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Services for Inpatients

Spiritual Care Services Department

About Spiritual Care Services

Spiritual Care Services at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital provides patients, their loved ones, and hospital staff with emotional, spiritual and religious support. We are committed to providing compassionate services to people of all faith traditions, with various beliefs, and those with no religious affiliation. An interfaith chaplain is in the hospital Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm and on-call 24/7 for emergencies.

Services We Provide

  • Responding to referrals and patient requests
  • Rounding on units
  • Pre- and post-operative visits as requested
  • Blessings
  • Communion
  • End of Life Rituals
  • Memorial Services
  • Blessing of Hands & Tea for the Soul for staff
  • Bi-weekly groups on the Psychiatry unit and with the Addiction Recovery Program
  • An interfaith chapel open 24/7 (located near the 3rd floor entrance) with sacred texts, resource materials and a prayer book where prayer intentions, hopes and blessings can be written

For Patients and Families

When should I call a chaplain?

  • If you are struggling with the meaning of your illness
  • If you'd like to talk to someone about your faith
  • If you are faced with difficult treatment choices
  • If you would like to request a religious ritual specific to your tradition or situation
  • If you have received difficult news
  • If you are far from home and would like support
  • If you are anticipating surgery
  • If you'd like someone to pray with or bless you
  • If you are grieving a loss
  • If you would like to process feelings of anxiety or fear

For Staff

When should I call a chaplain?

  • If you are dealing with a spiritual issue
  • If you would like someone to pray with you or bless you
  • If you would like information on a patient's religious tradition in order to provide culturally competent care
  • If you have religious or ethical concerns about the work you perform
  • If you would like to arrange a memorial service for a deceased colleague

Staff Bios

Tara Deonauth, M.Div., received her master’s degree at Harvard Divinity School and she completed her clinical training at Boston Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Beverly Hospital and UNC Health Care. She has specialized training in supporting palliative care, psychiatric, pediatric and oncology patients and is certified in dementia care through the Alzheimer’s Association. She also serves as a mediator in Massachusetts courts through the Harvard Mediation Program. Previously, Tara worked as a high school teacher in Lawrence, MA and later as a director of data analytics for an education nonprofit. This mélange of interest and experience, combined with her insatiable love for storytelling, draw her to the field of chaplaincy. At Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital Tara oversees spiritual care services and serves as a member of the Ethics Consult, Palliative Care, Bereavement and Resuscitation Committees and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council.

Linda Skolnik, MAJS, MAJCS, received her master’s degrees in Jewish Studies and Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University, and she completed her clinical training at Hebrew Senior Life and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Prior to joining Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Linda was a Chaplain at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. In this role, she supported palliative care patients throughout the hospital and supported the neonatal intensive care and mother/baby units. Chaplaincy is a second career for Linda. She spent nearly twenty years managing direct service programs for the elderly, mainly in the Jewish community. Linda has a passion for being with patients and their loved ones in their time of struggle, grief and joy, and she brings a creative approach to her practice of spiritual care by integrating blessings, poetry and music. At Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital Linda is a Chaplain, supporting medical/surgical units and the Emergency Department.

Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital


Offering comprehensive medical, surgical and psychiatric care as well as complete emergency, ambulatory and diagnostic services to residents of southwest Boston and the surrounding suburbs.

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