OZH VOLUNTEERS


Chaplains — an Integral Part of Care


BY DWAIN HEBDA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES MOORE T


eresa and James Trimmer are famil- iar sights around the wards of Ozarks Healthcare, but they aren’t doctors or nurses or even housekeeping deliver-


ing an extra blanket. Still, the duo plays an essential role in the recovery of patients as part of the corps of volunteer chaplains serving the hospital. “The biggest reward anybody can get from this is the love that you can show,” Teresa said. “A lot of pa- tients don’t have family, and the biggest thing they have is fear. What you can give them is you can be a substitute family. You can still give them hope. Hold their hands, and you become that family.” “The rewards are just phe- nomenal,” agreed Jim. “You meet unbelievable people doing this. When you see someone go home or you walk into a room and they say, ‘I’m on my way home,’ that’s really a reward. It’s a very import- ant time that we can bring Christ into it and say we prayed for God’s healing; God’s going to take care of you.” The Trimmers are just two of 18 volunteer clergy in the chap- lain program, offering comfort and consolation to patients and staff alike. At least seven faith traditions are represented within their ranks, but all are here to provide the same brand of loving pastoral care. It’s a ministry that runs on the individual dedication of its volunteers, said Michael Parrott, who’s served three years as hospital chaplain/chaplain coordinator. “We do not have chaplains physically in-house 24 hours a day, but every day of the week except Sunday, and oftentimes on Sunday, there’s someone here,” he said. “We do have chaplains who live fairly close to the hospital, and they are on a call-in list. The op- erator will start at the top of the list and work down until they find someone who can come in.”


16 | OZARKS HEALTHCARE | WINTER 2021


The biggest reward anybody can get


from this is the love that you can show.


“ ”


Parrott, who’s been in ministry for nearly 50 years and in hospital ministry for 13, said one group many people don’t think about needing spiritual uplift are front-line staff. However, he said, given the events of the past 18 months, the chaplains have paid partic- ular attention to the doctors and nurses who have been stretched to their limits. “It certainly has become more important to the staff in recent months,” he said. “We try to be more visible and more available to them. When a chaplain is around, they see the patients and then they also try to check on the staff and see how they’re doing, maybe have prayer with them. Recently we’ve had chaplains that have taken candy to the staff. “We also come in and have


extra prayer with them through shift changes and in the af- ternoon over the overhead. Just checking on their general well-being, not only spiritually but physically and emotionally as well. We’re available to them at any time and are glad to talk with them, meet with them, pray with them, whatever their needs may be. That certainly has esca-


lated over the past few months.” The chaplains are getting a boost with the expan- sion of the hospital’s chapel, something Parrot said will allow for the ministry to expand into regular services. In the meantime, dedicated clergy like the Trimmers are willing to go to any lengths to tend to their hospital flock. “We work right beside the medical workers,” Jim


said. “We’re on 24-hour call, and it could be 10 in the morning, it could be midnight; when there are issues, they call us and we go. We stay with the fam- ilies. We’re praying for the doctors and nurses. Our ministry is for everybody. We’re available, no matter who it is, we’re available to be there with them.”


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