Field Education Placement Detail

If you have already applied for a position, please contact the placement directly instead of Aquinas Institute.
Job Title: Hospice Care: The Fern & Russell F. de Greeff Hospice House
Location: St. Louis
State: Missouri
Date Posted: 2/13/2012 1:12:27 PM
Position Description:
St. Anthony's Medical Center
10024 Kennerly Road
St. Louis, MO 63128
http://www.stanthonysmedcenter.com/healthcareServ/hospice/index.asp


Description:
The Fern & Russell F. de Greeff Hospice House is a 20-patient home where terminally ill persons come to live out the last days, weeks, or months of their lives. Hospice criteria specify that a patient's diagnosis of life expectancy is less than six months.

The original section of the House was constructed 13 years ago with only 10 beds. In February 2006 an addition was opened providing space for ten more beds. The house was constructed as a rambling ranch-type house. There are 20 bedrooms which accommodate overnight guests, two dining rooms for family gatherings or dinners, two living rooms, a fireplace, a library, a kitchen where patients or family members may cook, and a chapel where Mass is celebrated every Sunday and Tuesday.

Patients are diagnosed with a multitude of terminal illnesses. The census can range in age from 25 to 100, and come from all faiths -including Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Jehovah Witness. The staff includes a medical director, a patient care coordinator, nurses, certified nurse assistants, a social worker and two chaplains, as well as support staff.

Aquinas students will be able to experience life and death at this site. Hands on opportunities of pastoral care experiences occur often. Duties would include visits with patients, journeying with them as they make the transition from life to new life, helping them live fully until they die, follow-up bereavement calls with family members after death, participation and facilitation of grief support groups, participation at Masses, and quarterly memorial services. Light reading, theological reflection, informal verbatims, prayer and meditation will be used as student and supervisor walk this journey together.

Requirements:
*PPD test (TB) to be taken and results received by start of SPM sessions.
*Attend orientation session concerning hand hygiene and HIP AA (privacy regulations).
*An open heart and an open mind.
*Comfortable in a health-care environment.
*Compassionate, friendly and loving.
*A willingness to accept patients where they are in their spiritual life.
*Each intern is required to have the Missouri criminal background screening completed with the results received before the semester begins.
*Illinois residents are also required to have the Illinois criminal background screening completed with the results received prior to the start of the semester.

Schedule:
The schedule is flexible from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Number of Positions Available: 1

Past Aquinas Institute Interns at This Site:
Rafal Wasilewski (FA10/SP11)
Donna Zuroweste (FA10)
Br. Jude McPeak, OP (FA09/SP10)


Field Education Supervisor:
Bob Eigenrauch
314-525-4038 work; 314-289-9995 home
rweigenrauch@sbcglobal.net or robert.eigenrauch@samcstl.org
Best Time to Reach: At work during normal hours.

 

Supervisor's Bio/Additional Comments:
Bob Eigenrauch entered into ministry later in life after a 32-year career in graphic art and advertising. In May 2005 he graduated from Aquinas Institute of Theology with a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies degree. He is currently employed at the Fern and Russell F. de Greeff Hospice House on the campus of St. Anthony's Medical Center. There, he journeys daily with patients who are on their final earthly journey. He also provides pastoral care to field hospice patients who are at home or in nursing homes. He facilitates a grief support group at Saint Anthony's two times each month.

He has experienced many losses in his life. Death has played a major role in his life from the time he was just a baby when his mom died to when he was 12 years old when his uncle who was raising Bob died, to the relatively recent death of his aunt who also raised him.

Bob believes these experiences are a large part of what defines him. In between these liminal events, he experienced the death of his biological father, which changed his life, that is, a relationship was healed and, for him, a miracle occurred. He and his father had not been very close for most of Bob's life, but during the 18 months leading to his death they became father and son. Bob believes this miracle, along with other graces and the deaths that peppered his life were signs of God calling him to this ministry along with the voices of his mother and those who left his life too soon telling him to follow, follow. Bob's prayer these days is "lead on, here I am."

Bob Eigenauch's approach to supervision is described as follows:
*A journey together of prayer and openness to the working of the Holy Spirit, expecting and experiencing God's grace at every turn.
*Conversations and discussions concerning experiences.
*Theological Reflection, casual verbatims, and light assignments.
*Participation in every aspect of the ministry site.

February 2012

 
Required Qualifications:

 
Desired Qualifications:

 
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