Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Clinical Pastoral Education residents Scott Sprunger and Theresa Platt.
Before COVID-19, a Lancaster General Hospital chaplain resident would typically spend time bedside, holding the patient’s hand, sharing a hug, listening and offering counsel.
Now, chaplains are finding new ways to offer comfort in a time of stricter visitation policies, face masks and other personal protective equipment, and social distancing.
“Chaplain residents are being tested by something unprecedented very early in their careers,” said Keith Espenshade, Clinical Pastoral Education supervisor, who manages LG Health’s four full-time chaplain residents and five chaplain interns.
Chaplain residents recently described their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in a blog on Penn Medicine’s Newsroom at pennmedicine.org/news. Click the Blog tab at the top of the webpage.