Adventist Health’s mission focuses on whole-person care, which means “sharing God’s love by providing physical, mental and spiritual healing.” To help promote care that includes a spiritual, mission focus, Adventist Health hosted its second annual Mission Day in Roseville, Calif., for the system’s leaders.
“One of the greatest deficiencies in the U.S. workforce today is that people are not finding meaning and purpose in what they do. Our mission environment, predicated on sharing God’s love, fosters and nurtures one’s search for meaning and purpose,” says Paul Crampton, Adventist Health assistant vice president of mission and spiritual care.
The more than 150 attendees, including chief executive officers, chief financial officers, patient care executives and chaplaincy directors, as well as representatives from strategic partners Cerner and Jones Lang LaSalle, gathered to discuss spirituality in the workplace and staying grounded.
The event featured many speakers from across the system and Louis (Jody) Fry from International Institute for Spiritual Leadership. Fry spoke to the group about maximizing the triple bottom line (people, planet and performance excellence) through spiritual leadership.
Linda Hanratty, a nurse from Tillamook Regional Medical Center in Oregon, gave a testimony about living the mission by caring for the wounds of homebound patients. She shared how she and others are ambassadors of care and explained she is blessed to be able to visit and work in the patient’s home. Hanratty presented photos that helped tell her story and showed how Adventist Health providers work as a team to build what God has intended for each patient.
During her presentation, Hanratty summed up the Adventist Health mission: “Our mission and values provide a commission, and we are missionaries in our communities.” She continued, “We value each person, and sometimes we get to bring them to the throne of grace.”
The daylong event culminated with a special recommitment ceremony and blessing of the hands by Adventist Health chaplains who anointed each attendee's hands as Ricardo Graham, Adventist Health board chairman, led prayer.
“A spiritual environment and providing spiritual care services are not the same,” says Crampton. “Anyone can provide spiritual care services. We believe God dwells among us because we actively and intentionally invite Him to be here. Ours is truly a healing environment because it cares for the whole person: body, mind and spirit.”
Linda Hanratty from Oregon's Tillamook Regional Medical Center gave a testimony about living the mission by caring for the wounds of homebound patients.
