Pastoral Care is an aspect of patient care which recognizes that the nature of our patients, and staff members, is more than physical.
At Wilkes Medical Center, we recognize that our patients are spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical beings. Many of our patients, and their families, find themselves in a spiritual crisis when their illness is serious enough to be admitted to the hospital.
Pastoral Care is located on the first floor of the hospital, near Administration. You are encouraged to call on the services of the chaplain, or others who make up the team of Pastoral Care, whenever a patient, family member, or staff member is in crisis and needs support. They stand ready to offer the focused compassion of a person who is not preoccupied with medical and technical aspects of care.
Pastoral Care recognizes that every person is entitled to their own faith and does not make any attempt to challenge or change personally held beliefs. When requested, the patients' own clergy may be called - when no clergy is available, the hospital chaplain is pleased to offer a ministry of preference.
FaithHealth
FaithHealthNC, which helps ease the journey to health and healing for people and the communities in which they live by connecting the caring strengths of congregations, the clinical expertise of providers and a variety of community resources. FaithHealthNC also serves as a liaison between Wake Forest Baptist and congregations of all denominations. FaithHealth Supporters of Health are staff members who work in underserved areas of Wilkes County in collaboration with various community-based agencies to connect patients with vital medical and non-medical resources.
- FaithHealth Education, which designs and conducts the programs for the interns and residents in Clinical Pastoral Education, CareNet, counseling interns and Supporters of Health staff members.
- Chaplaincy and Clinical Ministries, whose chaplains provide spiritual aid and other support to patients, their family members and employees at Wake Forest Baptist. Chaplains are available in the Medical Center 24 hours a day and can be contacted Monday through Friday, between 8 am and 5 pm, by calling 336-651-8120 At any other time, you can call the hospital operator or ask your nurse to call the on-call chaplain.
- CareNet, a partner of Faith Health whose licensed counselors and psychotherapists provide faith-integrated counseling, therapy, education and professional services to individuals, families, groups, congregations, nonprofits and communities throughout North Carolina.