Department of Pastoral Care
Since 1961, the Department of Pastoral Care at UNC Hospitals has served the patients, families and staff through pastoral leadership, compassionate presence, empathetic listening, engaging educational opportunities, and support in crisis and grief. Respecting all spiritual beliefs, we strive to connect with individuals who are experiencing a significant time in their life.
The Department of Pastoral Care is well integrated into the day-to-day care of patients at UNC Medical Center and at UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus. A visit with a trained, compassionate chaplain is only a phone call away.
Chaplain Services
The Department of Pastoral Care at UNC Hospitals is committed to caring for the spiritual needs of patients, families and staff. We provide spiritual support to people of all faith traditions and are readily available to explore spiritual questions and concerns that may arise during hospitalization.
Spirituality is a vital part of human wholeness and plays an important role in the healing process. Understanding this, our mission is to assist patients, families and staff as they face the emotional and spiritual impact of illness and crisis. Chaplains help people deal with issues of fear, loneliness, ethical values, questions of meaning, hopelessness and hope.
Reasons You Might Like to Speak With a Chaplain:
- You would like someone to pray with you for extra strength.
- You would like your community clergy person to come and visit, but you don't know how to contact him or her.
- You would like to have sacraments or rituals, such as communion, anointing, baptism or a blessing for yourself or a child.
- You have spiritual questions you would like to explore with someone.
- You are going to have surgery or an important medical procedure and would like to have someone say a prayer with you or listen to you.
- You would like to talk to someone who is not a physician or nurse, or is not somehow involved in your physical care.
- There is an ethical question that is bothering you and you would like a safe person to talk to.
- You are wondering about where God is because you feel like God is not listening to your prayers.
- You are scared and just want someone to be with you and listen, if necessary.
- You are mourning a loss and would like to find supportive resources in the hospital or your community.
If any of these reasons sound familiar, you are welcome to contact us. Each staff chaplain seeks to provide resources from an individual’s own faith or spiritual tradition and is available to help patients and families explore the comfort, hope and strength that these traditions provide. A chaplain is available to provide spiritual and emotional support to inpatients and families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Learn More
Other Pastoral Care programs
If you are exploring this information, most likely you are on a grief journey of some kind. The loss of someone you care for may be the deepest emotional pain you will ever know. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this time of sorrow. Learn more about finding help for your grief.
Clinical Pastoral Education is professional education for ministry. Utilizing clinical methods of learning, students engage in pastoral ministry with suffering persons, and then undertake a disciplined process of reflection on that ministry with an ACPE-certified supervisor and a peer group. UNC has several diverse CPE program offerings. Learn more about or apply to our Clinical Pastoral Education programs.
We want to thank you for your ministry in the lives of the individuals and families you serve in your parish. Extending your care to them while they are hospitalized is very important. UNC Medical Center values pastoral and spiritual care as significant elements of the healing process and appreciate you joining us in our work. Learn about benefits for clergy visitors and about the application process.
