LA Times Hospital Chaplains Embrace New Role During Pandemic Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 28 March 2021 06:00 AM America/Los_Angeles LA Times Hospital Chaplains Embrace New Role During Pandemic The Rev. Peggy Kelley and Jillian Katz, RN, are photographed for the Los Angeles Times. Photo by Cedars-Sinai. The Los Angeles Times recently featured Cedars-Sinai chaplains Reverend Peggy Kelley and Rabbi Jason Weiner, PhD, along with nurse Jillian Katz, RN, in a front-page story about how chaplains have helped hospital staff cope with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the feature, Katz, an Orthodox Jew, recalled praying with a Catholic patient and Kelley, who is Protestant, during a particularly difficult day. While the prayer for strength was for the patient, Katz said that she needed to hear it as well. Since then, Katz and Kelley have developed a close relationship, bonding over their spirituality. "It's really beautiful that we can ignore all the societal standards and just be able to lean on each other," Katz told the Times. "Spirituality doesn't have to be about the specifics of religion. It's just about how we're all connected - [and] there for each other." The story highlighted the importance of Spiritual Care during a time that has been difficult for so many, but especially for those on the front lines. Katz admitted that her thoughts are consumed by work even when she's at home. She worries about the patients and their families, but is also grateful for her own health. "We help the patients, but we leave at the end of the day. We're still breathing. How can we complain?" she told the Times. While the chaplains also are dealing with the overwhelming loss and grief brought on by the pandemic, Weiner said that they are trained to handle the emotional burden of a crisis like this. They practice what they preach, using prayer and self-care techniques such as music and exercise to heal from each day and prepare for the next. "That's what we signed up for," Weiner told the Times. "We're here for hard times." Click here to read the complete feature in the Los Angeles Times. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories High Holidays 2021 Hope for a Post-Pandemic World September 02, 2021 06:00 AM America/Los_Angeles As the nation heads into the second Jewish High Holiday season during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cedars-Sinai Senior Rabbi and Director of Spiritual Care Jason Weiner, PhD, is thinking about renewal, a common theme during the holidays that call for … Read more COVID-19 Crisis Chaplains Care for Staff Through Surge January 27, 2021 06:01 AM America/Los_Angeles Cedars-Sinai chaplains usually spend their days rounding on patients, tending to the sick and their families by offering a listening ear, a guiding word or a hopeful prayer.But the COVID-19 pandemic has altered their workload, with chaplains … Read more Virtual Concerts Heal the Spirit December 21, 2020 06:00 AM America/Los_Angeles On a recent morning, Wendy Lawson attended an exclusive live performance of “Le Cygne” (The Swan) by composer Camille Saint-Saëns, a piece of classical music known for its use in ballet. But Lawson's front-row seat was not in a concert hall. It … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Contact Sarah Lichtman Sarah.Lichtman@cshs.org Share this release LA Times Hospital Chaplains Embrace New Role During Pandemic Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay: Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW: Want New Omicron Booster? Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home