> Home > About Us > News/Events

March 17, 2008

HRMC chaplains offer support and comfort

A small chapel at Haywood Regional Medical Center offers a quiet place to meditate and pray. Vi Terrell and Virginia Medford hopes the chapel also can serve as a focal point for people to direct prayers specifically for the hospital.

“It was laid on my heart that there needs to be an organized way for employees, doctors and members of the public to say a prayer for the hospital and everyone affected by the termination of the Medicare and Medicaid contract,” Terrell said.

Medford, who worked as a nurse at Haywood Regional for 30 years and has served as a volunteer on the hospital’s auxiliary, said recent prayer gatherings at the hospital convinced her there is a lot of interest and support within the community.

“We’re hoping people will take time to go to the chapel for three minutes or so and say a prayer. We need to keep this ongoing,” Medford said.

The chapel is located on the second floor of the hospital to the left after leaving the elevator. It is open 24 hours for quiet reflection or prayer. A guest registry will be available for those who want to sign their names and offer support for the hospital.

Haywood Regional Medical Center has one full-time chaplain, Linda Henley, and two part-time chaplains, as well as 20 volunteer chaplains, who are available 24 hours a day. The chaplains are professionally trained and can also visit with patients in their rooms, in a waiting room or the emergency department.

“We have a prayer basket where people can write down prayer requests. We check the basket daily and follow-up on all requests,” Henley said.

There is an ongoing prayer walk, sponsored by Vine of the Mountains, at 8:30 a.m. each Thursday, beginning in the lower parking lot at the Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center. The walk is open to everyone.

For more information about HRMC’s chaplaincy program, call 452-8332.

Haywood Regional Medical Center was established in 1927. The current facility opened in 1979. HRMC is a not-for-profit public hospital. It is the third largest employer in Haywood County, with more than 900 employees. A total of 137 physicians and 39 allied health professionals are on HRMC’s medical staff. For more information, go to www.haymed.org.