The Beacon Winter 2002 - HealthCare Chaplaincy

WINTER 2002
INSIDE
Beacon
The
News from The HealthCare Chaplaincy – A Multifaith Center for Pastoral Care, Education & Research
Wholeness of Life Award Recipients
Honored in Partner Healthcare Institutions
Honorees Celebrate with Chaplaincy Trustees, Colleagues, Family, and Friends
3
Using Your Retirement Plan
for Charitable Giving
“This was the highlight of my year!” said
Chaplaincy trustee Charles Crane. Mr. Crane
presented the Wholeness of Life award to Jason
Zimmerman, a clinical oncology nurse at
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
4
The Wholeness of Life
Awards Dinner:
A Gathering of Friends
Like all of this year’s honorees, Mr. Zimmerman
was honored in a special award celebration in the
partner healthcare institution in which he works.
The Wholeness of Life awards, which recognize
patient care professionals for their compassionate
work in caring for the whole person, were presented by a Chaplaincy trustee
and a senior member of The Chaplaincy’s administration in local ceremonies
with the recipients’ administrators, colleagues, and families.
Lenox Hill honoree Michael Conroy (second
from right) is joined by Chaplaincy life
trustee William Spears (far right); Lenox
Hill pastoral care staff (from far left)
Rabbi Ralph Kreger, Imam Yusuf Hasan,
the Rev. Dr. John Bucchino, and the Rev.
Melody Meeter; and Chaplaincy director of
clinical services the Rev. George Handzo.
“There was such a warmth, a real genuine
appreciation for this man,” said Sr.
Rosarine Quinn, staff chaplain at New York Hospital Medical Center of
Queens, of the hospital’s honoree John Petrie. As vice president for clinical
services, Mr. Petrie is well known and loved among hospital staff.
(continued on page 8)
The Rev. Canon George Brandt, Chaplaincy trustee, presents
the Wholeness of Life award to Dr. Crisanta Mosende-Reyes,
North General Hospital’s honoree
HEALING TOUCH By David B. Case, M.D.
The Meaning in Touch
What does it mean for one person to touch another? Touching, even by shaking hands, is a complex form of
human connection that derives its meaning from the context in which it happens. The context could be social
introduction, expression of affection, medical examination, and of course many others. Touching is a gesture of
intimacy that is accompanied by some sort of feeling: warmth, comfort, trust, or even an expression of love.
Dr. Lewis Thomas, the legendary teacher at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center wrote:
“Some people don’t like being handled by others, but not, or almost never, sick people. They need being touched, and part of the
dismay in being very sick is the lack of close human contact. Ordinary people, even close friends, even family members, tend to
stay away from the very sick, touching them infrequently as possible for fear of interfering, or catching the illness, or just for fear
of bad luck. The doctor’s oldest skill in trade was to place his hands on the patient.”
(continued on page 6)
www.healthcarechaplaincy.org

A Message from the Rev. Dr. Walter J. Smith, S.J., President & CEO
“
At the conclusion of a fundraising
committee meeting a trustee handed
me several pages that he had
photocopied from chapter 8 of a new book by
Wayne Teasdale entitled: A Monk in the World:
Cultivating a Spiritual Life (New World Library,
2002). For the past sixteen years Teasdale, a Roman
Catholic layman, has been living as a monk outside a
monastery, attempting to integrate the wisdom of
many religious traditions with his own Christianity.
Our trustee had checked a section for special attention
subtitled, “Illness as a journey to wholeness.” I
Remember your humanity
and forget the rest…
folded the pages and put them in the inner pocket of
my jacket and rushed across town to attend a reception
celebrating the opening of the exhibition
“Einstein” at the American Museum of Natural
History. The final letter Einstein wrote before his
death in 1955 was addressed to Bertrand Russell, the
English mathematician and philosopher with whom
he was collaborating in a campaign to urge global
nuclear disarmament. Albert Einstein wrote:
“Remember your humanity and forget the rest…”
Before retiring that evening, with Einstein’s epilogue
on life reverberating in my soul, I read the folded
pages in which Brother Wayne describes his diagnosis
of palate cancer, the disfiguring surgery and radiation
treatments that followed, and his slow journey back
to wholeness. As I pondered his words, the faces of
so many people I have accompanied (and still am
accompanying) filtered through my mind and heart,
postponing much-needed sleep that night for some
time. He commented that other cancer survivors had
told him that “there’s a gift in this illness. You don’t
see it yet, but you will.” Hours before, I had been
with a woman battling a life-threatening liver cancer
who would vigorously contest any suggestion that
there is an aspect of gift in her illness. I would never
suggest this to her; all I can offer her is my presence
and support, without
judgment or expectation.
Teasdale found that his
”
personal struggle with
cancer deepened his inner
experience. “It simply
focuses our attention on what is really important—
not on what passes away, but on those essential
activities that carry us forward: prayer, meditation,
surrender, humility, and loving compassion.”
This is what our chaplains frequently encounter in their
relationships with patients and family members. Serious
illness, as Teasdale has experienced, often “draws us to
a subtler center of awareness, a center that reorders values
and cuts away all the excess.” Illness has a unique
power to strip away so many aspects of living that we
may have thought defined who and what we are.
Illness can act as a trigger, opening up the vault of
awareness and uncovering “what is important here and
now, like being present to others, being fully engaged in
Healing
Moments
Truly a Great Honor
The following is excerpted text from the acceptance speech given
by Wholeness of Life award winner Michael Conroy, director of
social work at Lenox Hill Hospital.
Wholeness of Life award winner Michael Conroy
and his wife at The Chaplaincy's benefit dinner.
Despite the loss of his own brother in the World Trade Center attacks, Michael continued to “minister” to
staff who shared the loss of a loved one in that tragedy. This speech was the first time that Michael spoke
publicly about his brother’s death. Given the leadership role that he took during the September 11th
tragedy, the Lenox Hill community was very moved by his words.
Today I humbly accept this Wholeness of Life
award from the trustees of The HealthCare
Chaplaincy. I will push aside all feelings of
self-consciousness and awkwardness to
express my feelings and thoughts openly.
It is truly a great honor to be chosen to
receive this award from among 3,000
employees. I want to thank the department
of social work for their support, and to
acknowledge the wonderful work of the pas-
2 The Beacon Winter 2002

Lifting
the
Spirit
my activities, and appreciating my family
and loved ones.”
Was it serendipity or God’s providence
that a trustee would prompt reconsideration
of an issue that is so central to the
multifaith mission of The HealthCare
Chaplaincy by suggesting a reading of a
monk’s reflections on suffering? Whatever
our religious faith or spiritual practice, we
all must try to make sense of illness and
suffering in our own lives and in the lives
of those for whom we care. Is illness
nothing more than tragedy, devoid of
meaning? As we gathered this year—as in
years past—for the Wholeness of Life
awards presentations, we found an
encouraging answer. We were inspired
anew by another generation of caregivers
who are not shrinking away from this
human challenge. They are finding meaning
in the face of illness. They are mindful
of their humanity. They are making a real
difference in peoples’ lives.
We celebrate their exemplary commitment
to the integration of body, mind, and spirit
in the care of others. May the New Year
bring each of us a deeper measure of
wholeness and peace. ■
USING YOUR RETIREMENT
PLAN FOR CHARITABLE GIVING
The Importance of Retirement Planning
Now more then ever it is important to plan
carefully for the financial security of our retirement
years. In this economic environment of
volatile markets and with longer life expectancies,
such planning can seem challenging, even
daunting. And, in developing financial strategies,
we may be concerned about the need to
make choices between seemingly conflicting
goals, such as continuing to make gifts to a favorite charity and maintaining
our financial well being.
With Careful Retirement Planning,You May be Able to—
• Help assure a healthy financial future for you and your loved ones
• Benefit from significant tax savings
• Arrange what may be your charitable ‘gift of a lifetime’
Income and Estate Taxes can Consume Assets’Value
Despite the generous tax benefits offered by Individual Retirement Accounts
(IRAs), 401(k)s, Keoghs, and other retirement plans, your retirement accounts
will still be included as part of your taxable estate at death if your estate is over
$1 million. Although legislation has been passed to increase the exemption on
estates of less than $3.5 million and to reduce the maximum federal estate tax
rate, estate taxes can still consume up to 50% of the value of the asset’s worth
if your estate is subject to the tax. Additionally, most funds in retirement plans,
whether distributed during life or after death, are also subject to an income tax.
The person designated as a beneficiary of your retirement plan will pay income
tax when he or she receives the proceeds from the plan. This may exceed 40%
of the value of the assets depending on state income taxes and other factors.
Thus, the combination of income and estate taxes can possibly exceed 75% of
the value of your retirement plan when you die. This exposure to taxes makes
your retirement plan assets more expensive to transfer than other assets that are
not subject to an additional tax upon transfer.
(continued on page 7)
toral care department under the leadership of
Father John Bucchino, The HealthCare
Chaplaincy, and the administrator for pastoral
care Phil Rosenthal.
I have been very fortunate to be taught by
many religious groups in my lifetime, and to
be the first son of Irish immigrants who
instilled in me a strong work ethic and values
that I still adhere to today. My upbringing
gave me a sense of responsibility to be the
best I can be, and to return the gifts I have
received to those around me. As a result, I have
been rewarded—but not just today. I have been
rewarded with my health, a wife and three
children, and a wonderful career at Lenox
Hill Hospital.
I want to offer publicly, today, after fourteen
months since September 11th, my sincere
appreciation and thanks to everyone who has
said a kind word, offered prayers, sent gifts
to my brother Kevin’s children, and gave me
a hug. These things truly helped.
This has been the most poignant event in my
life! I want to encourage all members of the
Lenox Hill community today to become
introspective and to fine tune the strengths
that you have—that everyone in this room
has. It is your responsibility to take your
resources to a higher level. The 2003 honoree
is among us! ■
The Beacon Winter 2002 3

Frank J. Petrilli and Eighteen Patient Care Honorees honored
for their care of the whole person—body, mind, and spirit.
1
Friends of The HealthCare Chaplaincy
gathered for the annual Wholeness of
Life awards benefit dinner at Cipriani
42nd Street to celebrate the accomplishments
of some truly extraordinary individuals.
Frank J. Petrilli, president and CEO of
TD Waterhouse USA and a native New
Yorker, was the 2002 Wholeness of Life
Community Honoree. Mr. Petrilli was recognized
for his commitment to the youth and
elderly of his home city.
Eighteen patient care honorees were also
honored for their compassionate work in
The Chaplaincy’s partner healthcare institutions.
In a new program format, each honoree
was presented with a commemorative
medallion upon their arrival, and personally
introduced onstage by the Rev. Dr. Walter J.
Smith, S.J., The Chaplaincy’s CEO.
Bernadine Donahue, M.D., NYU Medical
Center’s honoree, spoke on behalf of all of
the patient care recipients. “The Chaplaincy
reminds all of us of the critical role of spiritual
care, and the importance of treating the
whole person,” she said. “This is a significant
honor, and I know I speak for all eighteen
awardees when I say that we are grateful
and humbled by your recognition and we
accept it in the name of all the people we
work with at our healthcare institutions, and
the patients we serve.” Guests applauded all
of the honorees with a standing ovation.
The Wholeness of Life Awards Dinner:
AGATHERING OFFRIENDS
3
2
4
5
6
1. Frank J. Petrilli receives the 2002 Wholeness of Life award
2. Patient care honorees on stage
3. Athena Kimball and the Rev. Canon John Andrew, rector emeritus
of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, who gave the evening's
benediction
4. Chaplaincy board chairman Lawrence Toal with his wife, Sheila
5. Dawna and Don Christian, treasurer of The Chaplaincy’s board
of trustees
6. Winthrop-University Hospital’s honoree Brenda DeCicco
4 The Beacon Winter 2002

7
9
8
10
7. Trustee Nancy Nielsen and the Rev. Stephen Harding
8. The Rev. Meigs Ross with St. Luke-Roosevelt's honoree Antoinette
Mitchell-Fletcher
9. Ken and Jennifer Missbrenner and Chaplaincy benefactor, Toni DuBrul
10. Trustee Charles Crane with his wife Leisa
11. Frank Petrilli, his wife, Diana, and her three sisters
12. Trustees Hope Preminger and Bill Wright, vice chairman of
The Chaplaincy’s board
11
12
15
13
14
18
16
17
13. Chaplaincy board secretary Karen Smythe, her husband Nevill,
trustee Michael J.A. Smith, and his wife, Kathleen
14. Melissa Eisenstat and trustee Leslie McCall
15. A standing ovation for all of the evening’s honorees
16. Rabbi Shira Stern offers the evening’s invocation
17. Carole Thea, trustee Sherry Jacobson, Arlyn Gardner
18. Kurt Weyrauch and Preston Bailey
The Beacon Winter 2002 5

(continued from page 1)
Drs. Jean and David Case
practice internal medicine in
the New York Physician’s
Group. Dr. David Case is a
trustee on the board of The
HealthCare Chaplaincy.
HEALING TOUCH
Patients in a hospital are out of their
familiar surroundings, separated
from their families and friends, needled,
scanned, irradiated, operated
on, hooked up to monitors and iv’s,
and often restricted to bed. They
are forced to give up their independence
and are often
frightened by the procedures,
pain of the treatments
or the disease, or
the thought of the impact
of their illness on their
lives. Legions of nurses,
doctors, and the many
other hospital staff including
chaplains pass by each
day, some friendly and
encouraging, others getting
their work done without
much human interaction.
Sometimes “medical
touching” leaves the
patient feeling like a
“piece of meat.”
“You are not Alone”—
Spiritual/Emotional Healing
So what is needed to make the
patient feel better? At first glance,
there are some obvious choices:
relief of pain, learning good news
about the illness, seeing the bandages
come off and the catheters
removed, and being able to get
out of bed. Sometimes these
events don’t happen. And, feeling
better physically does not always
equate with feeling better spiritually
or emotionally. This part of
the healing process often becomes
critically dependent on those special
human interactions that happen
with staff of the hospital.
Health
and
Healing
How can we, as healthcare
providers, make people feel better?
Aside from our expertise, we can
do much to comfort patients by
forming a bond of trust and compassion.
We must reflect a genuine
interest in the person, not just
the patient, in the bed—the person
who is frightened, lonely, and in
pain. A hand that reaches out to
this person and gently touches the
shoulder or the wrist says to the
person, “I am with you and for you,
you are not alone.” That seemingly
simple gesture penetrates a barrier
of professional remoteness and
brings the relationship to a more
personal level. The person often
responds by smiling or by placing
his or her hand over ours as a
validation of the comfort that
our hand is providing.
Historical and Modern Views on
Therapeutic Touch
Is it professionally appropriate to
touch patients? In medical school,
we are told that it is not professional
to sit on patients’ beds. In addition,
professional ethics advise that
we should not touch patients other
than to examine them, so that the
boundaries are clear. Perhaps it is
because medical educators have set
arbitrary boundaries that doctors
have this historical obstacle to comforting
our patients. Coupled with
these sanctions about touching
patients, paradoxically, is the widely
acknowledged power of the “laying
on of hands,” as described by
Dr. Thomas. Interestingly, nurses,
chaplains and most other healthcare
givers are not, in their training
and education, discouraged from
touching their patients.
“Laying on of hands” is an action
which we most likely learned as
children from our parents and adult
caregivers. Touching provides comfort,
allays fears, establishes trust,
and provides another level of assurance
that one is not alone. Recent
studies have shown that human
beings or even animals raised with
minimal touching are commonly
disturbed and unable to form intimate
relationships. So, physical
touching renews this meaningful
primal connection.
Touching in various ways has
developed as a separate or freestanding
healing art as well. Some
forms of touch therapy go back to
early Eastern medicine and all the
way forward to Reiki and IET
(integrated energy transfer). There
is a belief that the toucher (with a
learned technique) can transfer
healing energy to someone else.
Given the enormous growth of
touch therapy along with the more
conventional personal massage
therapy, it becomes clear that the
act of touching has great adjunct
value to traditional medical care.
“Please Don’t Let Go”
Without even thinking about it,
when I go to the bedside, I invariably
touch the person’s wrist or
shoulder during part of the time
when we are talking. I recall one
woman’s comment, “please don’t
let go, the only time someone
touches me here is to do something
to me.” If the occasion arises to
inform the person of difficult information,
the touching hand buffers
the harshness of the news.
Those of us who visit the hospitalized
have a great opportunity to add
another layer of healing to our care
by the gentle laying on of hands.
The symbol of our transferring some
sort of healing power by that touch
is appealing to us as caregivers—we
are soothing and comforting and
relieving fear and aloneness. ■
6 The Beacon Winter 2002

Chaplaincy
Winter 2002 Briefs
On October 3rd, Rabbi Shira
Stern (The HealthCare
Chaplaincy) delivered the invocation
at the installation of New
Jersey’s newest Supreme Court
Justice, Judge Barry Albin, at the
New Jersey War Memorial. The
Supreme Court justices, Governor
McGreevy, former Governor
Florio, and the State Senate and
Assembly were in attendance.
The Eastern Region of the
Association for Clinical Pastoral
Education held its annual conference
in Pawling, New York during
the week of October 14th on
the theme of Organizational
Leadership. The Rev. Meigs Ross
(St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital
Center) was the conference chair.
The Rev. Paul Steinke (NYU
Medical Center) and the Rev.
Denise Haines (The HealthCare
Chaplaincy) led conference workshops,
and the Rev. Trudi Hirsch
(Beth Israel Medical Center) and
the Rev. Johnny Bush (Riverside
Church) led worship.
The Rev. George Handzo and
Rabbi Bonita E. Taylor (The
HealthCare Chaplaincy) had
featured articles in the October
edition of The Jewish Chaplain
(the journal of the National
Association of Jewish
Chaplains). Rabbi Bonita Taylor
served as the journal’s associate
editor and Rabbi Shira Stern
served on the journal’s editorial
committee.
The Rev. George Handzo officially
began his service as president
of the Association of
Professional Chaplains on
November 1st. He will serve a
term of two years.
Imam Yusuf Hasan (Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
and Lenox Hill Hospital) and the
Rev. Carlos Alejandro (North
General Hospital) led North
General Hospital’s Annual
Religion, Health, and Spiritual
Care Symposium 2002 on
November 2nd. It was entitled
Sudden Loss, Suffering, and
Spiritual Care: A Seminar for
Caregivers.
The fall issue of The Journal of
Pastoral Care & Counseling
opens with a guest editorial by
the Rev. Dr. Andrew Weaver
(The HealthCare Chaplaincy),
Dr. Kevin Flannelly (The
HealthCare Chaplaincy), and
Howard Stone entitled,
“Research on Religion and
Health: The Need for a Balanced
and Constructive Critique.”
The Rev. Jon Overvold (North
Shore University Hospital) spoke
on “The Spirituality of
Caregiving” as part of the “End
of Life to New Beginnings” conference
sponsored by the North
Shore-Long Island Jewish Health
System on December 4th.
NEW APPOINTMENTS
Rabbi Jacob Greenberg was
appointed as staff chaplain at
the Kings Highway division of
Beth Israel Medical Center.
Chaplain Jane Mather was
appointed as director of pastoral
care at Winthrop-University
Hospital.
Chaplain Lynne Mikulak was
appointed as staff chaplain at the
Center for Special Studies of
New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Rabbi Charles Rabinowitz was
appointed as staff chaplain at
North Shore University Hospital.
USING YOUR RETIREMENT PLAN FOR CHARITABLE GIVING
(continued from page 3)
Minimizing Taxes through Charitable Giving
If you would like to make a bequest to a charitable organization
and you are the owner of a retirement plan, you can minimize
taxes due on the plan assets at death by naming the charity as the
beneficiary of the plan rather than making a cash bequest to the
charity. Because retirement plans used for charitable purposes are
completely deductible from the estate and are not subject to
income taxes, you will avoid both the federal and state estate tax
on the plan assets and any income taxes on the deferred income
in the plan. Gifting plan assets as part of your charitable “gift of
a lifetime” will permit you to allocate other assets to your family
members that will not be subject to possibly onerous income tax
rates, thereby increasing the amount of money available to heirs.
retirement plan is simple. Request a beneficiary change form
from your plan administrator, and indicate the amount or percentage
of assets you wish to use for charitable purposes. You
are at liberty to change your beneficiary at any time in the future.
This is just one example of how you may be able to achieve a
secure future for your heirs while at the same time continuing
your support to an organization such as The HealthCare
Chaplaincy. The gift of a retirement plan is a legacy that will
enable your generosity to help The Chaplaincy ensure that there
are skilled professional chaplaincy services available to coming
generations of patients, families, and caregivers. ■
After you have discussed your estate plans with your advisors
and family members, the procedure for making a gift of your
If you are interested in hearing more about gift planning options at
The HealthCare Chaplaincy, please contact Fran McKinley at (212) 644-1111, ext. 133.
The Beacon Winter 2002 7

Beacon
The
Vol.27/ No. 3
The HealthCare Chaplaincy is the nation’s
largest non-denominational multifaith center
for pastoral care, education, and research. Its
newsletter is published three times a year for
friends, supporters, and alumni/ae.
Please send address corrections and other
correspondence to The HealthCare Chaplaincy.
315 E. 62nd Street, 4th Floor,
New York, NY 10021-7767
Phone: 212-644-1111 Fax: 212-758-9959
www.healthcarechaplaincy.org
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
New York, NY
Permit No. 7131
Managing Editor: Kevin Roche
Writer: Nicole LaRosa
Contributing Writers: David B. Case, M.D.,
Fran McKinley
Design: zgroup design, inc.
Photography: Brian Kim, Kevin Roche,
Marie Wallace
Our website has a new look!
Visit us online at www.healthcarechaplaincy.org
Wholeness of Life Award Recipients Honored in Partner Healthcare Institutions
(continued from page 1)
For Chaplaincy trustees, visiting the partner
healthcare sites was a transformative experience.
“I’ve never been in a rehabilitation hospital,” said
trustee Karen Smythe. “On a tour I was able to
see first-hand what our chaplains do, and the
remarkable ways that the whole staff is helping
people to regain control of their lives. It was very
moving.” Ms. Smythe presented the award to
honoree Sandra Joy Alexandrou, director of physical
therapy at The Winifred Masterson Burke
Rehabilitation Hospital before a crowd of more
than 80 people.
New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s honoree Dr.
Margaret Moline (center) with (from left to right) the
Rev, Curtis Hart, the Reverend Dr. Walter J. Smith, S.J.,
The Chaplaincy’s CEO, her parents Drs. Sheldon
and Gloria Moline, the Rev. Amy Manierre, and
Chaplaincy board chairman Lawrence Toal.
“I’m a physician who lives in Bronxville,” said
trustee Dr. David Case, “and the Lawrence Hospital ceremony not only gave me a great
opportunity to celebrate the work of the honoree but also a chance to engage on another
level of dialogue with the Lawrence medical community.” Dr. Case presented the award to
nurse manager Margaret “Missy” Paolicelli.
Presented during Pastoral Care Week in October, the Wholeness of Life awards also provided a celebratory way to involve patient
care staff and the entire hospital community with the important work of The Chaplaincy. “Our administrators were very enthused
about the ceremony,” said Rabbi Naomi Kalish, supervisory resident at NYU Medical Center. “And twelve of the medical center’s
previous thirteen honorees were there, many of whom have become more involved in pastoral care since receiving the award.” ■
8 The Beacon Winter 2002