Alta Bates Summit Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy Services

The challenge of illness can be frightening, but it can also become a vehicle of profound healing and awakening — physically, emotionally and spiritually. We are here for you, whether to hold your hand or celebrate your healing. Alta Bates Summit Medical Center chaplains are trained to compassionately attend to the spiritual and emotional needs as well as those of you and your loved ones.

We offer care and support for people of all religious affiliations as well as those who follow no faith tradition. A chaplain is assigned to each inpatient clinical unit at the medical center and our services are provided free of charge.

Spiritual Care Provided by Chaplains

Patient Care Support Activities:

• Available to visit patients 24/7.
• Provides patients with supportive, reflective time to talk about how their spiritual or religious experiences and beliefs can support them in the hospital and healing process.
• Offers or arranges for spiritual or religious support for all faith traditions and beliefs.
• Provides or arranges for the practice or experience of religious sacraments and rituals, such as baptism, blessing, communion, sacrament of sick, confessions, chanting, etc.
• Support to patients’ families and loved ones.
• Copies of scriptures and holy writings from diverse religious traditions.
• Interfaith chapels located on the first floor of the Alta Bates, Herrick and Summit campuses.

Staff Care Support Events and Activities:

• Staff debriefing sessions.
• Individual one-on-one support.
• Renew Your Spirit care carts.
• Blessing of the Hands — an annual celebration and time of reflection.
• Guidance in clarifying spiritual concerns, religious beliefs and ethical issues related to patient care.
• Help in facilitating patient care, family conferences and palliative care consultations.

Education and Outreach:

• Our Clinical Pastoral Education program includes students from a wide range of faith traditions, culture, lifestyle and identity orientations.  
• Education through our Celebrating Religious Diversity Program, including our monthly interfaith calendar activities.
• Assistance with referrals to local religious leaders and faith communities.

For Non-Urgent Requests

Chaplains are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To contact a chaplain at the Summit Campus (Oakland), please call (510) 869-6784. To contact a chaplain at the Alta Bates or Herrick Campuses (Berkeley), please call (510) 204-6730.

Please provide us with the following information: name and extension number of the person making the referral, the patient or family name, patient’s room number, unit, location and nature of the request.

For Urgent and Emergency Requests

Please page the on-call chaplain at (510) 801-5050 and enter your full telephone number.

Additional Resources

For more information, please contact:

Chaplain Services Department
2450 Ashby Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 204-6730
(510) 848-6119 fax

Reverend Va’ Nechia Rayford