.

· A.A, degree in Early Childhood Education

· B.A. degree in Human Services (Social Work)

· M.A. degree in Holistic Spirituality

Her simple-to-read approach helps anyone experiencing the “grief brain” better navigate the immediate aftermath of unexpected loss. Chelsea’s book is a wonderful reminder that grief is not insurmountable, and with courage and action you can move through it in one piece.

The Sudden Loss Survival Guide is available for purchase on Amazon and on Amazon Kindle Unlimited. You can also order directly on Chelsea Hanson’s Website to receive a free bonus.

The Sudden Loss Survival Guide: Seven Essential Practices for Healing Grief (Bereavement, Suicide, Mourning)

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Katy Butler is also a thought leader in the national movement for medical reform. A popular speaker on doctor-patient communication and the choices families face near the end of life, Katy has given keynotes and Grand Rounds at Harvard Medical School, Kaiser Permanente, UCSF, and elsewhere.

Born in South Africa and raised in Oxford, England, Katy came to America as a girl, earned a BA from Wesleyan University, and was a staff reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker; Mother Jones; Scientific American,Atlantic,, Tricycle, Psychotherapy Networker; Best American Essays, and Best American Science Writing.

Dame Cicely Saunders was born in 1918, the oldest of three children. She was educated at Roedean School (1932 to 1937) and then went to St Anne’s College Oxford to read PPE. The war intervened and with the sense that she wanted to do something more useful, she left to study nursing at St Thomas’ Hospital, qualifying in 1944. After the war, she returned to St Anne’s and in one year completed her degree and got a Diploma in Public and Social Administration passing with distinction, then moved on to become a Lady Almoner.

Her interest in palliative care and pain control developed early. From 1945 as an Almoner and then working in hospice care as a volunteer nurse, she was involved with the aftercare of patients with terminal illness. She saw what was needed, particularly better pain control, and started planning a specialized hospice in the late 1950s.

Cicely Saunders opened St. Christopher’s – the first modern hospice in the world in 1967. Cicely planned that St Christopher’s would be the first research and teaching hospice linking expert pain and symptom control, compassionate care, teaching and clinical research, pioneering the field of palliative care.

She coached judo and also competed internationally. She wrote 7 books about self-development, spirituality, and growth, some of which she co-authored with Dr. Rabbi Gil Tivon.

Today she is a Holistic Counseling Doctor.

Holistic healing coaching addresses all parts of an individual's life, not just the physical aspect. It's an ongoing journey of discovery in search of more answers, tools, skills, and understanding how to live better, healthier and owning your life’s journey.

Patients who are terminally ill and dying need to be heard and know they are not alone. It is essential to create an environment in which the person feels free to explore their concerns and openly express their feelings without feeling rejected or judged. Active listening involves many skills and components such as; relaxed yet engaged body posture, eye contact, reassuring touch, listening beyond or beneath the literal words said by a person to the deeper emotions, meaning, and needs.

During his family medicine residency at a Toronto shelter, Dr. Dosani had an experience with a homeless man who was dying of cancer, while also suffering with mental health issues and addictions. Despite working closely with the man to develop trust and a pain management plan, Dr. Dosani returned to the shelter one morning to learn that his patient was found dead on the street having overdosed the night before.

The experience had a profound effect on Dr. Dosani and the trajectory of his career, motivating him to find ways to bridge the gap from the policy level to the individual level.

Follow @NaheedD via Twitter: twitter.com/naheedd

She finds hospice social work rewarding because the job involves making strong connections with people, learning, and celebrating their life stories, and having a positive impact on clients and their families.

Danelle’s educational background includes.

· Master of Divinity, Pastoral Counseling and Care at Ashland Theological Seminary

· Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Malone College

· Clinical Pastoral Education (1 unit) from MedCentral Health System

· Clinical Pastoral Education (Residency) OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital

In 2017, she completed her twelve month course in Interfaith Studies followed by
a six month CPE program. In September 2019 the unexpected door of opportunity opened wide when she accepted the position to be a hospice chaplain in Oregon. Although she grew up in the Evangelical church, Tammy has now left behind her ties to Christianity and currently identifies as Agnostic Humanist. She likes to say that she is more drawn to the human spirit than the holy spirit. Warmly embracing her unknowingness which in turn allows others to do the same.

The questions this episode addresses include. 1. How has the covid-19 pandemic affected you? 2. How has the pandemic affected the practice of hospice chaplaincy? 3. Where do you see hospice Chaplaincy going after Covid? 4. How does staff support look like in this time? 5. A talk about helping those who are spiritual not religious and also those who are atheist. 6. Boundaries in Hospice Chaplaincy. Where to draw the line. It’s important to care about our work, but equally important to know when to back away

In her capacity as Clinical Director, Aracely has counseled many patients suffering from incurable and progressive or terminal illnesses and their families about end of life options and choices.

In today’s episode, we talk to our guest about his journey to Hospice Chaplaincy. On the job, Hospice chaplains have no scripts to follow or party tricks to employ. They learn to meet tragedy with humility and an open mind.

Bruce is also an author. He writes books and study guides for his teaching ministry. His latest book is titled Get Out of Jail Free: Breaking Out of Legalism. This book has proven to be very meaningful for people who have been exposed to legalistic teaching and helps them find liberty in their experience as a Christian. You can learn more about Bruce at: www.brucegministries.com

Get Out of Jail Free: Breaking Out of Legalism!

Derrick is very passionate and loves the chaplaincy. Derrick's life experiences have taught him, the importance of listening and meeting people right where they are with no judgments, but compassion and acceptance. He believes chaplaincy is a calling, not a job.

While working for the military as a DOD Contractor, she was approached by an active duty chaplain and asked if she wanted to become active duty chaplain. This led to her pursing her chaplaincy career. Although she did not go to active duty, she fulfilled all her requirements to become an active duty chaplain and mentored under the Air Force chaplains for 5 years and 2 years under an Army chaplain.

Rev. Renshin Bunce is a California native, she began her meditation practice in midlife years, propelled by yearning for a peaceful mind. In 1994 she met her first teacher, Myōgen Steve Stücky, and received lay ordination with him at Dharma Eye Zen Center in 1996. In 2002 Renshin moved to Tassajara Zen Mountain Center monastery where she lived and practiced for three years. In 2003 she received priest ordination from Zenkei Blanche Hartman, returned to Tassajara in 2008 to be Shuso (head student) with Myōgen, and received dharma transmission from him in 2013. In 2014 Renshin published an account of her journey of home-leaving in a Tassajara memoir: Entering the Monastery.

Renshin's new book, Love and Fear: Stories from a Hospice Chaplain: is a series of stories about people she has met while she learns that every death is different, and there are no universal rules or easy answers in hospice care. Through the telling of these stories Renshin shows what’s possible, allowing the reader to learn along with her as she continues to ask, What am I supposed to do? What is help? What is it to be human? You can order the book on amazon or https://www.renshinbunce.com/

Love and Fear: Stories from a Hospice Chaplain

Entering the Monastery

While others might avoid elder care issues at every turn, Dr. Marion has made caring for the elderly her life’s work. She loves her work and it shows. “If an individual has lived to be 90 years old, they must have some real skills and smarts to get their needs met in life. It’s vital we tap into the wisdom, strength, and life strategies of the elderly before they pass on.”

Therefore, Ashley’s team is there to help the patient and family as they struggle to adjust to the reality they’re facing. Their primary responsibility is to the patient and making sure their wishes are honored. These wishes aren’t always in accordance with the family’s wishes. They must maintain a focus on the patient’s preferences and respecting their autonomy while at the same time supporting the family as they navigate a process they have likely never been through before.

Animal‐assisted therapy is currently provided by various health‐care or human service professionals within the bounds of their particular field of expertise. The therapeutic use of animals can occur in three basic ways: (i) pets are used as companions for individuals who are either living independently in their own home or in assisted living facilities; (ii) pets are used in institutions where they help to stimulate and/or be companions to the residents; and (iii) animals visit institutions to help stimulate the residents’ interest and provide a topic of conversation.

Hospice Chaplains spend thousands of hours perfecting skills that many people assume come naturally: sitting and listening. They become masters of the ministry of presence, bringing the same professionalism to spiritual care that doctors bring to surgery. In today’s episode, we talk to our guests about the art of Hospice Chaplaincy. On the job, Hospice chaplains have no scripts to follow or party tricks to employ. They learn to meet tragedy with humility and an open mind.

Gloria is also a trained reflexologist and occasionally works with patients with multiple sclerosis and street children in Argentina. Her calling to hospice ministry came after the death of her 18-year-old niece with brain hemorrhage. In 2013, she decided to also become an end of life educator. Most of her lectures are in parishes, hospitals, schools from north to south in Argentina and wherever she is invited.

Prior to committing to making THE HUMAN JOURNEY®a working reality in professional settings around the country, Sara was a tenured professor in leadership studies. She is committed to serving those who work with families in hospice, healthcare, veterans services, and prison settings. Her work on an extraordinary yoga program started and run by incarcerated men in western Illinois was published in 2019 and she was featured in a Canadian documentary on the program, as well as on radio and television programs on her work as a performance anthropologist.

Among her other writings are the books Art of Darkness, Vital Mummies, and Concert Song as Seen; and the plays American Yogi, Color Story, In Peerage Out, and Reprehensible Shoes. During her years in New York City, Sara was the founder and artistic director of the theatre company Chaparral Productions.

You can find more about her work here; https://the-human-journey.com/

L’Arche is a place of mutually transformative relationships. All of us, whether or not we live with an intellectual disability, desire a sense of belonging. In L’Arche, people of differing intellectual capacities, social origins, religions, and cultures build relationships rooted in trust and vulnerability. By sharing daily life together, community members experience L’Arche as a “University for the Heart,” where they learn true friendship and teach one another to love unconditionally.

You can read more about L’Arche USA here; https://www.larcheusa.org/

Episode talking points

Dr. Doka’s childhood, family, and faith backgrounds

CPE experience in the early 70s

His master’s degree thesis on “Pastoral counseling to the dying child and his family” and the reason behind that title.

Changes in grief theories and understanding of grief in the last 50 years

The story behind his first book “disenfranchised grief” in 1989

The role of rituals in facilitating grief

The background behind his book, “Death and spirituality”

Christina Puchalski’s role in the development of spiritual care in the healthcare setting

His assumption that following this pandemic we are going to have a pandemic of complicated grief.

The need for chaplains to have good counseling referral sources.

His potential fiction book

The story behind his book “Grieving beyond gender.”

Katy Butler is also a thought leader in the national movement for medical reform. A popular speaker on doctor-patient communication and the choices families face near the end of life, Katy has given keynotes and Grand Rounds at Harvard Medical School, Kaiser Permanente, UCSF, and elsewhere.

Born in South Africa and raised in Oxford, England, Katy came to America as a girl, earned a BA from Wesleyan University, and was a staff reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker; Mother Jones; Scientific American,Atlantic,, Tricycle, Psychotherapy Networker; Best American Essays, and Best American Science Writing.

Chaplains spend thousands of hours perfecting skills that many people assume come naturally: sitting and listening. They become masters of the ministry of presence, bringing the same professionalism to spiritual care that doctors bring to surgery. In today’s episode, we talk to our guests about Presence, Self-care, and Holistic practices in chaplaincy. On the job, Hospice chaplains have no scripts to follow or party tricks to employ. They learn to meet tragedy with humility and an open mind.

In today's episode we are joined by three members of the spiritual care department of Elmhurst Hospital in Elmhurst, IL to talk about Hospital ministry during COVID-19. Our guest for this episode are;

Don Dahlheimer- Spiritual Care Manager
Curtis Baxter- CPE Supervisor
Marie Conlin- CPE student

James has had a remarkable journey from his humble upbringing in New York to serving in the United States military. It was during his military service that he sensed a call to ministry. With a strong support from his wife and children, he was able to pursue both his education and call to ministry. He is now serving as the Lead Chaplain with Palladium Hospice and Palliative care. You can find some of his writing here; https://charlesparker6.academia.edu/

As a music therapist Jen utilizes music in clinical settings for healing, building connections, and as a tool to walk with others through struggles and change. She brings healing music to patients and clients in geriatrics, hospice, mental health, and educational settings. Within the medical setting Jen incorporates music therapy into the plan of care to address issues of pain reduction, depression, anxiety, loss of control, quality of life, spiritual support and a host of other needs. She utilizes songwriting and improvisation heavily in her practice with both patients and families. You can find more about Jen Conley here; https://jenconleymusic.com/

Over the past week, the obituary pages of area newspapers have become a haunting litany of “memorial service to be held at a later date,” “no services,” and “services canceled due to COVID-19.” To be sure, this is our new normal, but for funeral directors dealing with the day-to-day business of life and death, the coronavirus and social distancing era has changed the way they help people grieve, and how funeral homes host celebrations of life.

The lack of widespread screening means the coronavirus may well be present in countless hospital wards without anyone realizing it. Accordingly, many emergency-room workers are now behaving as if they’re already infected and separating from their families. One ER doctor said he has been sleeping in the guest bedroom for weeks. Other doctors have sent their families off to stay at second homes.

The majority of workers who keep America’s hospitals running don’t have the salary to afford extra bedrooms, much less extra properties. For technicians, respiratory therapists, social workers, chaplains, first responders, cleaning staff, and many others, doing their job is an act of moral complexity. Without enough PPE, they’re putting their own health at risk every time they report for duty, as well as that of their families. With that we say, thank you for your service!

Saul Ebema got his bachelor's degree in Theology from the Baptist Convention College in Soweto. He then got a Presidential Scholarship from Northern Seminary where he was able to complete his Masters in Divinity and Doctorate in Ministry.

Cassandra is the co-founder of On Purpose Consulting Group; a nonprofit designed to help women live their lives on purpose, for purpose, and with purpose. She focuses on leadership strategy, coaching, content, and community. For over 12 years, she has also been working as a nurse. Serving in different fields including; oncology, ER, and Home Care. Cassandra is passionate about helping those who help others to understand the cost of caring and how to effectively combat fatigue.

Storm has a uniquebackground that includes 25+ years of bringing music to persons in need through her work in a community music school, special education classrooms, physical and mental health hospitals, hospice and elder care facilities. Her Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Therapy are from Western Michigan University. She is a regular speaker on the topic of music therapy in university classrooms, regional, and national conferences.

In today's episode, our hosts Joe Newton and Saul Ebema sit down to talk with Erik Cremeans. Erik shares his journey from childhood and the lessons he has learned along the way that influence his work as a professional hospice chaplain.

Chaplain Erik is also a theologian, a thinker and a short story writer. He looks at himself as a curator of people’s stories and in his writings, he captures the beauty within those bedside narratives. Here is a piece he wrote for; https://hospicechaplaincy.com/2020/02/16/stone-the-crow-a-chaplains-reflection-on-death-and-dying/

Terri conducts workshops throughout the U.S. to help the dying and the bereaved find healing through meditative, ritual and therapeutic processes that focus on inner transformation rather than external events.

Her work is acclaimed by physicians, hospice workers, grief counselors, clergy and the bereaved for its pinpoint clarity on the process of dying and grieving, and its heartfelt depiction of consciousness beyond the physical body.

She is also an author who has written a number of books including;

1. GRIEF AND GOD: When Religion Does More Harm Than Healing (2019)

2. TURNING THE CORNER ON GRIEF STREET:
Loss and Bereavement as a Journey of Awakening (2014)

3. EMBRACING DEATH: A New Look at Grief, Gratitude and God (2010)

4. A SWAN IN HEAVEN: Conversations Between Two Worlds (2007)

In this week’s episode, Dr. Saul Ebema and Dr. Joe Newton sit down to talk about the challenges of the family members of the hospice patient and how to help them.

When a member of the family is dying, unique problems arise. These problems usually begin at the time of diagnosis. Communications often becomes difficult as family members experience different stages of grief. Early in terminal illness, there are the emotional burdens of learning of the illness and coming to accept a terminal diagnosis, of giving up hope of cure and choosing comfort measures. In addition to grieving for the potential loss of the loved one, there is also the grief for the death of the family unit as it has existed before. Although the family will continue after the death, it will forever be changed by the death.

There is an implied though not plainly expressed expectation in our culture that the parent will die before the child. The orderliness of the universe seems to be undermined when this expectation is unmet. The unnaturalness is not determined by the age of the child, but by the fact that the child dies out of turn with the parent. The death of a child is considered a greater loss in our culture because the child has not had the opportunity to live a full life compared to the adult or the elderly. The emotional and spiritual needs of dying children vary greatly with age and intellectual ability.

Dying persons in this age group present counseling challenges that defer from the elderly. The middle aged adult with family and work responsibilities who is stricken with terminal illness and the elderly in a nursing home face their deaths with different concerns due to their perceived age differences and social responsibilities. The sense of loss, injustice, and anger is often more intense in the person at this middle stage of life. The major psychosocial concerns in this age group are the loss of identity, work, family and the reality of not being able to support their families or not being able to raise their children. When compared to the death of an elderly person, the family members and friends of a dying person in this age group have intense psychosocial issues.

This is an introductory episode about the hosts Dr. Saul Ebema and Dr. Joe Newton. In this episode, they share their life experiences and what led them to becoming hospice chaplains and why they love what they do.