Creating a new standard for spiritual care and education.
At The George Washington University Institute for Spirituality & Health (GWish), we envision an innovative model of healthcare that recognizes spiritual health as an integral part of patient-centered care. Now in the second round of funding from the John Templeton Foundation, this multi-year project is intended to develop a model of patient care where the entire healthcare team, including chaplains, works together to address the spiritual needs of each patient.
We believe we are on the front end of a significant shift in how spiritual care is delivered to people who are suffering—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. As part of the project, we are partnering with organizations to develop testable clinical models, and we are expanding our spiritual care education and training for clinicians and chaplains.
While the field of spirituality and health has been emerging for over two decades, because of this initiative, we can now accelerate the growth by conducting research to demonstrate that spiritual care as part of a treatment plan has a positive impact on patient outcomes and well-being.
We’re excited about accumulating data to support what we’ve all been seeing, experiencing, and telling stories about for years, and we express our deepest gratitude to the John Templeton Foundation for their support.
The GWish Project is spearheaded by a dedicated group of interdisciplinary global leaders and supported by multiple organizations in the field of spiritual health:
George Washington University's Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish)
George Washington University
Rush University
Timeline/Goals
The GWish Project, Advancing Spiritual Care in Clinical Practice, was launched in 2022 with an initial 3-year project cycle in an overall 10-year plan. Based on the success of this first phase, the Templeton Foundation has awarded additional support for the second cycle of the GWish Project.
Currently, GWish is in the process of securing matching funding and is open to all contributions—both financial and in-kind. The initiative is estimated to yield a total of $20 million collectively—or approximately $2.0 million per year—through engagement from aligned foundations, universities, medical facilities, related organizations, and individuals who wish to offer monetary or in-kind support.
HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE OUR 10-YEAR VISION:
Create a network of partners—financial donors, in-kind contributors, volunteers, and innovators—to accelerate the growth of spiritual care awareness and availability in all health systems.
Expand the GWish flagship course Interprofessional Spiritual Care Education Curriculum (ISPEC™) to create widespread implementation and teaching at all types of institutions.
Invite clinician/chaplain pairs to conduct demonstration projects consisting of clinical models that can be tested in multiple health settings. Findings will create pathways for future research, grants, and a larger, more standardized implementation of interprofessional spiritual care.
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