Summer 2014Volume 5, Issue 2

In this issue:1 Greetings from Wendell Oman

1 Grace Notes

2 Gilda’s Club Chicago opens its Red Door in our community

3 Gilda’s Club hours

3 The Creation

3 Hospice Corner

4 Advocate Children’s Hospital

4 Summer prayer for children

4 Dear giver of care

5 Lifting spirits

5 Thank you for support

Office for Mission &Spiritual Care

The Office for Mission & Spiritual Care provides spiritual care for patients, their families and associates 24 hours a day every day of the year. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. To contact us, call 708.684.5175. Evenings and weekends, ask for the paging operator and request #2296 for the house chaplain or #2299 for the emergency department chaplain.

Bridges to Our Faith CommunitiesConnections

Also in this issue:News from

AdvocateChildren’s Hospital

If you don't take a Sabbath, something is wrong. You're doing too much; you're being too much in charge. You've got to quit, one day a week, and just watch what God is doing when you're not doing anything.

Eugene PetersonGrace Notes are readings, poems or quotes from a variety of faith traditions and writers. Each

reflection tries to touch on the heart of being human in this world. To receive Grace Notes five or seven days a week, please click here or contact AHC-gracenotes@advocatehealth.com .

Grace Notes

All this and moreYes, the new Outpatient Pavilion (OPP) at Advocate Christ Medical Center offers a wide range of excellent and varied services: More convenient access to outpatient surgery, three specialty institutes (cancer, neuroscience and heart & vascular), 12 state-of-the-art operating rooms, seven GI/endoscopy procedure areas and other outstanding services. It is a wonderful facility.

But there is even more to the OPP than you might expect. Healing comes in many forms. Gilda’s Club Chicago, which we feature in this issue of Connections, and many other

special programs and activities are also routes to healing and wellness offered through the OPP: ✦ Art as Relaxation✦ Yoga✦ Mindful Meditation✦ Drumming Circle✦ Family Night✦ Dance Movement

All this and more can be found in the OPP. Come and see what’s new in our

neighborhood, and then tell your congregants that they are most assuredly welcome to this new place of healing, the OPP at Christ Medical Center.

God’s blessings for you and all you care for, Rev. Wendell Oman

Vice President, Office for Mission & Spiritual Care

The entry sign that greets visitors and sets the tone.

Connections - Advocate Christ Medical Center Office for Mission and Spiritual Care Summer 2014 - Page 2

Since it opened its iconic Red Door on March 31, Gilda’s Club Chicago in the Outpatient Pavilion (OPP) at Advocate Christ Medical Center has been bustling.

Gilda’s Club Chicago offers free cancer support for the whole family the whole time, and that means that no one has to face cancer alone. It has programs for men, women, children and their families and friends whose lives have been impacted by any kind of cancer. Its mission is to “ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community.”

There are several programs that Gilda’s Club Chicago offers, including weekly wellness groups and monthly networking groups – as well as Noogieland programs for kids and teens.

There are wellness groups to support anyone living with cancer, as well as groups for family, friends and caregivers and those who are bereaved. The monthly networking groups are drop-in meetings and have a specific, unifying component, such as women of color or breast cancer. During the meeting, members can talk about their cancer experiences and discuss the types of programs they find most interesting.

While the weekly wellness group is for an individual with cancer, the family and friends weekly group is for those who are supporting loved ones with cancer, and the weekly bereavement group – which has a licensed clinical mental health professional on hand – is for those who have lost someone to cancer.

The monthly networking groups are drop-in meetings with both a clinical professional and medical staff on hand. These groups have a specific, unifying component, such as women of color or breast cancer.

“People can walk in if they’re looking for information or they can come into a program as a participant in a group that’s

getting together regularly,” says Jessica Sittig, Hospital Program Manager for Gilda’s Club Chicago at Advocate Christ Medical Center.

“Everyone is welcome, and I personally get to know everyone – whether they’re volunteers or coming in as participants. That’s one of the most wonderful parts of my job – getting to know the people in person or even over the phone.

“We work closely with a number of volunteers, and we’re always looking for more. A person can volunteer to work one shift a week or help out with a particular event. We couldn’t function without our volunteers!

“There’s no hired receptionist here. We have a member who welcomes everyone who walks through the door, and we encourage members to be volunteers and volunteers to be members.

“It’s about support and community. I was a member myself eleven years ago,” continues Sittig. “I know first hand how important support and community are.

Gilda’s Club Chicago opens its Red Door in our community

Gilda’s Club is a community resource, located on the ground floor of the Outpatient

Pavilion at Advocate Christ Medical Center.

Lively paintings of Gilda Radner, the comedian after whom the Club is named, welcome those who step inside Gilda’s Club.

Please see Gilda’s Club on next page.

The beautiful kitchen in Gilda’s Club works well for preparing a snack or meal – or just socializing with others over a cup of coffee.

Connections - Advocate Christ Medical Center Office for Mission and Spiritual Care Summer 2014 - Page 3

Service of RemembranceSiemers Chapel

Advocate Christ Medical Center

Special Memorial Servicefor Recently Bereaved

Sun., Aug. 10, 4 p.m.A special memorial service will be held for the hospice and patient families of Christ Medical Center who have recently lost a loved one. Christ Mission & Spiritual Care and Advocate Hospice join together in leading this service of prayers and readings as a comfort for the families they serve. For more information, contact Penelope Gabriele at 630.829.1753.

Next service: Sun., Nov. 16, 4 p.m.

Advocate Christ Medical Center4440 West 95th Street, Oak Lawn, IL 60453 708.684.8000

Hospice Corner

Staff Chaplains:Refat Abukhdeir, Moslem MinistriesCathy Arsenault, MennoniteFr. Bill Browne, Roman CatholicMary Anne Cannon, Roman CatholicP.V. Chandy, QuakerDenise Duncan, United Church of ChristFr. Casimir Eke, Roman CatholicChristy Howard-Steele, Christian Richard James, Southern BaptistMarjorie Kooy, Christian ReformedDavid Safeblade, United Church of ChristTyron Smith, Baptist

Clinical Pastoral Education SupervisorsAngie Keith, Pentecostal ACPE Supervisory CandidateJanet MacLean, United Church of Christ

ACPE Associate SupervisorPhyllis Toback, Jewish ACPE Supervisor

Clinical Pastoral Education Chaplain ResidentsStaycie Flint, EpiscopalThandiwe Gobledale, Disciples of ChristTerry Jensen, BaptistBlessed Madugba, Evangelical Free Church of America

Secretarial StaffKaren Darr, 708.684.4189

CPE, Ethics Committee, Office of Vice PresidentFran Genender, 708.684.5175

Eucharistic ministers, the Department, Office of Manager of Spiritual Services

Jacquelyn Perkins, Coordinator, Faith Health PartnershipsAdministrative Staff

Corky DeBoer, Christian ReformedManager of Spiritual Services, ACPE Supervisor

Wendell Oman, Evangelical Free Church of AmericaVice-President, Mission & Spiritual Care

To subscribe to Connections, call 708.684.5175 or email Christ-Mission-SpiritualCare@advocatehealth.com with your name and email address. You’ll receive an electronic edition of Connections every three months.

To continue receiving Connections, your email address must be current. Please inform us of any changes of email address or other contact information. Email Christ-Mission-SpiritualCare@advocatehealth.com or call 708.684.5175.

Gilda’s Club continued

I’m excited about the future of Gilda’s Club here at Christ Medical Center, and I’m happy to be here.”

Art has always been an intrinsic part of Advocate Christ Medical Center. Its new Outpatient Pavilion (OPP) is no exception. On the first floor landing is a beautiful display interpreting the first seven days, the creation of the world.

The creation of the birds of the sky and the creatures of the sea. Genesis 1:20 – 23)

The Creation

About Gilda’s Club Chicago: This innovative program is an essential complement to medical care and offers support and networking groups, educational lectures, healthy lifestyle programs, resource referrals and social

opportunities. The complement of activities offers anyone living with cancer an opportunity to get involved with its community. Gilda’s Clubs are for the entire family and are part of Cancer Support Community, a national organization.

Gilda’s Club Hours

Tuesdays 9 am to 7 pm

Wednesdays 9 am to 5 pm

Thursdays 12pm to 8 pm

Saturdays 9 am to 1 pm

Connections - Advocate Christ Medical Center Office for Mission and Spiritual Care Summer 2014 - Page 4

Dear giver of care,Recently I was interviewed on the topic of nature and children. Nature provides much more for a child than a pleasurable pastime, as the article below reveals:

With so much time spent with technology, according to the National Wildlife Federation, “The nature of childhood has changed. There’s not much nature in it.” Getting outside in

nature has been found to reduce childhood obesity, boost classroom performance and spur imagination. New research reveals that

nature also affects how children define spirituality.

The study, published in a recent issue of the Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, found that children who spent play time outside for five to 10 hours each week said they felt spiritually connected to the earth and believed that it was their role to protect it.

Research also uncovered the notion that those children who spent more time outdoors had a stronger sense of self-fulfillment and purpose compared to those who don’t.

“In the world’s major religions, in sacred texts, there abound stories of lessons learned from the seasons and from nature,” says Rev. Stacey Jutila, vice president of mission and spiritual care for Advocate Children’s Hospital.

“There is a Jewish tale of a Rabbi who finds his son reading the Torah, while sitting in a tree. The father proclaims, ‘Son, don’t you know that the wisdom of the Torah is the same, whether you are in the synagogue or in a tree?’ The boy proclaims, ‘Yes, that is true, but I am different when I read it while sitting in the tree,’” she explains.

“As we speak with children about the wonders of faith, of God, and spirit, nature provides us with active and living metaphors for hope, grief and loss, and change,” says Jutila.

She sees this take place through experiences her daughter, a toddler, is having. Jutila explains that her daughter’s daycare

has had caterpillars that they have faithfully watched in recent weeks, and with joy, the children have seen these hungry caterpillars transformed into living butterflies. “As we pray at the dinner table and before we go to bed at night, I can talk with her about God’s love being ever present and ever transforming and like a caterpillar, we too can be transformed in new and amazing ways,” she says.

“Beyond a sense of peace and well being occurring in nature, children also learn a sense of reverence, awe and respect for the world, as we take part and delight in the natural world,” Jutila adds.

May your summer overflow with wellness and joy and nature.

Blessings,Stacey Jutila

Summer prayer for children

For the laughter, wisdom and joy children share,May our ears be open to hear them.

For children who are in need of care and support,May our hands reach out to them with care and

compassion.

For children who enter into this summer season,Grant them safe places to play and enjoy life with

friends and family.

For children who find themselves at the hospital this summer,

May warm and generous caregivers provide them with rays of hope.

For parents whose hearts are full of prayers for healing and recovery for their child,

Hear their prayers and surround their family with courage.

Gather all of our prayers, Oh Lord,And guide us in caring for your children.

Amen

Article appears courtesy of health enews (ahchealthenews.com).

Connections - Advocate Christ Medical Center Office for Mission and Spiritual Care Summer 2014 - Page 5

When a child

is hospitalized, excellent treatment to help his or her

illness is critical. But physical treatment is not the entire picture, and so Advocate Children’s Hospital also tends children’s spirits while they’re patients.

Because it treats the whole patient, Advocate Children’s Hospital strives to lift children’s spirits. Efforts include child life

services, music therapy, and art therapy – spirit boosters that fit in perfectly with the hospital’s wholistic approach.

“Our goal is to help the entire child, both in spirit and in body,” says Doug Koltun, MD, Pediatric Rehabilitation, Advocate Children’s Hospital.

One very well-received special service is Open Heart Magic. Advocate Children’s Hospital has had a relationship with that volunteer group since 2007.

“It’s a wonderful program for our patients, their siblings, their families and even our own staff here,” says Lisa

Boland, Manager, Child Life Program, Advocate Children’s Hospital.

“Open Heart Magic is more than just a magic show. Yes, the volunteer magicians do one-on-one, bedside

activities with our patients, but they also teach them magic tricks. This allows our patients to experience mastery

and control over something while they’re in the hospital -- and that something is magic.”

Young patients perform tricks for doctors, nurses and their visitors. They enjoy learning something special and then being able to implement it while they’re in the hospital.

“Our goal is to decrease some of the anxiety they’re feeling while they’re here,” says Boland, “and magic gives them something special to take with them then they leave.”

. . . magic gives them something special to take with

them when they leave.

Advocate Children’s Hospital – Oak Lawn4440 West 95th St., Oak Lawn, IL 60453

Advocate Children’s Hospital – Park Ridge1675 Dempster St., Park Ridge, IL 60068

1.855.312.KIDSStaff Chaplains:

Carol Stephens BCC, United Church of ChristEliza Stoddard Leatherberry BCC, United Church of ChristTracy Nolan, United Church of Christ

Administrative StaffStacey Jutila, BCC Evangelical Lutheran Church of AmericaMartha Huayamave, Executive Assistant

Thanks to your overwhelming support, Advocate Children’s Hospital has been chosen to receive Community Impact Project funding from the Livestrong Foundation for VitalHearts!

VitalHearts provides support to cancer treatment providers who take such wonderful care of our young oncology patients. Helping facilitate providers’ healing is a great way to help them continue to offer compassionate care for our patients.

In addition to the Livestrong’s financial support, the hospital will receive training and support from the VitalHeart’s staff and access to additional tools and resources.

We are beyond appreciative of everyone who took action and helped Advocate Children’s Hospital bring this program to our cancer caregivers.

Lifting Spirits

Open Heart Magic is a Chicago based 501(c)(3) Children's Foundation that brings hope to children struggling in hospitals by reinvigorating their youthful enthusiasm and helping them get better through the power of magic and laughter. For the complete story, go to: youtube.com/watch?v=NrFfaO_ujd4

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ite/

Page

Serv

er?p

agen

ame=

SYM

P •

NIH

: Wha

t Is

Hig

h B

lood

Pre

ssur

e –

ww

w.n

hlbi

.nih

.gov

/hea

lth/h

ealth

-top

ics/

topi

cs/h

bp/ •

Car

ing.

org:

Str

oke

Car

egiv

er

Supp

ort –

car

ing.

com

/art

icle

s/co

nnec

ting-

with

-str

oke-

care

give

rs

Prayer

: D

ear

God

, I th

ank

you

for

the

gift

of h

ealth

. Hel

p m

e to

be

min

dful

of t

his

gift

and

to g

uard

it e

ach

and

ever

y da

y. A

men

.

Stro

ke a

war

enes

sSt

roke

s ha

ppen

whe

n th

ere

is a

dis

rupt

ion

in b

lood

flow

to p

art

of th

e br

ain

caus

ed b

y a

clot

or

a ru

ptur

ed b

lood

ves

sel.

Stro

ke

dam

age

can

be s

ever

e an

d ca

use

perm

anen

t dis

abili

ty o

r de

ath.

Seve

ral s

trok

e ri

sk fa

ctor

s ar

e un

cont

rolla

ble,

suc

h as

age

, rac

e an

d fa

mily

his

tory

. Stil

l, yo

u ca

n m

inim

ize

man

y ri

sk fa

ctor

s w

ith a

ppro

pria

te li

fest

yle

chan

ges.

The

se in

clud

e:

✦Ea

ting

bette

r an

d ex

erci

sing

reg

ular

ly

✦G

ettin

g tr

eatm

ent f

or h

igh

bloo

d pr

essu

re a

nd

card

iova

scul

ar d

isea

se

✦R

educ

ing

or e

limin

atin

g al

coho

l and

toba

cco

use

In a

dditi

on, t

alk

to y

our

doct

or a

bout

you

r ri

sk o

f str

oke

and

a pl

an fo

r ad

dres

sing

con

trol

labl

e ri

sk fa

ctor

s.

The

Nat

iona

l Str

oke

Ass

ocia

tion

sugg

ests

that

you

rem

embe

r th

e w

ord

“FAST

” if

you

susp

ect s

omeo

ne is

hav

ing

a st

roke

:

Face

: Ask

the

pers

on to

sm

ile. F

acia

l dro

opin

g on

one

sid

e su

gges

ts a

str

oke.

Arm

s: A

sk th

e pe

rson

to r

aise

bot

h ar

ms.

One

arm

driv

ing

dow

nwar

d ca

n be

a s

ympt

om o

f str

oke.

Spee

ch: A

sk th

e pe

rson

to s

ay a

sim

ple

phra

se. S

lurr

ed o

r st

rang

e sp

eech

can

be

a st

roke

sym

ptom

.

Tim

e: If

any

of t

hese

sym

ptom

s ar

e pr

esen

t, ca

ll 91

1 im

med

iate

ly.

A s

ever

e he

adac

he w

ith n

o ap

pare

nt c

ause

can

als

o be

a s

trok

e sy

mpt

om. I

f you

or

som

eone

you

kno

w h

as a

ny o

f the

se

sym

ptom

s, g

et m

edic

al a

ttent

ion

righ

t aw

ay.

The

late

st s

trok

e tr

eatm

ents

are

ver

y ef

fect

ive

but m

ust b

e ad

min

iste

red

with

in th

ree

hour

s of

the

star

t of a

str

oke.

Eve

ry

min

ute

coun

ts, a

nd o

nly

a m

edic

al p

rofe

ssio

nal c

an d

eter

min

e w

heth

er s

ympt

oms

are

stro

ke-r

elat

ed o

r no

t. C

all 9

11 o

r ge

t to

the

emer

genc

y ro

om a

s so

on a

s po

ssib

le.

Support

ing

Can

cer

Surv

ivors

June

1st

is N

atio

nal C

ance

r Su

rviv

ors

Day

. Whi

le s

urvi

ving

ca

ncer

is c

erta

inly

som

ethi

ng to

cel

ebra

te, s

erio

us il

lnes

s af

fect

s pe

ople

long

afte

r tr

eatm

ent.

For

canc

er s

urvi

vors

, lon

g-te

rm

conc

erns

incl

ude:

✦B

eing

dia

gnos

ed w

ith o

ther

can

cers

, suf

feri

ng

addi

tiona

l hea

lth p

robl

ems.

✦Fi

nanc

ial s

tres

s ca

used

by

the

cost

of

trea

tmen

t or

time

off w

ork.

✦St

rain

ed r

elat

ions

hips

with

fam

ily a

nd fr

iend

s.

Fam

ily m

embe

rs o

f sur

vivo

rs, p

artic

ular

ly th

ose

who

se

rved

as

care

take

rs, m

ay a

lso

be s

trug

glin

g in

the

afte

rmat

h of

a

love

d on

e’s

canc

er d

iagn

osis

and

trea

tmen

t.

Whi

le m

any

indi

vidu

als

and

faith

com

mun

ities

act

ivel

y he

lp

othe

rs in

the

mid

st o

f a c

ritic

al il

lnes

s, th

is s

uppo

rt s

omet

imes

fa

des

afte

r th

e ill

ness

impr

oves

or

goes

into

rem

issi

on. Y

et th

e ne

ed fo

r su

ppor

t is

still

ther

e an

d so

met

imes

is e

ven

mor

e ac

ute.

H

ere

are

som

e w

ays

that

you

can

sup

port

a c

ance

r su

rviv

or a

nd

his

or h

er fa

mily

:✦

Pray

for

them

.✦

Trea

tmen

t rec

over

y ca

n ta

ke ti

me.

Offe

r he

lp w

ith

tran

spor

tatio

n, e

rran

ds a

nd c

hore

s w

hile

the

surv

ivor

get

s hi

s or

her

str

engt

h ba

ck.

✦Pr

ovid

e ch

ildca

re s

o th

at a

dult

fam

ily m

embe

rs c

an s

pend

tim

e to

geth

er.

✦M

ake

your

self

avai

labl

e to

list

en to

a s

urvi

vor’s

or

care

take

r’s

conc

erns

and

fear

s.

June

1 I

s N

atio

nal

C

ance

r Su

rviv

ors

Day

Ⓡ

6-14

Res

ou

rces

: Adv

ocat

ehea

lth.c

om •

Nat

iona

l Can

cer

Surv

ivor

s D

ay®

– n

csd.

org

• A

mer

ican

Can

cer

Soci

ety:

Sur

vivo

rshi

p: D

urin

g an

d A

fter T

reat

men

t – c

ance

r.org

/tr

eatm

ent/s

urvi

vors

hipd

urin

gand

afte

rtre

atm

ent/i

ndex

?site

area

• N

atio

nal C

ance

r In

stitu

te: S

urvi

vors

hip:

Liv

ing

With

and

Bey

ond

Can

cer

– ca

ncer

.gov

/can

cert

opic

s/co

ping

/sur

vivo

rshi

p

Prayer

: D

ear

God

, hel

p m

e to

rem

ain

min

dful

of t

he p

eopl

e in

my

life.

Hel

p m

e to

be

a st

rong

sup

port

for

them

. Am

en.

Men

and C

ance

r

In th

e U

nite

d St

ates

, we

cele

brat

e Fa

ther

’s D

ay in

June

, whi

ch is

al

so M

en’s

Hea

lth A

war

enes

s M

onth

. For

man

y m

en a

nd th

eir

fam

ilies

, hea

lthy

livin

g an

d w

elln

ess

is a

n on

goin

g co

ncer

n.

One

sig

nific

ant f

ear

is c

ance

r, so

met

hing

that

cla

ims

hund

reds

of

thou

sand

s of

live

s ea

ch y

ear

in th

e U

nite

d St

ates

alo

ne. F

or

men

, the

mos

t com

mon

can

cers

are

thos

e of

the

pros

tate

, lun

gs,

colo

n an

d sk

in.

Seve

ral e

ffect

ive

scre

enin

gs e

xist

, but

the

Am

eric

an C

ance

r So

ciet

y do

es n

ot r

ecom

men

d th

at e

very

man

und

ergo

rou

tine

scre

enin

g fo

r al

l of t

hese

con

ditio

ns. I

nste

ad, m

en s

houl

d ha

ve a

co

nver

satio

n w

ith th

eir

doct

ors

abou

t whe

ther

test

ing

is

appr

opri

ate

for

them

giv

en th

eir

age,

the

stat

e of

thei

r he

alth

and

th

eir

fam

ily h

isto

ries

.

Earl

y de

tect

ion

impr

oves

a m

an’s

chan

ces

of s

urvi

val a

nd m

ay

redu

ce th

e ne

ed fo

r in

vasi

ve a

nd p

ainf

ul th

erap

ies.

How

ever

, man

y m

en d

elay

spe

akin

g to

thei

r do

ctor

s ab

out

sym

ptom

s th

at m

ay p

oint

to c

ance

r. So

me

do th

is o

ut o

f fea

r an

d

som

e be

caus

e th

ey b

elie

ve th

ey s

houl

d “m

an-u

p” a

nd ig

nore

th

eir

pain

and

dis

com

fort

.  

In a

dditi

on, s

ome

men

may

not

hav

e a

rela

tions

hip

with

a

prim

ary

care

phy

sici

an o

r an

y he

alth

car

e pr

ofes

sion

al. E

ven

thos

e th

at d

o m

ay p

ut o

ff or

forg

o re

gula

r ch

ecku

ps, m

issi

ng

oppo

rtun

ities

for

heal

th c

ouns

elin

g an

d, if

nec

essa

ry, t

ests

that

ca

n de

tect

can

cer.

Bot

h ty

pes

of in

actio

n ca

n le

ad to

un

nece

ssar

y su

fferi

ng, w

orse

ning

con

ditio

ns a

nd e

ven

deat

h.

Taki

ng g

ood

care

of h

imse

lf is

one

way

a fa

ther

or

gran

dfat

her

show

s hi

s fa

mily

how

muc

h he

love

s th

em. S

ettin

g an

ap

poin

tmen

t for

a lo

ng-o

verd

ue c

heck

-up

is th

e fir

st s

tep

– an

d a

love

ly g

ift a

fath

er c

an g

ive

on F

athe

r’s D

ay.

Res

ourc

es: A

dvoc

ateh

ealth

.com

• A

mer

ican

Can

cer

Soci

ety:

Can

cer

Fact

s fo

r M

en –

ca

ncer

.org

/hea

lthy/

findc

ance

rear

ly/m

ensh

ealth

/inde

x •

Mov

embe

r (M

en’s

Hea

lth

Aw

aren

ess)

– u

s.m

ovem

ber.c

om