LLU&MC Scope Autumn 2000-CPE resident spreads smiles

CPE resident spreads smiles

Visually impaired resident chaplain and her companion spread cheer

You'll often see her walking along with her guide dog and a big smile on her face. Whether she's smiling because she has a friend by her side or because it's just a good day doesnt really matter; that smile is enough to put matching smiles on the faces of those she meets.

Over the past several months, Elizabeth Rene and her dog, Wilson, have become something of a staple in the halls of Loma Linda University Medical Center and Childrens Hospital. As a clinical pastoral education (CPE) resident, Ms. Rene spends her days visiting with patients on the pediatric oncology unit and in the adult cardiothoracic intensive care unit.

Elizabeth Rene and her guide dog, Wilson, can be seen walking through the halls on any given day. Together they visit patients as Ms. Rene completes her residency in continuing pastoral education, part of her training to be an Episcopal priest.

She has taken a year out of seminary to complete her residency, which is only a part of her studies for the priesthood in the Episcopal church.

This isn't the first residency position for Ms. Rene. She left her original position to come to Loma Linda, where she feels that both she and her needs as a blind person have been welcomed equally-so much so that her guide dog has been given an identification badge and designated a canine chaplain.

"I knew that I was going to be doing the work I wanted in a community that was supportive and wholesome, and that there would be a warm welcome for Wilson and me," she says, "and that has proven true."

Ms. Rene will admit that her road to the ministry has been a rather long and circuitous one.

Although she had some lay ministerial experience in her 20s, she chose to pursue a career in law. She lived and worked in Washington state from 1978 until beginning seminary in 1997. Working as a lawyer in Olympia, Washington, allowed her to put away some money and wait for affordable technology to come out that would accommodate her sight.

"I was an assistant city attorney who tried misdemeanor cases, she says. "I did a great deal of criminal trial work in municipal and superior court and lots of appeal work. In that position, she might possibly have six or seven cases to prepare each week. By the time she moved to Seattle to take a different position, she was preparing 60 to 70 cases per week.

In Seattle, Ms. Rene worked as a professional licensing disciplinary attorney. In this position, she supervised the licensing of private detectives, including developing the examinations and laws to regulate the industry.

"All kinds of people want to be private investigators-and they don't want people to know who they are [and blow their cover]," she chuckles. "So how better to have these people supervised than by someone who can't see them?"

When she finally decided to pursue the ministry after practicing law for 20 years, Ms. Rene felt like she was reclaiming a part of herself she had ignored for a long time. Still, she knew that she might experience some hardships because of her decision.

"There are no other blind people in the priesthood in the United States," she says. "Sometimes its been a very painful, very lonely experience-very discouraging and demoralizing-and then sometimes I have just been overwhelmed by the friends I've made, and the unusual, unexpected turns and twists and experiences that I would never have imagined."

Now that she's begun her ministerial training, Ms. Rene is enjoying every minute. And her faithful dog, Wilson, is a constant help.

"Strong guide dogs love to guide and hate to heel," she says. "They want to be in charge, so sometimes even though I can see what Im doing in the hospital or where Im going, I'll just let Wilson take the wheel and I'll let him guide me. Having a [guide] dog is the difference between walking and being in a car."

Ms. Rene has another "friend that provides her help and assistance as she works with patients and completes her CPE training. The device, called a Braille Lite™, is similar to a small, laptop computer that she wears on a strap around her waist. She can do a little bit of everything with the Braille Lite™. Its six keys encompass all of Braille (from music to mathematics to word processing) and allow her to keep her calendar, write notes to herself, and even write papers. The Braille Lite™ also has a refreshable 18-character Braille display, allowing her to send text to it from her home computer to read at her leisure.

Because Ms. Rene does have very limited sight, she is able to use a special computer with a large monitor that can enlarge words and images by at least 10 times. She also has software that reads to her what is on her computer screen and tells her which icon she has selected with her cursor. Other gadgets that supplement her vision include an optical scanner with a voice program that she can use to "read handouts, Braille translation software that can translate computer documents into Braille, and a Braille embossing printer.

"Before the advent of computers and computerized speech that was reasonably affordable, I had to use a hand-held magnifying glass with the law books, she says. "These [books] are heavy and I would hold them up to my face or get down over the desk [to read them]. It would take me hours."

The process, she says, was a little like being parched for a long cold drink of water, but having to get it through an IV instead, one drip at a time.

Ms. Rene says her vision is "like watching an old black-and-white television that is not focused very well. It's not that my sight is blurry so much as [just] indistinct."

Because of this, she often has a difficult time recognizing people who say "Hello" to her as she walks through the hospital halls.

I know a lot of people feel uncomfortable about reminding a person who they're speaking to, she says. "It doesn't bother me if people remind me who they are, because it's awful having to struggle and guess."

Wilson is especially helpful in this department, since he has no problem recognizing people that he and Ms. Rene have become acquainted with. He has also proven to be an icebreaker in other areas as well.

Wilson has given people a gate-an access to me-because they come up and say 'Hi' to Wilson all the time, and then we can all talk, Ms. Rene adds.

Chaplain services
Loma Linda University Medical Centers department of chaplain services provides support for and meets the needs of patients and their families through a number of programs. Some of the activities and services of the department are outlined below.
Weekly worship services are held in the chapel. Worship servces in individual hospital units can also be arranged.
Grief recovery support groups are held four times a year, and each group runs for seven weeks. The groups, which address bereavement issues faced by adults, adolescents, and children, are open to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one.
Divorce recovery support groups, held three times a year, address issues brought on by divorce that are faced by adults, adolescents, and children. Additional 10-week groups look at issues facing individuals in relationship transition, including reconnecting, family of origin, anger, communication, spiritual journeys, and couples therapy.
Brief counseling is available for individuals who find themselves in a spiritual crisis.
The annual Clergy Conference, an all-day event co-sponsored by the Medical Center, Behavioral Medicine Center, Childrens Hospital, various departments of Loma Linda University, and a number of outside organizations, features keynote addresses, breakout sessions, panel discussions, case presentations, interviews, and educational tools. The October 14, 1999, Clergy Conference focused on safe-guarding children in a violent society.
The annual Faith Festival, held during the third week of March as part of the worship service of the University Church of Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, highlights the ministry of the department.

Master of arts degree in clinical ministry
The master of arts degree in clinical ministry prepares students for integrating spirituality and healing primarily within the health-care environment. It is designed for three types of students: those seeking to pursue graduate studies in religion and/or ministry, those wishing to enhance already existing careers with graduate study in religion and ministry, and those wishing to use this degree as a stepping stone to doctoral study.
The degree program, part of the Graduate School curriculum, requires a minimum of 48 units. The degree furthers the educational process of caring for the whole person through the development of clinical skills, blending the areas of academic preparation and clinical experience.
The faculty represent a balance between academic expertise and clinical experience, as well as a variety of disciplines including biblical studies, theology, practical theology, marriage and family therapy, cultural psychology, American church history, health education, nursing, and ethics.
For more information, write to: Master of Arts in Clinical Ministry; Griggs Hall, Room 220; Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California 92350, or call (909) 558-8433.

[Scope, Autumn 2000]