Written by Nicole Klassen/Terry Klippenstein
Larry Reimer, the Spiritual Care Coordinator at Boundary Trails Health Centre
The second annual Donation Conversation in support of the Boundary Trails Health Centre Foundation is into the final few weeks of the campaign.
This year, the Foundation hopes to raise $150,000 towards costs in three areas — specialized equipment, as well as the Palliative and Spiritual Care Programs.
“It’s an amazing resource for us to be able to draw from,” says Larry Reimer, the Spiritual Care Coordinator at Boundary Trails. “It means that there [are] funds available for palliative care, for spiritual care, for many different instruments that are purchased to help this hospital do the job they need to do with patients.”
Having taken on his current role during the pandemic, Reimer says the heavier patient load has proven to be a baptism by fire.
What does a typical day look like for a Spiritual Care Coordinator?
“I get in, I go to all the wards, deliver papers to wards so people have reading material. I pick up all my patient lists, as every day I get a new client list. I take those to my office to fill out my list. I actually spend some time getting centered and praying for those people, going out to the rooms and visiting patients. Right now that’s the bulk of it.”
Regarding the nature of his work, Reimer says every patient has a different need.
“Every patient’s in a different spot. So you have to walk in, I wait at the room before I go in. I stand and I listen a little bit to hear what God may want to say to these people. Sometimes it’s just coming to the room, listening, just being there, being a comforting presence to people. Because I’m not necessarily there to proselytize people. I’m there to bring comfort.”
Reimer served as director of Youth for Christ in Altona for seven years. He completed his spiritual care certification at Catherine Booth College in Winnipeg. He left a local pastorate to take his current post at at Boundary Trails. Reimer believes his role is valuable to the community.
“We have such a really faith based community. There are so many churches in town, it’s important to have kind of a liaison between the pastors and the hospital, especially for that lots of people will come into the hospital. Currently, my patient list is about 25 to 30 people, maybe a bit more that I’m overseeing, that I’m able to connect with churches. If they have congregants that are in the hospital, it’s important for them to know that they’re there. For me, just being a presence there, I bring that spiritual component that’s so vital for so many patients.”
The Foundation is also raising funds through a 50/50 raffle, with a current jackpot of over $34,000. The draw is being made December 31st, 2021.
