Advocate Sherman Hospital Clinical Pastoral Education program
Ministry context & client population
The primary site for pastoral visitation at this center is the main campus of Advocate Sherman Hospital located south of I-90. This hospital serves the community of Elgin and surrounding areas with 255 licensed beds. Advocate Sherman's emergency room is designated as a level II trauma center, it is a certified primary stroke center, a breast center of excellence and chest pain center with advanced heart failure certification. The Center for Cancer Care provides comprehensive care, from prevention and detection to diagnostics treatment and research. Performing more than 12,000 open heart surgeries, Advocate Sherman is a leader in the region for advanced heart and vascular care. The Center for Advanced Liver and Pancreatic Care was opened in 2011 offering progressive procedures to treat a broad range of liver and pancreatic cancers and diseases.
Students are called upon often during their over-night duty. Students are also assigned patient areas of the hospital to provide pastoral care. These include an intensive care area, medical surgery floors, obstetrics/gynecology, telemetry, oncology, and rehabilitation. Students may also be assigned to area Advocate Sherman off-site facilities which include:
- Three immediate care facilities
- Skilled nursing/rehabilitation center
- Stand-alone imaging center
Description of mission & spiritual care at Advocate Sherman
The Department of Mission & Spiritual Care consists of the vice-president, a manager who is also the ACPE Supervisor, two (2) staff chaplains, several on call chaplains who represent diverse faith groups and a volunteer administrative support person. The department supports, develops and endorses the Eucharistic ministers, hosts and participates in community activities, and sponsors clergy fellowships.
Environment for learning
Advocate Health Care System has a long tradition of working with chaplains. Medical staff at Advocate Sherman is anticipating the presence of students in pastoral ministry. It is the desire of the administration to treat all patients with dignity and respect. Chaplain residents are treated with dignity and respect by their supervisors and the department staff and a high level of honesty and directness is expected from all members of the team.
Advocate Sherman Hospital is one of three Tri-Site facilities partnering with two other Mission & Spiritual Care CPE programs in the Advocate Healthcare System: Advocate Good Shepherd in Barrington, IL and Advocate Condell in Libertyville, IL. Advocate Sherman clinics and the hospital campus provides a healing ministry to patients from a wide ethnic and socioeconomic demographic. The Department of Mission & Spiritual Care offers support, pastoral counseling, grief and loss support groups, ethics consultations, and memorial services to patients, family members and staff of Advocate Sherman. Students administer these functions as a general function of their chaplain duties and particularly when they are on-call.
Pertinent information for applicants
A non-refundable deposit, applicable to tuition, is required to hold a place when the applicant is accepted into the Program.
Students are required to comply with successful completion of a criminal record background check, drug screen and health clearance, which includes a 2-step TB test and a Respiratory Mask FIT test.
For more information
Yonason Meadows
CPE Manager Midwest Region
Email: yonason.meadows@aah.org