Pastoral Care

Pastoral Care Philosophy

The policy of MUSC Health is to "meet the spiritual/religious needs of patients, families, and staff while respecting their individual values, beliefs, and religious orientation." Human beings are not only physical, but also spiritual, emotional and relational beings; health care must therefore be directed to the whole person.

When patients are hospitalized they bring much more than their physical illness with them. Indeed, they bring along the entire complexity of their lives including their struggles with relationships, with work, with finances, perhaps with chronic illness, and with their own faith. They also bring with them the resources of their lives such as family relationships, friendships, and religious/spiritual as well as cultural traditions. The health care system must take all these factors into account in order to offer effective health care. Recognizing that the hospital environment is both physically and spiritually taxing, it is necessary to also address the spiritual needs of hospital staff in order for them to provide optimal health care.

Since spirituality is at the core of what defines each person's understanding and practice of what gives their life meaning, purpose and value, and is intrinsically personal, Pastoral Care Services offers these services on an interfaith or individual basis with sensitivity and respect for the broad diversity of religious practices and beliefs of the staff and patient population.

Our Services

Pastoral Care Services is committed to providing care that respects the religious and spiritual values of all patients, family members and staff persons.

Our services include:

• Spiritual support.
• Support through experiences of pain, suffering & loss, or change of health status.
• Coping with hospitalization and treatment.
• Specific faith tradition options are offered.
• Guidance in decision-making, treatment options, transition concerns, and end-of-life choices.
• Assistance with advance directives, living wills, and health care power of attorney.
• Notary public, ombudsman.

Chaplains provide and facilitate:

• Seasonal worship services.
• Memorial services.
• Grief and support services, as requested.
• Anatomical Gift Service/MUSC’s Body Donation Program.
• Religious ministry including prayer, blessings, baptisms, communion, other religious rituals, and sacraments.

A chaplain is available and on-call in the hospital 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Chaplains seek to respect fully all religious and spiritual needs. Staff chaplains seek to meet needs as they arise, but there are also instances where clergy of specific religious affiliation can be called and accessed for patient needs.

Advance Directives

In South Carolina, if you are 18 years of age, you have the right to make your own health care decisions. This right includes the ability to decide what medical care or treatment to accept, reject or discontinue. The best way to make your wishes known is to discuss them with your family and your healthcare provider and execute an Advance Directive.

South Carolina law recognizes the following Advance Directives:

• Living Will
• Health Care Power of Attorney
• Five Wishes

If you have questions about signing Advance Directives, talk with your doctor, minister, priest, rabbi or other health or religious professional. MUSC Health chaplains are available to help you with these healthcare decisions.

• South Carolina Advance Directives 
• Printable PDF form - Declaration of a Desire for a Natural Death(PDF)
• Printable PDF form - Health Care Power of Attorney(PDF)

Other online resources:

• Advance Directives (National Cancer Institute)
• End-of-Life Care: Questions and Answers (National Cancer Institute)