Counseling and Spiritual Care at Munson Medical Center
Munson Medical Center recognizes the spiritual needs of patients and their families and welcomes priests, pastors, rabbis, or any spiritual leader to visit patients any time of the day or night. A staff chaplain also is available for prayer, spiritual counsel, pastoral support, or will help arrange a visit from a patient’s faith tradition.
Emotional and spiritual distress can accompany a serious illness or time of crisis and can interfere with healing. Spiritual Services staff will support people of any faith by listening, offering spiritual direction as desired, and helping connect patients and families to other spiritual resources. The comfort and peace of mind of patients and their families is a primary concern for Munson Medical Center’s Spiritual Services staff.
Chaplain Services
A staff chaplain is at the hospital Monday through Friday, and is on call for emergencies nights and weekends. To reach a chaplain during weekdays, call Spiritual Services at 231-935-7163 and leave a message, or call the Munson Medical Center switchboard at 231-935-5000 and ask to have the chaplain paged.
Visit our Chapel
Visitors of all faiths and traditions are welcome to use Munson Medical Center’s Chapel for prayer and meditation 24 hours a day. The chapel is located on the ground floor across from elevator bank A, near the Emergency Department and Webber Heart Center. The chapel overlooks a garden and is a quiet place where visitors and staff can seek peace and comfort. To aid in personal devotion, Bibles, rosaries, care notes, a cross, kneelers, and a prayer journal are available in the chapel. Sacred texts of other religions, as well as other symbols, are available upon request.
Catholic Services
Eucharistic Ministers from area Catholic churches visit the hospital every morning to offer the Sacrament of Holy Communion to Catholic patients who desire it. Patients may ask to be added to the list to receive Communion when they register. Catholic patients who have not had a visit from a Eucharistic Minister during the first 24 hours of admission, may dial ‘0’ on their room phone, ask for Registration (or Admitting, if after hours), and request a visit.
If you would like a visit from a priest or wish to have a family member receive the Sacrament of Anointing or Last Rites, speak with a staff member on the patient’s unit, or call Spiritual Services at 231- 935-7163. A chaplain will call the Catholic deacon to arrange for these services.
Music Therapy is Available
Music Therapy is available upon request to help patients cope with their illness. The intent is to use music to help soothe and relax a patient, thereby aiding the healing process. A music therapist offers vocal and harp music on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and can be reached at 231-935-5070, or by calling the hospital switchboard at 231-935-5000. Munson Medical Center is grateful to have volunteer musicians who enhance the program by sharing their gift of music throughout the year.
Worship Services in the Chapel
Christian worship services are offered in the chapel for patients, families, and staff on Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter. Various other spiritual services are available throughout the year.