AdventHealth Hendersonville Achieves Whole-Person Care Milestone with 120k Spiritual Wholeness Screenings

October 07, 2019 — AdventHealth has a foundation in caring for more than just the physical needs of its patients. Patients who are spiritually strong may be better able to manage their conditions, trust in their care providers and have a positive outlook.

With this in mind, AdventHealth care team members have been learning about spiritual care and how to best provide it to their patients and coworkers. These care teams take pride in connecting to their mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, which leads to more personal healing and wholeness for their patients.

To help ensure this whole-person care for every patient, every time, AdventHealth Hendersonville introduced the Spiritual Wholeness Screening into its regular set of questions for patients at every visit. In less than a year, care teams at AdventHealth Medical Group locations across Western North Carolina reached the milestone of having patients complete 120,000 of these surveys.

“Late last year, our physicians and care teams began asking every patient three questions during their appointments,” said Christy Sneller, AdventHealth Vice President of Physician Services. “The questions are designed to help us learn about each person in our care. We ask them, Do you have someone who loves you and cares for you? Do you have a source of joy in your life? Do you have a sense of peace today?”

AdventHealth understands spirituality is a very personal element to each of us. Maybe it inspires some people to pray throughout the day, take time for quiet mindfulness, or reach out to others as a volunteer or mentor. Whatever form personal spirituality takes, it's part of who an individual is. That is why AdventHealth care teams feel strongly that spiritual support is an important part of the healing process.

“The response from patients has been very positive,” says Carissa Frank, AdventHealth Clinical Mission Integration Manager. “When it comes to spiritual health and wellness, it can be difficult to discern when and how to know if a patient has special needs beyond physical pain or illness. But through this program, AdventHealth care teams are able to understand the whole-person needs and focus on our mission even during the toughest moments.”

If a patient answers no to any of the questions, the AdventHealth care team offers to connect them to a member of its e-spiritual care center who can help them navigate their situation and find help to meet the needs of their mind and spirit.

“Being able to ask these questions to my patients gives me a better connection to them. I get to see behind the curtain that we so often put up and get to know them on a deeper level. That relationship allows me to be a better source of care for them – mind, body and spirit,” said Wes Hite, DO, FAAFP, AdventHealth Medical Group Family Medicine at Black Mountain.

To learn more about the Spiritual Wholeness Screening or schedule an appointment with an AdventHealth physician or provider, call Call855-774-LIFE (5433).

About AdventHealth Hendersonville: Founded in 1910, AdventHealth Hendersonville, formerly Park Ridge Health, is dedicated to meeting the health care needs of our growing communities, providing high-quality, compassionate, not-for-profit care in a Christian environment.

In 1984, AdventHealth Hendersonville became a member of Adventist Health System. With a sacred mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, AdventHealth is a connected system of care for every stage of life and health. More than 80,000 skilled and compassionate caregivers in physician practices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies and hospice centers provide individualized, wholistic care. A shared vision, common values, focus on whole-person health and a commitment to making communities healthier unify the system's nearly 50 hospital campuses and hundreds of care sites in diverse markets throughout almost a dozen states.

Leading the way in many medical firsts for the region, AdventHealth Hendersonville is the first hospital in Western North Carolina to earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® for five orthopedic specialties including Spine Surgery, Total Ankle Replacement, Total Hip Replacement, Total Knee Replacement and Total Shoulder Replacement. It is also the first to use the Mazor X™ and Navio™ Robotic Guidance Platforms. AdventHealth Hendersonville consistently earns national ranking for its commitment to patient safety, earning six consecutive “A” grades in Leapfrog Group’s Safety Grade survey and the 2019 Award for Excellence in Patient Safety Across the Board from Premier, Inc.

AdventHealth Hendersonville includes cardiac care and rehabilitation, emergency services, nationally awarded cancer care, state-of-the-art surgical care, full-service orthopedic care, an award-winning labor and delivery experience, and a full range of imaging services to help people across our region experience whole health. For more information about AdventHealth Hendersonville or to find a physician, please visit AdventHealthNC.com or call Call855-774-LIFE (5433).