Our Purpose

The Symposium at a Glance

We can bring together People of Faith and People of Medicine to work as a team for common solutions for patients who would like to add their spiritual/faith beliefs to their healing process. After all, if some patients are referred to acupuncture as a form of complimentary care, why not others to prayer?The symposium will focus on two care topics very relevant to the intersection of faith and medicine, mental health/addition and end of life care. The symposium will include panelist discussions interspersed with audience participation and keynote speakers.The goal of the discussion is to create teamwork solutions between ministers and medical personal.

Solution Ideas

While the following is far from exhaustive, their exists the potential for a referral system could be set up in which primary care doctors can inquire about their patients spiritual needs and then have the appropriate ministers based on religious affiliation to refer them to, much like the current system of referrals primary care physicians use for specialists.

Or, “Spiritual histories,” when applicable to patients of faith, could be taken by ministers and added to their medical files as reviewed by all parties involved in the patients treatment.

Publication

Panelists and keynote speakers are asked to submit a paper of scholarly value to be published in a volume of the Symposium’s proceedings. The topic, relevant to Faith and Medicine, is to the discretion of the author.

This volume will be available free of charge to RSVP participants. Non-RSVP participants may purchase the volume for a nominal fee.

Our Committee

We are indebted to those people who have helped make this event possible.