Hospitals facing clergy shortage

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Some Bay area hospitals are facing a shortage in a surprising area.

It's not medicine, nor doctors, but clergy of all faiths. Morton Plant Mease Hospital clergy manager Rev. Steven Smith said research shows patients' number one complaint is that there are not enough chaplains.

There's only one full-time chaplain at Morton Plant Mease in Clearwater, and the hospital has about 400 patients on an average day. At times nurses serve as substitute chaplains.

Currently hospital administrators are recruiting interns from local churches. Their goal is to have 12 more full-time chaplains.

"The patients will benefit greatly by improved access to pastoral and spiritual care," Smith said.

Richard Rones, a patient at Morton Plant Mease, agreed with Smith.

"The physical medicine, I don't know if it's helped me or set me back," Rones said. "But the spiritual medicine, it's held me together."

Richard Rones has died since Bay News 9 conducted the interviews with him. His family requested we still run this story, saying the clergy program at Morton Plant Mease and doing this story made Mr. Rones feel dignity and pride in his last days.

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