You are invited!
 
The Chinook Winds Region’s Hospital Ministries Program is organizing a two-day, in-person training program that will train religious community visitors (RCVs) from the Chinook Winds Region. The program is open to all clergy, lay members, and adherents of churches in the CWR region.
Meeting in person at the friendly and beautiful Okotoks United Church, on September 15 and 16, 2022, we will learn about the best tools and techniques you need to become an effective visitor in the acute-care hospitals in the Alberta Health Services (AHS) hospitals in the CWR region. 

On our agenda: We will do role-play visiting scenarios so that we can learn while doing. We will explain how RCVs function within the AHS system and interact with Spiritual Health Practitioners. We will discuss spiritual practices and tools for self-awareness. We will teach you about the latest protocols of personal protective equipment and safety standards so that you can stay safe and healthy, and patients and staff do too. 

Cost: There is no cost for this program. 
Background: In July 2022, Alberta Health Services decided to recommence the program for religious community visitors. These visitors serve as part of the multidisciplinary support team for patients and their families in AHS hospitals. 
 
Benefits for the Patient and for the Visitor: As a visitor, we help fulfil Jesus’ instructions to visit the sick (Mt 25:36). Jesus tells us, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35, NRSV). 
 
Religious community visitors provide meaningful support to patients and their families and support persons. As Justine Baek, an incoming palliative care fellow at the University of Toronto, remarked in a recent article, “Essential caregiver presence is associated with significant benefits to patient care, including improved safety, enhanced communication, and improved outcomes. They’re also crucial players in the delivery of patient-centred care by assisting with…emotional support.” Justine Baek, “Re-evaluating Visitor Restrictions,” July 2, 2022. 

You can Register HERE

If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Geoffrey Simmins, Chinook Winds Hospital Ministry.