Unbinding Grief and Life's Losses for Thriving Recovery after Open Heart Surgery: How Pastoral Care Works in a Managed Care Setting

Managed care seeks to offer optimal quality in an expedient, timely and cost-efficient manner. If pastoral care is to be a participating, interdisciplinary partner in a managed care setting spiritual care needs to be focused, intentional and structured with appropriate clinical outcomes while preserving the compassion and empathy normally expected from chaplains. The following article proposes a model of how to structure pastoral care to Coronary Artery Bypass patients. It suggests that it is necessary to unbind grief and loss which consume and distract energy in order for the patient to be free for ongoing healing.