Spiritual care

Our mission

Rooted in theological integrity and sacred traditions, we minister to the human condition to foster individual and corporate healing, meaning and hope.

Spiritual care is an important part of the healing environment at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.  Chaplains, Catholic Priests, and a Jewish liaison are part of the health care team.  Spiritual care staff are available to all patients and their loved ones

Our scope of practice

• Quality spiritual care: Responding to the deepest healing needs of patients and their loved ones through spiritual assessment, care and counseling in collaboration with health care staff
• Clinical education for ministry: Developing competent, spiritually and ethically sensitive professionals in ministry, through the clinical education program
• Leadership in ethics: Promoting values of a just and compassionate society with the hospital, health system and broader community

Spiritual care services

Chaplains are available to patients and their loved ones for support, comfort, guidance and advocacy. They respect all religious or spiritual preferences and collaborate with hospital staff to give patients the best care possible including:

• attending to the spiritual and emotional well-being of patients and their loved ones
• listening and assisting in making meaning of their health care experience
• providing spiritual guidance, devotions, rituals and sacraments
• offering compassion and counseling in the midst of injury, illness and frightening life changes
• contacting places of worship and clergy or other spiritual leaders
• consulting on ethical issues and health care decisions
• providing spiritual and emotional support for hospital staff.

Meet Our Staff	Meet our Chaplain Students
Rev. Richard Sellers (click for bio) M.Div, M.A. Metro Director, Spiritual Care and Pastoral Education   CPE Supervisor Allina Clinical Pastoral Education   Email Chaplain Sellers ph: 612-863-4877   Dick is Director of the Allina Metro Hospitals Spiritual Care and Pastoral Education Department and is a CPE supervisor at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. He grew up in Fresno, California, and graduated from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He received an M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and an M.A. in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota. He completed Clinical Pastoral Education residency programs in Los Angeles, Denver, and Lexington, Kentucky before moving to Minneapolis. He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and has been at Abbott Northwestern Hospital since 1977. He is married and is the father of three sons.	Rev. Rachael Hanson (click for bio) M.Div. Chaplain Resident Abbott Northwestern Hospital Allina Clinical Pastoral Education   Email Chaplain Hanson ph: 612-863-9375   No Bio Available
Rev. Paula Bidle (click for bio) M.Div Staff Chaplain Abbott Northwestern Hospital   Email Chaplain Bidle ph: 612-863-3423     No Bio Available	Chaplain Deborah Larson (click for bio) M.Div., M.A. Chaplain Resident Abbott Northwestern Hospital Allina Clinical Pastoral Education   Email Chaplain Larson ph: 612-863-6530   No Bio Available
Rev. Denise Dunbar-Perkins (click for bio) M.Div Staff Chaplain Abbott Northwestern Hospital   Email Chaplain Dunbar-Perkins ph: 612-863-9665     No Bio Available	Rev. Fred Johnson (click for bio) M.Div., Chaplain Resident Abbott Northwestern Hospital Allina Clinical Pastoral Education   Email Chaplain Johnson ph: 612-863-1496   No Bio Available
Rev. Dr. Judith Roska (click for bio) M.Div., D.Min Staff Chaplain Abbott Northwestern Hospital CPE Supervisor Allina Clinical Pastoral Education   Email Chaplain Roska ph: 612-863-4916 Judith is a CPE supervisor and chaplain at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. She grew up near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Colorado.  She received an M.A. in counseling from Gonzaga University, an M.Div. at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, and a D.Min. from the Claremont School of Theology in Southern California. Her CPE training included a residency at the University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinics and supervisory training in Southern California. She began at Abbott in 2004, after fourteen years of ministry in Southern California where she served as a Congregational parish minister in Pomona, and launched a spiritual care and CPE program at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center as the first Supervisor of Pastoral Care. She is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and is the mother of an adult son.	Rev. Svein Mangersnes (click for bio)   Chaplain Resident Abbott Northwestern Hospital Allina Clinical Pastoral Education   Email Chaplain Mangersnes ph: 612-863-9905   No Bio Available
Matthew Verkuilen (click for bio) B.A., Business Management Program Coordinator Abbott Northwestern Hospital Allina Clinical Pastoral Education   Email Matthew Verkuilen ph: 612-863-6761 Matthew is the Program Coordinator for the Allina Metro Spiritual Care and Pastoral Education Department and is based out of Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Born and raised in the Twin Cities, he recently graduated with his degree in Business Management from Bethel University in St. Paul, MN. He is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, is married and has one daughter. He has been with the department since 2006.	Rabbi Jonathan Perlman (click for bio)   Chaplain Resident Abbott Northwestern Hospital Allina Clinical Pastoral Education   Email Chaplain Perlman ph: 612-863-1480   No Bio Available
	Br. Luke Barder (click for bio)   Chaplain Intern Abbott Northwestern Hospital Allina Clinical Pastoral Education   Email Chaplain Barder ph: 612-863-9897   No Bio Available
	Mary Bohman (click for bio)   Chaplain Intern Abbott Northwestern Hospital Allina Clinical Pastoral Education   Email Chaplain Bohman ph: 612-863-9902   No Bio Available
	Tara Parrish (click for bio) Chaplain Intern Abbott Northwestern Hospital Allina Clinical Pastoral Education   Email Chaplain Parrish ph: 612-863-9904   No Bio Available>

How to reach a chaplain

Chaplains provide spiritual care on all patient care units. They are in the hospital on weekdays and on-call at all times. Urgent requests should be directed to a nurse who will contact the on-call chaplain.

Also part of the Spiritual Care staff:

• Catholic priest: Available Sunday morning, Tuesday through Friday and other times for urgent requests.  Catholic communion volunteers provide communion to catholic patients on Thursdays and Sundays
• Jewish Rabbi:. Available by contact the Spiritual Care Department.

Spiritual care resources

The Ewe Memorial Chapel: The interfaith chapel is always open for prayer and meditation.  It is located on the first floor of the hospital near the main lobby. Prayer request cards are available and read each day.

The following are also available in the Chapel:

• Morning Meditation and Prayer, 8:10-8:25 a.m., Monday - Friday
• Sunday Worship Service, 10:30 a.m. Sundays
• Catholic mass, 11:30 a.m. Sundays

Televised services: The Ecumenical service and Catholic mass are televised on Channel 3 and available for viewing in patient rooms.

Devotional resources: Sabbath and Hanukkah candles, prayer books, Bibles, the Qur’an, Buddhist and Native American materials are available in the chapel and other resources on request. To request these items, contact the Spiritual Care office at 612-863-4370.

Arrangements can also be made through this office for special services in the chapel or in patient rooms.

For more information

If you have a special request or for more information, contact the Spiritual Care office at 612-863-4370.