Pastoral Care
Providing Care for the Body & the Spirit
Chaplains offer pastoral care to North Mississippi Medical Center patients and family members who request assistance in addressing spiritual concerns. The basic purpose of pastoral care is for spiritual healing through counseling and prayer to those in need.
The Pastoral Care Department is an integral part of our comprehensive approach to care for the whole person: physical, psychosocial, emotional and spiritual. In coordination with local faith community leaders, the Pastoral Care staff works to lessen the spiritual anxiety which often affects persons facing illness and hospitalization.
The nurturing ministries of Pastoral Care include:
Chaplain visits, at the request of staff, patients, family members or clergy
Support for families of patients undergoing inpatient or outpatient procedures
Bereavement counseling for families dealing with the loss of loved ones
Spiritual counseling for medical staff, employees and community members
Sacraments and rites, with support from representatives of the patient’s faith
Worship experiences for patients and employees, in chapels and at the bedside
Easter, Christmas and memorial services & blessing of the hands for Nurses Week
Provisions of Bibles for patients upon request
Continuing education for chaplains and faith leaders in the communities we serve
Consulting with the Medical Ethics Committee to advise on ethical issues
Requesting Pastoral Care
NMMC-Tupelo
Chaplaincy Service can be requested at North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo by calling the Pastoral Care office at (662) 377-3439 . Requests for a chaplain to visit a particular patient are welcomed and encouraged. Volunteer chaplains are also available to visit patients in the main hospital.
The Pastoral Care office is open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. On nights and weekends, a chaplain may be requested by communicating with the patient's nursing staff or through the hospital switchboard at (662) 377-3000 . This service is provided for critical cases.
Other NMMC Hospitals
NMMC hospitals in Amory and Eupora have volunteer chaplains who are available for visits, counseling and crisis support at the request of the patient or family.
North Mississippi Medical Center-Hamilton staff maintains an on-call list that is denomination specific.
Patients, family members and caregivers may request staff at NMMC-Iuka, Pontotoc and West Point to contact local ministers for them.
Chapels
The chapel at NMMC-Tupelo is located on the hospital's third floor and is open 24 hours a day. The chapel contains a piano, stained-glass window and seating. An automatic door provides convenient access.
Located across the hallway from the chapel is a meditation room, which includes a stained-glass window, kneeling bench, recliner, small library of religious texts from various faith traditions and soft music. Use of the meditation room for prayer, relaxation and journaling is limited to 30 minutes. The meditation room, like the chapel, is open 24 hours a day and offers a calming environment for a quiet respite from the hospital setting.
Across the NMMC campus at the NMMC Women’s Hospital, the Haney-McCullar Chapel is available for use. The Courtyard near the Education Center offers a quiet respite for quiet time, prayer and meditation.
NMMC Gilmore-Amory and NMMC-West Point have onsite chapels as well.