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                        JeffNEWS, October 25, 1994
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October 24-30, National Pastoral Care Week
New Department Formalizes Jefferson's Commitment to Pastoral Care
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In a time of bold scientific advances and high-tech medical treatments 
to help save lives, the healing power of spirituality cannot be
overlooked.  It's not merely prescriptions, pills and procedures that
help patients get better but the strength they derive from their
spiritual faith as well.  Recognizing that professional chaplains and
pastoral care workers round out medicine's science and technology mix -
bringing comfort, hope and support to patients and their families -
Jefferson established a new pastoral care and education department.

Directed by Rev. Joseph Leggieri, PhD, formerly of close affiliate 
Methodist Hospital, the department offers spiritual and emotional support 
of an interfaith nature to patients, visitors and staff members, as well as 
meeting their religious needs. In addition, a major component of the 
department is clinical pastoral education (CPE), and as an accredited CPE 
center, Jefferson offers special training  in the nuances of pastoral care 
to theological students and qualified laypersons of all faiths. 

"Pastoral care has been a presence at Jefferson for nearly 20 years," 
says Dr. Leggieri, "but it was never a formal part of patient care. 
Integrating pastoral care into Jefferson's patient care mission establishes 
it as an essential, service."

In many hospitals, priests, rabbis and ministers from the local 
community are encouraged to visit their own parishioners or other 
hospitalized patients. While many who enter the ministry have a desire to 
minister to the ill, ordination doesn't guarantee this skill. 

"There's an art and skill to caring for people who are in intense 
crisis, are suffering or are coping with a catastrophic illness," says Dr. 
Leggieri. "Members of the clergy may be eager to relate to people, but they 
may not have the faintest idea how to go about it - they must be educated."

In addition to educating CPE students, the pastoral care and education 
department acts as a spiritual resource to staff and to medical and allied 
health students. By helping employees and students understand how 
spirituality fits into a patient's recovery and by providing support and 
consultation to patients, staff and students in the aftermath of a crisis 
or loss, Jefferson continues to offer the highest quality of patient care.

Dr. Leggieri, an ordained United Methodist clergyperson, served as the 
director of pastoral care at Methodist Hospital for 15 years. A fellow in 
the College of Chaplains, Dr. Leggieri earned his doctorate from the Union 
Institute in Cincinnati, his masters of divinity from Eastern Baptist 
Theological Seminary and a masters of theology from Princeton Theological 
Seminary. Dr. Leggieri has served as the director of chaplaincy for the 
Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church and is 
currently a supervisor for the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, 
Inc.


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Information provided by:  Editor, JeffNEWS
                          (215) 955-6204
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