Chaplain services
VA Tomah health care chaplains serve people of all faiths and denominations as well as patients and families looking for non-religious spiritual and emotional support. They are here to listen and offer care as you struggle with tough questions and ethical decisions.
Spiritual and religious services
We are a healing and caring department for the Tomah VA Health Care System.
We provide a safe spaces and confidential care, where Veterans of all faith traditions and world views are invited to find and restore a deepening sense of spiritual well-being.
As chaplains, we are clinically trained and come from diverse faith backgrounds and experiences. We believe that no one should have to journey through life alone and know that there are times when we all need each other for connection, companionship, community and counseling. We honor the full humanity of every Veteran. Therefore, our goal is to support you, as you are, no matter where you have been, what you might have been or are still going through.
Chaplain supportive spiritual care programs and activities
- Spiritual assessment
- Bereavement care for loss and grief
- Suicide prevention and postvention care
- Comfort and counseling (individual and group)
- End of life issues
- Assistance with major medical and life decision-making
- Hospice and palliative care
- Military sexual trauma
- Moral injury
- Post-traumatic stress
- Sacramental ministry (communion, anointing of the sick, last rites and more)
- Tele-chaplaincy
- Whole health
- Women Veterans
- Communication, care and support for caregivers
- Facilitate staff communication and team building
- Conflict resolution among patients and family members, and staff
- Referral to internal and external resources
- Employee and family support and counseling
- Memorial services
Religious services
- Communion
- Last rites
- Worship
- Other rites and rituals
- Religious and spiritual resources
Chaplains are members of the patient care clinical team
- Participate in medical rounds and patient care conferences
- Participate in interdisciplinary education and team meetings
- Chart spiritual care interventions on patient’s medical records
- Facilitate communication between care teams and patient family
Benefits
Research shows that spiritually active patients experience or report:
- Faster healing
- Greater coping skills
- Reduced pain
- Better quality of life
Tomah VA
Worship services
Roman Catholic Mass
Thursday, 2:45 p.m. in the chapel
Protestant
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. in the chapel
Interfaith chapel
Tomah VA Medical Center
Building 425
First floor, Between Buildings 406 and 401
Interfaith chapel is open daily for prayer, meditation and reflection.
Tara Shilts MDiv, BCC
Chief of Chaplain Service
VA Tomah health care
Phone:
Email: tara.shilts@va.gov
Garin Forsberg MDiv
Chaplain
VA Tomah health care
Phone: