Chaplain services

Spiritual and religious services

Our chaplains help patients and family members through outpatient treatment, hospital stays, and extended care. If needed, they will contact your personal clergy or spiritual care provider in the community. Our chaplains are clinical pastorcal care specialists who provide religious and non-religious people with services such as:

• Baptisms
• Bereavement (grief and loss) care
• Comfort and counseling
• Communion
• Funerals
• Weddings

Worship services

People of all faiths and traditions are invited to attend:

Protestant worship services and Catholic Mass are held on a regular basis. Please contact Chaplain Service at 800-451-5796. for additional information or to speak with one of our chaplains.

Omaha VA Medical Center
Catholic masses: daily at 6:55 a.m. CT
Protestant worship services: Sundays at 9:00 a.m. CT

Grand Island VA Medical Center
Catholic masses: Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. CT
Protestant worship services: Sundays at 9:00 a.m. CT

Lincoln VA Clinic
Chaplain service is available on an as-needed basis in Lincoln. To request service in Lincoln, contact Lead/Protestant Chaplain, Shane Van Dorin at 402-346-8800, ext. 20-5779 in Omaha.

Benefits

Research shows that spiritually active patients experience or report:

• Faster healing
• Greater coping skills
• Reduced pain
• Better quality of life

Contact a chaplain

For more information, please call our chaplain Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT, at 800-451-5796.

Interfaith Chapel

Omaha VA Medical Center
Main building
First floor
Map of Omaha campus
Hours:  Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT

Grand Island VA Medical Center
Building, floor, and room are Coming Soon!
Map of Grand Island  campus
Hours:  Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT

Chaplain Service

Chaplain Service provides a variety of services to Veterans, visiting family members and staff:

• Relational Support
• Crisis Intervention
• Grief Support
• Worship Services
• Spiritual Care – education, pastoral care, advocacy, decision making support, etc.
• Facilitate Religious Needs – provide prayer, sacred/inspirational literature, devotional material, religious rites, and religious counsel
• Contribute to Interdisciplinary Care Plans – Ethics Consultation, Palliative Care, Substance Use Disorder Program, and available to provide consultative support throughout the health care system
• Ceremonial Functions – Memorial Services, Blessing of the Hands and provide invocations/benedictions for a variety of community and hospital functions

Omaha Chaplains: Call then extension (20-3127)

• Chaplain offices are located inside the Chapel, which is found on the first floor, northeast corner of the Main Building (please follow the signs).  
  • Chief of Chaplain Service, ext. 20-3128
  • Protestant Chaplain, ext. 20-5779
  • Catholic Chaplain, ext. 20-3127
• Available 7 days a week–24 hours a day
  • Normal Duty Hours, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
  • After normal duty hours, contact VA operator for assistance at (press “0” as instructed)
• Worship Services
  • Catholic Masses
    Every day at 6:55 a.m.
  • Protestant Worship
    Sundays at 9 a.m.

Grand Island Chaplains:

• Chaplain Staff contact: -2246 or contact operator
• Worship Services
  • Contact chaplain office for current schedule

Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs)

• Contact the Chief of Chaplain Service -3128) in Omaha for assistance, or the VA Operator after normal duty hours

Services Available to Inpatients and Outpatients 
Chaplains are available by appointment and may be arranged by:

• Patient request
• Consults from staff
• Doctor/Nurse Referral