Spiritual Care at Children’s Hospital Colorado

At Children’s Colorado, our staff of spiritual care professionals, called chaplains, are available for spiritual support. The spiritual care team is committed to meeting the needs of patients, families and staff.

We understand that your child’s health involves more than medicine alone. That’s why our chaplains are available to assist you in meeting your unique spiritual needs. We honor every person’s journey and spiritual path and do not promote any specific beliefs.

How a chaplain can help

You can request a chaplain if you want someone to:

• Offer spiritual and emotional support
• Provide spiritual resources specific to your tradition, such as prayer, sacred texts, prayer rugs, connection with a local faith leader, etc.
• Listen confidentially and attentively to what is most meaningful to you
• Assist in processing feelings of anger, fear, hopelessness or despair
• Be a calming presence before surgery
• Care for your spirit during this time of physical healing
• Consult on patient issues of ethical or religious significance
• Offer grief support during hospitalization and connect you with bereavement services

How to reach a chaplain

To request a chaplain, ask your child’s care team to page the hospital chaplain. You can also contact the Spiritual Care Office at 720-777-6325 or via email at spiritualcare@childrenscolorado.org.

For urgent or emergent needs during nights and weekends, ask your nurse to page the 24/7 on-call chaplain.

How do I request a certified music practitioner?

Certified music practitioners (CMPs) play live acoustic music at the bedside of patients who are faced with physical, emotional and spiritual challenges. By focusing on a single patient at a time, the CMP can provide therapeutic music to create a nurturing environment that facilitates healing.

To request a CMP on Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, please call the Spiritual Care Office and leave a message at 720-777-6325.

Chapels and Garden of Hope

Our chapel, located on the first floor of the hospital on Anschutz Medical Campus, is open 24 hours a day. The chapel offers a peaceful and comforting ambience and has a labyrinth outlined on the floor for meditative walking, plus a prayer box for written prayers. We also have a tranquil chapel at our new hospital in Colorado Springs.

The Garden of Hope is located outside in front of the hospital in Aurora, and includes inspirational symbols, quotes and a labyrinth.