Kish Hospital Chaplain On-Call Program
July 30, 2012
Several members of Kish Hospital’s Chaplain On-call Program were present at a training luncheon for the program. From left to right: Steve Larson (Hillcrest Covenant Church), Marty Marks (Immanuel Lutheran Church), Joseph Mitchell (New Hope Missionary Baptist Church), Eric Mangek (Victory Baptist Church), Dean Pierce (DeKalb Wesleyan Church), Ray Krueger (Immanuel Lutheran Church), Robert Weinhold (St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church) and Tim Frick (Beacon Counseling, LLC). Pastors not present for the picture: Jim Allen (United Church of Christ, Shabbona), Steve Liston (Kishwaukee Bible Church), Father Kenneth Anderson (St. Mary DeKalb), Father Matthew Camaioni (Newman Catholic Student Center, DeKalb), Father Alejandro del Toro, (Newman Catholic Student Center, DeKalb), and Father Tim Seigel (St. Catherine, Genoa).
Last spring, a family who was driving past Chris and Debi Frankovich’s home in DeKalb, stopped suddenly. The elderly driver had passed out, but had luckily slowed the vehicle as the episode began. As the man’s wife called 911, the Frankoviches, came out to assist the man’s wife and son. The ambulance arrived and the paramedics revived him, and then transported him to Kish Hospital’s Emergency Department. Since the man’s wife and son were distraught and needed support, the Frankoviches offered to drive them to the hospital.
At the hospital, as emergency department staff stabilized the man, the Frankoviches comforted and prayed with the family. This experience motivated Chris, Revenue Cycle director for the hospital, to work with others in the hospital to start the Chaplain On-call Program, similar to the program at Valley West Community Hospital in Sandwich. The purpose of the program is to provide a 24-hour pastoral care services to meet the spiritual and emotional needs of patients and hospital staff in a their time of need.
A recent study from the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found “healthcare professionals might improve patients’ overall experience with being hospitalized and patient satisfaction by addressing this unmet patient need.” These hospital caregivers provide care in a manner respectful of the person's belief system, recognizing that spiritual needs can intensify during times of trauma or illness.
On-call chaplains are now available to KishHealth System patients, family members, and staff for spiritual care in emergency situations, or upon patient or family request.
