Improved Health Care for All: A Hospital Chaplain’s Perspective

I write this from the perspective of a hospital chaplain. First, a little background. For the past 40+ years I have been a chaplain at varying times in a city hospital, a community mental health center, an academic medical center, a community not for profit hospital setting. I have seen patients from all places on the economic spectrum, gender, disease modalities, injuries, emotional difficulties and reactions and more. I have seen the staffs that work with these people – some of whom are bright, curious, well educated and highly motivated; and some who are simply putting in their hours of the job, dull in mind and spirit, and uncaring. Most however have been the former. Lately I hear staff saying things like “this is not what I got into medicine for,” meaning the economic limits that are imposed take away a certain relational experience with patients and families. Most health care workers want that connectedness with patients and families.

I am encouraged by the national debate on health care. I hope that the Congress will pass a far reaching bill that will touch the lives of all Americans on the scales I have mentioned above. As a Presbyterian I am theologically interested in the issues that are being debated. At its heart I think the central theological issue is couched in the question: Is health care a right or a privilege? Like most questions with this sort of dichotomy I expect the answer will be found in an amalgamation of the two. For me, I think health care is a right. However, I can understand how those with significant financial means and varying theological perspectives might feel otherwise.

The notion of health care being a right emerges out of the theology of stewardship. Stewardship implies and connotes a sharing of one’s resources. In many religious communities stewardship is experienced in the sharing of money and time. The same notion applies in regard to health care. It is a sharing of resources. Some seem to fear that in that sharing quality, freedom, and quantity will be decreased or maybe even lost. I would suggest just the opposite. My experience is that the quality of health care is driven by those involved and the technology that is continually evolving. I see no reason for that to change for the worse because the brightest and best are still attracted to health care and the technology is on a continual upward climb. Clearly freedom will be enhanced and expanded as people have options that are not necessarily available to all at this time. The issue of quantity is a moot question, in that we currently are providing health care for many people unable to provide any financial support. When the emotionally and politically exhausting debates are over and the dust has cleared it is my contention that we will adequately move on with improved health care for all.