Hospitals Revamp Chapels Into Meditation Rooms

July 20, 2010

Author: Joanna Corman

Source: Beliefnet/Religion News Service

http://blog.beliefnet.com/news/2010/07/hospitals-revamp-chapels-into.php

When Connie Johnstone saw relatives of Muslim patients praying in a hospital parking lot, or laying out a plastic bag to create a clean spot on the lobby floor, her visions of a meditation room suddenly got a lot broader.

"I took note of that and said, `Hey, we need to have a place" for them to pray, said Johnstone, the former manager of spiritual care at Kaiser Permanente facilities in Sacramento and suburban Roseville, who now holds a similar position in San Jose.

Johnstone wanted to create a space "that calls up beauty, something that is quiet to still the spirit" for patients, visitors and staff. She also wanted to accommodate the region's diverse religious and cultural rituals.

See also: Interfaith, Health