Editor: I recently learned that the board of directors of the Fraser Health Authority has fired/terminated/laid off (you choose the word) all the spiritual care co-ordinators (chaplains) at all the hospitals in the region, as a cost-cutting measure. This includes eliminating the position of regional co-ordinator of spiritual care.

Fraser Health information states that the region’s “number one strategic priority is integrated health care.”

The region goes on to say: “Spiritual care is fundamental to holistic care. Spiritual wellbeing is an essential aspect of wellness and a determinant of health; therefore patients and residents are entitled to receive spiritual care.

“Professional spiritual care is essential and foundational to best practice delivery. Spiritual care is to be provided from a multi-faith and multicultural perspective. Spiritual care practitioners with professional accreditation for health care practice will provide and/or co-ordinate the delivery of such care.”

With one bad decision, the FHA board has wiped out 10 years of spiritual care service improvements in Fraser Health. I respectfully ask them to reconsider.

The spiritual care needs are being added to social workers’ tasks. They already have enough to do. They also may not have the expertise for this task.

I’ve been a spiritual care volunteer at the Langley Hospice residence for almost four years. Who is going to be supervising me — and all the other volunteers in the region? Who is going to be training new spiritual care volunteers? Who is going to monitor the quality of spiritual care service in Fraser Health region? Are local ministerial associations able or prepared to fill this sudden void?

The connection between physical health and spiritual health has long been established. Sometimes during times of crisis with serious illness or death, people have a need to reconnect with their spiritual roots.

FHA should honour that process.

I want to encourage anyone who is as disturbed as I am by the decision of Fraser health to get rid of all spiritual care co-ordinators (chaplains) to write, e-mail or phone their own MLA, all the MLAs, and the board of Fraser Health to voice your objection. Maybe together we can all be heard.

Grace Muller,

Langley