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1. Executive Director’s Reflection
2. Thanks again to our NACC 2008 annual donors
3. PC Summit Metrics Task Force asks, “What question are you asking?”
4. PC Summit Metrics Task Force wants to develop another set of questions
5. Promoting spiritual care in response to quality improvement scores
6. Please note change in Fr. Robin Ryan’s audio conference
7. You can still sign up for the July NACC Audio Conferences
8. Request: Informational brochures for patients on feeding tube decision-making
9. Leadership Competencies from PC Summit Care Services Task Force
10. 2010 Catholic Health Assembly Call for Presentations
11. June 24, 2009, Praying…Witnessing…Gathering for Health Care for All
12. 2009 One Book, One Association Selection
13. Pastoral Care Week - October 25-31, 2009
14. Local/regional event dates
15. Other educational events
16. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
17. Recent job postings
18. Positions wanted

I received a call last week from a woman seeking to learn more about chaplaincy. She has been working in youth ministry for years, but experiences an attraction to be in the moments and circumstances of chaplains. She had been to our NACC website, read about NACC, visited the Consider Chaplaincy section. These materials were helpful. I was then able to connect her with a chaplain in her area who could talk from experience about how to prepare for and what the chaplaincy ministry is like. It was inspiring to listen to her, and satisfying to be able to assist her. This has been our hope, and it is happening. People find a way to or are directed to NACC, and we can offer them resources and chaplains to help them in their discernment journey.

This past week we have printed copies of our new brochure on “Is God calling you to be a Catholic Chaplain?” You can view the brochure at this link.

Over the coming weeks, we will be sending to each of you a copy. If you would like more, please let us know. Our hope and desire is that each of you will share these with individuals whom you consider would be good future chaplains. What if each of us planted one seed?

This week we are also sending copies, along with other materials, to heads of or directors within select theological programs with plans to follow-up with them. We know many people, while in graduate theological and ministry training, are wondering what ministry they want to consider. Why not chaplaincy?

When you read this on Monday, June 8th, I will already have met on Saturday, June 6th, with Brian Yanofchick, Senior Director, Mission/Leadership Development, for CHAUSA, and a Pastoral Care Task Force Group of Catholic healthcare leadership for the purpose of seeking direction from them as to where and how CHA and NACC can best focus resources in support of pastoral care ministry. I provided an update to this group on the activity of the Pastoral Care Summit Task Forces activity. You can read that update at www.nacc.org/advancing/pctask.asp. I look forward to sharing with you the outcomes of that meeting.

Finally, did you notice there are six local gatherings that have taken place or will be taking place in June? Thanks to all of you who have been part of the planning! These local gatherings, plus the audio conferences by Fr. Ryan that have taken up the maximum of 150 lines, means that, most likely 500 to 1,000 members will be engaged in June in some type of learning through NACC. Please continue to provide us feedback on what these events and offerings are like for you! As we gain professionally and spiritually from the events, our NACC staff continue to learn how best to serve you and provide opportunities to you.

Please keep providing us feedback.
Appreciatively,

David A. Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director

We continue to receive gracious gifts in response to our NACC 2009 annual appeal. Thank you! We again want to thank all of you who gave in 2008 to our annual appeal. You know who you are. We are very grateful to you. Please visit www.nacc.org/giving_2008.asp to view the list of our 2008 donors. For those who have not yet given in 2009, please consider giving. Thank you.

Last June 2008, the PC Summit Metrics Task Force recommended the use of the Patient/Resident/Customer Satisfaction Question: If you were visited by a hospital chaplain during your stay, rate your satisfaction with the spiritual care the chaplain provided; and the Associate Satisfaction Question: This organization offers me opportunities for spiritual and personal growth. The Metrics Task Force wants to learn who has currently adopted either of these questions. Or, if not these questions, which ones are you using? Our goal is to connect the users with one another. We ask you to please let us know by emailing Cindy at cbridges@nacc.org.

Along with the request in the prior notice, the PC Summit Metrics Task Force also plans to develop another set of satisfaction questions to be used for surveying an audience (for example, families who lost a loved one) that does not currently get approached in patient satisfaction surveys. If you are currently using a process and set of questions to survey this audience, please let us know by e-mailing Cindy at cbridges@nacc.org.

PC Summit Metrics Task Force also seeks to create a network among those who want to exchange with one another on what concrete actions chaplain teams (often led by the Director) take to respond to the QI survey results (examples: comments that prompt a response, the trending of the scores, creative ideas to improve best practice) to promote spiritual care. We plan to create a list serve for those interested in participating, as well as periodic conference calls. If interested, please contact Cindy at cbridges@nacc.org.

We learned over the weekend from Fr. Robin that his brother had passed away. Our sympathies go to Fr. Robin and his family for their loss. Due to the funeral, he will not be able to conduct the first audio session scheduled for next Thursday, June 11. Therefore the first session will now be the following Thursday (the 18th).

Subscribers to these sessions will be given further information regarding the other two sessions after they are worked out with Fr. Robin. Our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause the participants.

Just a reminder to you that you can still register for the July Audio Conferences. Participants only need a telephone line to participate. For those participants who will have multiple participants on their one line, they will need a speaker phone. Pricing for the audio conference is per line. The NACC will provide you with a toll-free telephone number and conference pass-code in order to access the audio conferences. The number will be sent to you ahead of time along with presentation materials for review. Anyone can participate in our audio conferences. They are not limited to NACC members only. Please join your colleagues in this excellent offering.
• Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services: Implications for Spiritual Care Decision-Making, Thomas A. Nairn, OFM, Ph.D. Wednesdays, July 1, 2009, and July 8, 2009, Optional Third Session, Wednesday, July 15, 2009, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Central Time (details/registration)

An NACC member is wondering if your institution has an informational brochure for patients and families to help them make decisions regarding feeding tubes. If you have one and are willing to share it, please e-mail Mary Beth Moran at mbmoran@winhosp.org. Mary Beth and NACC will work to make information received available to members who want it.

The Pastoral Care Summit Care Services/Staff Development Task Force has identified a list of core leadership competencies that may be developed through formal education, on-the-job training, coaching, mentoring, and other educational opportunities. These competencies are neither prescriptive nor all inclusive; rather they identify basic skills for leadership. The task force asks NACC members to share resources they have used or are using and/or name mentors/coaches who have helped them in developing these competencies. To share your resources and mentors, please e-mail dlichter@nacc.org or any other member of the Care Services/Staff Development Task Force.

CHA needs your help to shape Innovation Forum programming for the 2010 Catholic Health Assembly. Next year's conference, "Forging Our Future: Strengthening the Ministry through Turbulent Times," will take place June 13-15, in Denver. The assembly serves as the venue for an important and inspiring gathering of leaders in the health ministry. Let this be your opportunity to share your creativity with colleagues from Catholic health care systems and facilities across the continuum of care. Please submit a proposal for a presentation about your organization's program, service or leading practice that exemplifies "how" the Catholic health ministry serves individuals and communities.

Sessions that integrate group exercises and interactive discussion have proven most popular among past attendees. Suggested topics include:

Addressing disparities in care Advocacy and public policy Aging services Chronic care Communications and public affairs Diversity Environmental responsibility Ethics Expanding access Global perspective/international programs Governance Improving community health Innovations in health care delivery

Leadership for the ministry Mental health/behavioral health Mission integration Operations, finance and strategy Palliative care and end-of-life treatment Pastoral/spiritual care services Physician services and relations Planning and reporting community benefit Quality Spirituality Sponsorship Workforce Other

Visit www.chausa.org/callpresentations for more information and to submit a proposal. Submission deadline: Aug. 17, 2009

Many faith-based associations are joining together to plan and hold an interfaith service of witness and prayer as an expression of support for healthcare reform now. What: An Interfaith Service of Witness and Prayer. When: 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Where: Washington, D.C. (Freedom Plaza, Pennsylvania Ave. and 13th St.). As people of faith, we recognize the moral imperative of working for a healthcare future that includes everyone and works well for all of us. For more information click here to view the flyer (PDF file) or visit www.webelievetogether.org.

We are excited to introduce our One Book, One Association selection for 2009 – When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin. This NACC project has been designed to gather you, the members, together as a community by selecting one book and encouraging reading, writing, and discussion. More information will be available in the July/August issue of Vision and on the website. Be sure to start reading now! We thank all of the members who have participated in our book selection group. If you have questions or are interested in hosting a book club gathering that we can help to advertise to other members in your area, please contact Susanne at schaw@nacc.org.

This year's theme is PASTORAL CARE: Supportive Presence. Pastoral Care Week gives opportunities for organizations and institutions of all kinds and types to recognize the spiritual caregivers in their midst and the ministry which the caregivers provide. For PCW resources, including ways to celebrate, prayers, press releases, posters, merchandise, the history of Pastoral Care Week, and more, visit the official website at www.pastoralcareweek.org.

More local gatherings are being set. Please review the list below, and mark your calendars. More details of events will be in future NACC Nows.

• Thursday, June 11, 2009, Manhasset, NY. See details/register
• Saturday, June 27, 2009, Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee. See details/register
• Thursday, July 23, 2009, Omaha, NE. Joint APC/NACC. See details/register
• Thursday, August 27, 2009, Birmingham, AL, details to come
• Thursday-Friday, September 24-25, 2009, Alexandria, MN North Central Prairie, details to come
• Friday, October 9, Buffalo, NY, details to come
• Saturday, October 17, 2009, Boston, MA, details to come
• Thursday, October 22, 2009, Sacramento, CA. See details/register

In the past two weeks we have been alerted to other educational events that you can find on the NACC website. They include:

• June 12-13, 2009, Sacramento, CA, Health Ministries Association 20th Anniversary Western Regional Conference
• June 23-24, 2009, San Antonio, TX, “The Heart of Multiculturalism: Challenges and Implications for Clinical Pastoral Ministry”
• Chicago, IL See various summer program offerings at Loyola's Institute of Pastoral Studies at /www.luc.edu/ips/.

Please let us know if you would like our membership to pray for your health and healing. We continue to pray for Kelly Elizabeth Sexton (cancer: daughter of NACC member Melyssa Sexton), Raymond Kelleher (heart surgery); Fr. Bill Spacek (detached retina and other eye issues); Sr. Nancy Crane, OP (cancer treatment); Sr. Hilda Mallet, MHS (cancer treatment); Sr. Rita Rzeppa, IBVM (recovering/rehab from knee surgery), and Dennis Eldridge (Kathy's husband, for cancer treatment).

The following positions have been posted in the last two weeks. Please go to our job board for more information about them.

CHAPLAIN
     Boston, MA - Children's Hospital

CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN
     Los Angeles, CA – St. Vincent Medical Center

PRIEST CHAPLAIN
     Kansas City, MO – Carondelet Health

DIRECTOR - PASTORAL SERVICES
     Fort Smith, AR – St. Edward Mercy Medical Center

CHAPLAIN
     Everett, WA – Providence Everett Medical Center

STAFF CHAPLAIN
     Waterville, ME – MaineGeneral Medical Center

CLINICAL PASTORAL EDUCATION SUPERVISOR
     Boston, MA – St. Elizabeth's Medical Center

In this time of change and uncertainty it is more important than ever to use every resource available. If you have lost your job recently, if you’re just seeking a new or better position, or if you are an employer seeking a chaplain for your organization, be sure to visit our Positions Wanted webpage. NACC members can take advantage of this free service by placing a job-seeking ad, for free, which will run for 60 days. To see the ads, visit www.nacc.org/positions/wanted.asp

To place your own ad, send an email to Phil Paradowski: pparadowski@nacc.org.