Lessons from COVID-19

Cedars-Sinai hosts several healthcare chaplains from a variety of health systems to discuss what they are doing to provide spiritual care in the COVID pandemic, how their practice has changed, and what chaplains should be considering as they adapt their work. We will be joined by Tahara Akmal, chaplain at MedStar Washington and Wendy Cadge of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab.

Introduction by Rabbi Jason Weiner and moderated by Reverend Pam Lazor.

Rabbi Jason Weiner: Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner, BCC, serves as the senior rabbi and director of the Spiritual Care Department at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, where he is responsible for the chaplaincy team and all aspects of spiritual care.

Rev. Pam Lazor: Rev. Pamela Lazor, MDiv, is an ACPE certified educator and serves as manager for the Cedars-Sinai Clinical Pastoral Education Program. She is ordained in the Presbyterian Church in U.S. and is an ACPE-certified educator for clinical pastoral education.

Panelists Include:

Wendy Cadge PhD: Wendy Cadge is Professor of Sociology and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Brandeis University, where she is also Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives. She is an expert in contemporary American religion, especially related to religion in public institutions, religious diversity, religion and immigration, and religious and moral aspects in healthcare.

Chaplain Tahara Akmal: Tahara Akmal is the Clinical Pastoral Education Manager at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. Tahara is an Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) Inc., Certified Educator. She serves as an Adjunct Professor at Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where she teaches in the chaplaincy program. Tahara is also a Visiting Faculty member at Bayan Claremont at Claremont School of Theology in southern California, where she teaches in the Islamic chaplaincy program.

Deb Marin, MD: Dr. Marin has held several leadership positions, including Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry, Medical Director of the Department of Psychiatry, Dean for Clinical Research, and Chief Medical Officer.   At Mount Sinai, Dr. Marin’s research focus has been is in the area of memory disorders. She has been principal investigator in NIH funded grants that have investigated the clinical and biological correlates of normal aging and dementia.  She has published several articles related to these topics.  Dr. Marin’s clinical interests include the treatment of memory disorders and depression.  Dr. Marin’s teaching interests are not only in the area of Psychiatry but also in the area of improving physician patient relationships.