Chaplain

Overview Founded by the Sisters of Mercy Mercy Hospitals have a history of caring for our community that goes back more than 100 years. We provide a broad range of medical and surgical services including minimally invasive and outpatient options. Our family of services includes the areas only inpatient oncology unit the Orthopedic Spine and Hand Center Family Birth Center the Lactation Support Center and retail store and many others. Mercy Hospital Downtown is a 194-bed facility located in downtown Bakersfield. Mercy Hospital Southwest is a 78-bed facility and the only hospital located in the rapidly growing area west of Highway 99. Mercy Hospital is a member of Dignity Health and is a trusted community partner serving residents of Bakersfield and Kern County with quality compassionate care since 1910. Learn more at
Responsibilities In keeping with the Dignity Health core values the chaplain's primary role is to provide spiritual care to patients families hospital personnel and medical staff by assisting them to integrate the experience of illness trauma and loss with their own religious beliefs and spiritual values and convictions. The chaplain acts as a resource and liaison with physicians patient/families and the Ethics Committee in addressing ethical issues regarding treatment decisions. The chaplain works closely with community clergy (visiting clergy) acting as a contact between hospital and parish communities to ensure continuity of pastoral care.
Qualifications Some experience working in a clinical setting addressing pastoral spiritual and ethical issues as evidence by 1 unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) from an Assoc. of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) accredited site. Bachelor Degree in a relevant field (e.g. Divinity Theology Mission Integration Ministry Spiritual Care Pastoral Counseling Bioethics) required. En route to Board Certified Chaplain certification by National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) or National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC).