Pastor Case Is On the Case

When you think about the people who work in a hospital, you tend to think about the health care staff – physicians, nurses, the highly trained people who staff the labs, the pharmacy and the rehab department. Depending on your experiences, you might think about the IT staff, the physical plant staff or the security staff – the people that keep the hospital going and ensure the best possible medical care.

How many of us understand the many services that hospital chaplains provide? According to The Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, hospital chaplains offer “spiritual care in a clinical setting. Spiritual care has to do with issues of hope, meaning and transcendence that may become more pronounced during illness”

Chaplain Travis Case, board-certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains, embodies this and so much more. As an important member of the St. Mary Medical Center (SMMC) spiritual care team, Chaplain Case makes “spiritual” rounds in parallel with the medical staff. Case seems to be able to anticipate where his help, encouragement and assistance is most needed, and is there for patients, caregivers, family members and staff.

Case is Southern-California born and raised. He currently lives in the Lakewood area, with his wife, Valerie and a “doted upon” ten-year-old Shih Tzu, Baylor. It is a family of service. Case’s sister is a physical therapist, and his wife, currently working towards attaining her LCSW (licensed clinical social worker), works with a homeless services agency in eastern Los Angeles County.

It has been a journey of compassion towards chaplaincy for Case. After completing his master’s degree in pastoral studies at Azusa Pacific, Case worked with L’Arche (the ark) USA, an international organization that offers community-based shared living, support and vocational services for people with and without intellectual disabilities.

While with L’Arche, Case was inspired to begin his chaplaincy training after “one of our residents developed cancer. I was there to accompany her through her end-of-life journey.

After speaking with a hospital chaplain, Case was able to start residency via ACPE (Association of Clinical Pastoral Education), at Little Company of Mary, in the telemetry and NICU (neonatal intensive care) departments. SMMC is Case’s first chaplaincy and post-residency; August will mark his three-year anniversary with SMMC.

Case described part of his day-to-day responsibilities as being a “steward of stories” for his diverse and unique patients. “You try to follow the journey of being human and how a hospital stay might fit into a person’s narrative, providing them with resources, and helping them to find strength within themselves.”

Having seen Case “in action” his range is amazing, tailoring care and empathy to a wide range of patient and family needs. “The diversity of experience is inspiring and meaningful... Our population benefits so much from our medical staff. Providing spiritual wellness helps to complete the care experience.”

In his time away from the hospital, Case continues to expand his knowledge of the field, doing research and submitting articles to professional journals. If there is some down time in the week, Case tries to employ running, creative writing, reading and playing the guitar and drums (he is kind to his neighbors, using an electric drum set with earphones and no audible sound) as a way to re-charge. When their schedules overlap, he and his wife enjoy the outdoors and dining.

The SMMC community is fortunate to have Chaplain Case as part of the wellness team.