Barnes Jewish Hospital Washington University Magnet Recognition America's Best Hospitals 2009-10
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Patients & Visitors

Spiritual Care Team

Spiritual Care Administration

Chaplain William Victor Trogdon, BCC, director, spiritual care services, has undergraduate training in religion and psychology and graduate training in pastoral care and counseling. He is a twelve-year veteran of the Navy Seabees and Air Force Chaplaincy whose hobbies include spending time with his family and building and riding motorcycles.
Chaplain Cheryl Palmer, BCC, manager of spiritual care services, joined Barnes-Jewish Hospital in 1989. Published and presented on topics such as outcomes oriented pastoral care giving; spiritual assessment of lung transplant patients; end-of-life care; and spiritual dimension of care for persons living with cystic fibrosis.
Betty Repka is office coordinator for spiritual care services.

Staff Chaplains

Chaplain Pat Baker, M.Div, M.ED, BCC, is an endorsed member of the Archdiocese of St. Louis Catholic Church and has been on the Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Extended Care staff for four years. Her areas of special interest are crisis and critical care chaplaincy, and working with positive, emotional, and spiritual aging among older adults and those with cognitive diminishment.
Chaplain Randal Blain has a master of divinity from Eden Theological Seminary, is endorsed by the American Ethical Union as a healthcare chaplain and is a member of the Chua Vien Minh Temple in St. Louis. Randal's interests are in psychiatry, medical intensive care and mindfulness practice.
Chaplain James Bennett, D.Min., BCC, is an ordained Lutheran (ELCA) pastor endorsed for specialized ministry, earned his Master of Divinity from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in 1981 and his D.Min. from Eden Theological Seminary in 1999. He is a Certified Supervisor by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education and has been the clinical pastoral education coordinator at Barnes-Jewish Hospital since 2003.
Chaplain Julie Allen Berger, D. Min., BCC, is ordained in the Presbyterian Church, USA, with degrees from Eden Theological Seminary and Yale Divinity School. On the full time Barnes-Jewish Hospital staff since 1992, her areas of special interest are oncology, palliative care and compassion fatigue among health care workers.
Chaplain Elisha D. Donaldson, M.Div., BCC, is an ordained minister in the Christian Interdenominational Church and has been part of the spiritual care department of Barnes-Jewish Hospital since 1995. He has specialty training in pastoral care and counseling, Christian education and critical incident stress management and professional interests in cultural diversity and inclusion and neuroscience, which includes stroke management and rehabilitation.
Chaplain Ellen H. Hiatt, BCC, is an ordained United Church of Christ minister who received her Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School in 1979. She has served in a local pastorate as well as chaplain at Lakeside Juvenile Center, St. Louis State Hospital, Deaconess Hospital and Anderson Hospital in Maryville, Ill. Gardening, singing, Reiki and family time are important self-care practices for her.
Chaplain Lawrence Olatunde, M.Div. is an ordained minister in the non-denominational Christian church and has been on the Barnes-Jewish Hospital staff since 1994. A National Crisis Intervener, his areas of special interest are Emergency and Trauma, Victims of Violence Care, and Mass Casualties.
Chaplain Lisa M. Scott-Joiner, D.Min, BCC is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, receiving a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Eden Theological Semenary. She holds a master of divinity and a doctorate of ministry in pastoral care and counseling and has more than 25 years of pastoral and chaplaincy experience in both parish, community outreach and hospital settings.
Father James C. Gray, Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, has been at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital for 10 years as their catholic chaplain. Fr. Gray also serves as pastor of a parish in Maplewood, Missouri.
Rabbi Dale Schreiber, whose ordination is through the Aleph Alliance for Jewish Renewal, has worked as an interfaith oncology chaplain and Jewish care coordinator since 2003. Her professional interests are patient advocacy, resiliency, ethics and exploring creativity in response to serious illness.
Rabbi Larry Glestein was ordained as rabbi in June 1986 at Rockland, NY, rabbinical seminary and graduated from Adelphi University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in education. Joining the staff of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in 2010 after 20 years in elder care, his interests are oncology and general medicine.

Chaplain Residents

Charles Dey, M. Div., is pursuing ordination in the Presbyterian Church in America and has recently joined Barnes-Jewish Hospital staff as a resident chaplain working in cardiac medicine and high-risk cardiology.
Erlinda C. Perlado, has master of arts in pastoral studies from Eden Theological Seminary. She has spent 23 years working with the Philippine Catholic Church in pastoral ministry with and for women, on gender and social issues, and 4 years in non-profit work.
Isaac Wanyoike, D.Min, ordained in the Presbyterian church of East Africa, serves a Kenyan Presbyterian congregation in St. Louis through the local Presbytery of Giddings - Lovejoy. A graduate of Kenyan and American seminaries, he holds Masters of Theology and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. He enjoys family life and pastoral care both at the hospital and with his congregation.

Contract Chaplains

Michele Adelman, contract chaplain for BJC since 2005, is a wife, mother, non-denominational Christian and has compassionate caregiving experience in counseling, small group facilitation and spiritual direction. She is owner/operator of a small family business and enjoys gardening.
Deborah Harris, contract chaplain, has a Master of Social Work from Washington University, a certificate in Jewish spiritual direction, and extensive experience in the integrative practices of movement and chant. Her professional interests in chaplaincy are in the areas of caregiver support, oncology and end-of-life care.
April D. Hughes, BA, contract chaplain, is a Consecrated Deaconess of the Lutheran Church Missouri. She has completed 6 clinical pastoral education units, serving at veteran's administration hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital since 2003. April plans to pursue her Masters of Divinity in the near future.

Jan O'Neil, LCP, contract chaplain, is an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church, serving at Barnes-Jewish Hospital since 2008 and St. Timothy's Episcopal clergy staff since 2007. With a masters in counseling, she is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri (LPC), is nationally board certified, and a retired high school counselor with special interests in ministering to families of all faiths and to those who have lost their hope.
Father Chacko Issac, contract chaplain, is an ordained priest from the Syrian Orthodox Church of India. He has completed his master degree and 4 units of clinical pastoral education.
Barbara Tumminia, MA, contract chaplain, has been with Barnes-Jewish Hospital since 2009. She has a master of arts in Christian pastoral counseling and is seeking ordination through the National Conservative Christian Church (NCCC).