About Us
Lifeline
Chaplaincy . . . has
been serving the needs of the seriously ill in Houston
and the Texas Medical Center since 1983. We have been
in Dallas and the surrounding areas since September
2005. We
expanded this ministry into Central Texas July 1,
2008.
And, now—2009 has seen it advance into Ft. Worth/Tarrant
County. We
are dedicated to providing compassionate support to
the seriously ill, their families and caregivers,
and to being an educational resource for crisis ministry.
Our
formal ministry is the outgrowth of and an extension
of a much longer tradition of volunteer service by
members of the Churches of
Christ. Volunteers are at the heart of our ministry.
Our ministry has been expanded to include a professional
staff, accredited formal education in crisis ministry,
and other expanded services to meet the non-medical
needs. We are supported by individuals and churches
who have taken a special interest in our work. Our
services are available to any and all Texas
Medical Center, Dallas,
Central Texas &
Tarrant County area patients
and their caregivers who have special needs. We provide
a “lifeline” to the critically ill who have
to contend with large metropolitan areas.
Our
people . . . are
the heart and soul of our ministry. From our
professional staff of
chaplains and instructors to our trained volunteers,
it is the personal touch that makes the difference.
Our board of directors,
office staff and various individuals and churches
provide administrative and financial support to
our ministry. Our chaplains bring the expertise
and training needed to provide quality care. Our
trained volunteers extend that care to an ever growing
number of patients and their families and/or caregivers.
Interns, pursuing an education in crisis ministry,
add even another element to the services we offer.
All combined, we provide a network of caring people
who offer a lifeline to those facing serious illness
and loss.
Patient
Visitation and Family Support . . the
heart of Lifeline Chaplaincy has always been patient
visitation and family support. The vast number of
people who are at these hospitals for medical treatment,
and the serious nature of their illness, calls us
to be present and caring.
We
attempt to be available to all patients who
desire visitation, and to provide any help we can
in ways that will facilitate healing. A chaplain
from the Church of Christ is available at the Texas
Medical Center hospitals, the Dallas Metroplex and
Scott and White Hospital in Temple and St. David's
Medical Center-Austin.
Dealing
with a serious illness . . . whether one’s
own or that of a loved one, is a load to bear in
itself. Add to that the financial obligations, both
medical and non-medical, that always accompany a
critical illness. One quickly feels overwhelmed
by the demands made upon one’s resources.
The
Texas Medical Center, the Dallas Metroplex,
and Scott and White Hospital in Temple and St. David's
Medical Center-Austin offers some of the best medial
care available anywhere in the world. People come
from every part of the globe hoping to return home
sound in body and mind. For some the trip is affordable,
but for others it is not. In fact, many do not make
the trip simply because the expense of staying in
a hotel, eating out, paying for parking and numerous
other hidden expenses are beyond their means. Some
come in spite of the unknown expenses and get by
as best they can. Even if that means they have to
sleep in the waiting room of the hospital or in
the back seat of their car.
Lifeline
Chaplaincy's Compassionate Touch™ Program
seeks to ease this burden by providing a non-medical
one time funding to in-patients being seen at one
of the area hospitals.
Lifeline
Chaplaincy's Compassionate
Touch™ Program since June 1997 has continued
to help provide some comfort to patients and their
families whether the need is short-term housing
while undergoing treatment, parking assistance,
or just a meal to help feed a family member. Patient
or their family member may contact the hospital's
social worker in their area concerning qualifications
for our program.
