As part of the first Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program at Jewish Hospital, Jim Crosby is enhancing his ability to serve others. He is grateful to Mercy Health Foundation donors like you for the opportunity.

There is a nationwide shortage of chaplains in health care. You are helping to reverse that trend with your gift. By combining course work with hands-on experience, the CPE program is key for aspiring health care chaplains.

“The training has deepened my understanding of the process. And of what our patients are going through."

“We try to put ourselves in their shoes," says Jim. "The CPE program doesn't just teach you how to be a chaplain. It teaches you how to have better relationships with everybody.”

Jim is a former volunteer firefighter and paramedic. He got involved with the CPE as a way to continue serving. After retiring as a CPA, he began a "second career" as a pastoral associate for a church. Now he's getting specialized, intensive training.

"Rabbi Julie Schwartz is the best teacher I’ve ever had in my entire life," he says. But the thing that surprised me most is how much I'm learning from my fellow students. We come from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds. We're a family now and we trust each other.”

Jim has a sense of fulfillment working at the intersection of healing and faith. Every day, he's helping patients and hospital staff.

“We’re given the right to come into these peoples’ lives and with that comes responsibility,” says Jim. “It's amazing how quickly and deeply patients will share with you. After every visit I stop and say a short prayer because it's been a gift to me.”