WRNMMC, Bethesda, Md.   –   Anytime there is a change from how things have been done, especially a significant change such as MHS GENESIS, the Department of Defense’s new electronic health record system, it can be accompanied by heightened stress and anxiety until it becomes the new normal.

For U.S. Navy Capt. Chaplain Chris Hester, department chief of Pastoral Care, and his team, part of their pastoral support to Walter Reed staff during this time, means going throughout the hospital gathering MHS GENESIS-related stressors and challenges, and relaying it back to the MHS GENESIS team experts. 

“To mitigate stress, the Pastoral Care team went from floor to floor learning what issues our staff was having,” said Hester, a native of LaGrange, Ga. “We took the information back to MHS GENESIS experts so they too could better engage and help alleviate some of that stress and anxiety.”

Together with relaying information to the MHS GENESIS team, providing counsel when needed is also essential to the Pastoral Care team’s MHS GENESIS-related support, and Hester says support is available as long as the staff needs it.  
“We’re here to help mitigate stress via a “ministry of presence,” said Hester. 

With a very robust command religious program that provides and facilitates a variety of religious faiths and spiritual traditions, Pastoral Care services at Walter Reed are not limited to those who identify as religious or spiritual. Team members are trained to provide emotional and psychological support to anyone in need, regardless of their faith background, ensuring everyone feels comfortable seeking assistance when they need it.

Just like members of the MHS GENESIS Pay-it-Forward team, the WRNMMC Pastoral Care team is committed to offering assistance and finding ways to support those in need during the hospital’s transition to MHS GENESIS. 
For staff or anyone looking for support from the WRNMMC Pastoral Care team, visit walterreed.tricare.mil/Patient-Resources/Pastoral-Care or call 301-295-1510 Monday thru Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., or after hours at 301-295-4611, option 4.