WHEN
you enter a hospital
for treatment, it’s easy to feel
overwhelmed. Just putting on a
hospital gown can make you feel you’re
more of a patient than a person.
Here at CMH, we strive for just
the opposite. We know that you don’t
leave your thoughts, feelings, skills—
and everything else that makes you
who you are—at the door. In fact, you
are central to the healing process.
at’s why our patients and their
families become essential members
of our team.
Patients as partners
is collaborative approach
is based on the Planetree model
of health care. Planetree is an
organization that helps hospitals
focus on patient-centered healing.
Patient-centered is a common
term in
health care,
but Planetree
takes it to a
new level. As
a Planetree
hospital, we:
w
Encourage you and your family to
make suggestions for improving how
we do things and to take part in the
improvement e orts.
Patient-centered is a
common term in health
care, but Planetree takes
it to a new level.
2
q
life and health
At CMH, compassion is
our business model
If you or a loved one ever needs our
hospital services, you have the support
of caring providers—including those
who can help tend to the spiritual side
of care.
Religion and spirituality are important
to many people. They often provide
sources of comfort and strength when
someone is facing a serious illness or life-
changing event—and many patients and
families value the help available through
our chaplaincy services.
Here for you.
Should you request
them, our chaplains are here to provide
spiritual, religious or emotional support
to patients and their families. When
people draw on their faith or spirituality,
it may help them to cope with an illness or
health condition. Chaplains also can o er
counseling and support when patients
and loved ones face di cult issues such
as grief or end-of-life care.
Our chaplains are trained caregivers
and are sensitive to the diverse beliefs
and spiritual concerns that people may
have. If you prefer, they can help put
you or a loved one in touch with a clergy
member of a speci c denomination.
If you would like to talk with a chaplain,
don’t hesitate to ask your doctor or nurse.
Chaplaincy services: Meeting your spiritual needs
call us at 503-325-4321
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Recognize that families and friends
are essential to the healing process.
We encourage these partners to assist
sta members in the day-to-day care
of their loved ones.
w
Use art, music, storytelling and
pets as part of the healing
process.
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Consider the patient’s
emotional, social and
spiritual well-being along
with physical healing.
Planetree then and now
It’s not surprising that this
holistic philosophy started with a
patient. When Angelica Thieriot
was hospitalized in San Francisco
with a rare viral infection, she
realized her impersonal care was
undermining the benefits of the
high-tech hospital environment.
So in 1978 she founded Planetree—
named for the tree Hippocrates sat
under to teach some of the first
medical students in ancient Greece.
Today, Planetree’s membership
is composed of more than 500
organizations in five countries.
At CMH, we’re putting the
Planetree model to work for you.
To learn more about how we use
Planetree, visit our website at
www.columbiamemorial.org
.