Brothers and Sisters in Healthcare: your thoughts on The HLC and the recent developments.

[BenJepthah]

There are new developments in how The HLC and PVG are being introduced to medical , surgical, and even hospital Chaplain  groups through the efforts of Healthcare providers who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. If you are one of the fraternity of JW healthcare service providers please share your experiences in this endeavor. 

Edited November 6, 2018 by BenJepthah

[Yentle]

We have a wonderful Arrangement here and a Cooperative one so what are the new developments I've been retired with a stroke for a while now so I'm not as in the loop as I used to be

[Miss Bea]

Can you share a bit about what you are talking about? Thanks...

[Old]

"Please sir, may I have more?"

[Miss Bea]

22 minutes ago, Old said:

"Please sir, may I have more?"

Took the words right out of my mouth! 

Sorry about my manners. Sometimes they don’t get up at the same time I do! 

Edited November 6, 2018 by Miss Bea

[nanceebgd46]

Brother David,

  What does PVG stand for?

Thanks...

 

[Tortuga]

7 minutes ago, nanceebgd46 said:

Brother David,

  What does PVG stand for?

Thanks...

 

Patient Visitation Groups.

https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/activities/help-community/comfort-practical-help-serious-illness/#?insight[search_id]=ce2563c6-9a3f-4d4f-9ef2-bd56f37ac376&insight[search_result_index]=0

[nanceebgd46]

Thanks Tortuga,

  I don't know how I missed hearing about Patient Visitation Groups???

I am so glad it was mentioned this morning.  Do the Hospital Liaisons

Committee work in tandem with PVG ?

[Old]

During my wifes recent surgery and somewhat prolonged hospitalization she did not get visited by any PVG. She was registered as a JW and accepted visitors on her registration. There had been an active PVG previously when she previously worked in the bloodless medicine at that hospital.

 She did get visited by hospital chaplains on two different occasions, which gave her the opportunity to witness. She said they were both nice, especially the woman chaplain who I chanced to meet.

[Tortuga]

How many years has PVG been active? I found references to it back in 2002..

[Old]

At one time it was referred to as the Hospital Visitation Committee.  I don't know when the name changed.

[Beggar for the Spirit]

Hi Jerry,

 

I hope your wife is having a good recovery. 

Did your wife have to go out of town for her surgery or was it at a local hospital?

Edited November 6, 2018 by Beggar for the Spirit

[Old]

1 minute ago, Beggar for the Spirit said:

Hi Jerry,

 

I hope your wife is having a good recovery. 

Did your wife have to go out of town for her surgery or was it at a local hospital?

Way out of town, from Newport OR to SWEDISH MEDICAL CENTER in Seattle WA. Let me point out, there are no hard feelings concerning a lack of PVG, it is a very hard job. Requires constant  monitoring of admissions and scheduling time for visitations. In years past I was invited to participate  but I was just not up to it. At that time, in our local hospital Belleview, WA the Chaplin would notify the HVC that a JW had been admitted, that was nice of him. In other hospitals the Chaplains were noted for doing their best to frustate the efforts of the local visitation brothers.

[BLEmom]

My husband is part of PVG.  He has to visit the hospital as his schedule allows. He goes according to the list given by the hospital. However, sometimes people have already checked out, sometimes there are too many for him to visit in his time period. In our area, only one elder has the assignment for the week at one hospital. I am sure there have been times he’s missed visiting someone. Other times he has seen the same patient twice. It’s all in how his schedule jives with who is a patient and their schedule. If for some reason the brother assigned can’t visit that week, sometimes they have another brother fill in but that doesn’t always happen. Just FYI to the brother who’s wife got missed. 😊

[BLEmom]

8 hours ago, nanceebgd46 said:

Thanks Tortuga,

  I don't know how I missed hearing about Patient Visitation Groups???

I am so glad it was mentioned this morning.  Do the Hospital Liaisons

Committee work in tandem with PVG ?

PVG brothers are there to encourage and comfort. While they may ask to make sure the patient has their blood card, all blood issues are handled by HLC. My husband visits, shares a scripture and offers a prayer for the most part. The visits are usually brief, 10-20 minutes depending. I think he spends more time finding his way from one building to another as our hospitals are very complicated. You have to pick the right elevators!

[tekmantwo]

2 hours ago, BLEmom said:

My husband is part of PVG

 

1 hour ago, BLEmom said:

PVG brothers are there to encourage and comfort

That is very loving of your husband to do this but what I really want to say is how very loving and supportive your are of him.

Without you he most likely would not be able to do the things he does.  A loving and supportive wife enables a man to do so much more.

 

I recall a quote from long ago, I think that the sentiment of that quote would apply.

It basically said that men who were able to reach to greater heights could do it only because they were standing on the shoulders of the men that went before them.

 

You are among the great crowd of un lauded Sisters that are greatly appreciated by those who are touched by the Brothers such as your husband. 

 

Thank you for your loving support..

[Meditate!]

2 hours ago, tekmantwo said:

 

That is very loving of your husband to do this but what I really want to say is how very loving and supportive your are of him.

Without you he most likely would not be able to do the things he does.  A loving and supportive wife enables a man to do so much more.

 

I recall a quote from long ago, I think that the sentiment of that quote would apply.

It basically said that men who were able to reach to greater heights could do it only because they were standing on the shoulders of the men that went before them.

 

You are among the great crowd of un lauded Sisters that are greatly appreciated by those who are touched by the Brothers such as your husband. 

 

Thank you for your loving support..

great comment!

 

the often forgotten wives (not meaning the husbands here)

[hatcheckgirl]

Yes, I have to echo tekmantwo in this. When my son was in the Children’s Hospital with a “mystery disease”, we were  so grateful for the brother visiting us. This was many years ago now, but this thread reminded me of the invaluable comfort their visiting brings. 

[BenJepthah]

17 hours ago, Old said:

During my wifes recent surgery and somewhat prolonged hospitalization she did not get visited by any PVG. She was registered as a JW and accepted visitors on her registration. There had been an active PVG previously when she previously worked in the bloodless medicine at that hospital.

 She did get visited by hospital chaplains on two different occasions, which gave her the opportunity to witness. She said they were both nice, especially the woman chaplain who I chanced to meet.

This is common at present and a prime reason for what I started this thread. Medical personnel who are JW have been asked to make contact with the Chaplain services at the facilities they work at along with the various medical disciplines in order to make arrangements for an HLC member to either list the PVG’s with the Chaplains arrangement in the hospitals or to present the medical disciplines with the valuable data and list of consultants the HLC has built and continues to build. My experience as. VA RN is that the Chaplain service at the VA actively wanted contact information for the PVG but didn’t know how to get it.

   I’d like for the friends to understand that when a Chaplain of another denomination visits you in the hospital it is often to determine if you would like a visit from the Pastoral Group of YOUR choosing. It is currently a goal of the HLC that these Chaplain services have the contact information for our PVG Brothers.

[BenJepthah]

On 11/5/2018 at 11:39 PM, BenJepthah said:

There are new developments in how The HLC and PVG are being introduced to medical , surgical, and even hospital Chaplain  groups through the efforts of Healthcare providers who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. If you are one of the fraternity of JW healthcare service providers please share your experiences in this endeavor. 

As of this date I have , As an RN, Christian nfirmed that the Hospital I work at has contact information for the PVG and have forwarded contact information for the Cincinnati HLC to the Cardiology department. One of the principle team leaders was extremely enthusiastic about having the HLC for an inservice. She stated that having such a connection would “ greatly benefit” their service as they often have trouble getting referrals for non blood cases. I , for one , am greatly anticipating the outcome.

[BenJepthah]

1 hour ago, BenJepthah said:

As of this date I have , As an RN, Christian nfirmed that the Hospital I work at has contact information for the PVG and have forwarded contact information for the Cincinnati HLC to the Cardiology department. One of the principle team leaders was extremely enthusiastic about having the HLC for an inservice. She stated that having such a connection would “ greatly benefit” their service as they often have trouble getting referrals for non blood cases. I , for one , am greatly anticipating the outcome.

And NOW : The Chief Medical Resident is Enthusiastic about an HLC corroboration. He Suggested that Surgical Service would also greatly benefit. Brothers and Sisters this is not difficult and is going to be big.

[Old]

On 11/5/2018 at 8:39 PM, BenJepthah said:

There are new developments in how The HLC and PVG are being introduced to medical , surgical, and even hospital Chaplain  groups through the efforts of Healthcare providers who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. If you are one of the fraternity of JW healthcare service providers please share your experiences in this endeavor. 

In what manner are they being introduced?

This sounds more like where we were in 1990. A local HLC brother was telling about meetings set up in hospitals where the various procedures for bloodless medicine and our stand on blood in general were the sole topic of that meeting. I was quite impressed by one thing he told me, when addressing the selected staff do not beg, we are the authority on this topic and we speak with that authority. This was in the early 90s in the Los Angeles area.

[BenJepthah]

12 minutes ago, Old said:

In what manner are they being introduced?

This sounds more like where we were in 1990. A local HLC brother was telling about meetings set up in hospitals where the various procedures for bloodless medicine and our stand on blood in general were the sole topic of that meeting. I was quite impressed by one thing he told me, when addressing the selected staff do not beg, we are the authority on this topic and we speak with that authority. This was in the early 90s in the Los Angeles area.

My part is simple. I already know these people and they have worked with me for years. I simply introduce the fact that I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, ask if they think their service would benefit to access to an up to date database of the most recent scientific journals / studies on the topic of non blood Medical Management and have access when needed to Medical staff who have agreed to be consultants , Drs . Who have had success with patients using techniques for NBMM ? I tell them about the HLC and offer them the contact information for the HLC in their area. I tell them that the goal of the HLC is to improve outcomes for patients using NBMM. And that a Member of the HLC would love to present what they have to offer to their service. 

[Old]

4 minutes ago, BenJepthah said:

My part is simple. I already know these people and they have worked with me for years. I simply introduce the fact that I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, ask if they think their service would benefit to access to an up to date database of the most recent scientific journals / studies on the topic of non blood Medical Management and have access when needed to Medical staff who have agreed to be consultants , Drs . Who have had success with patients using techniques for NBMM ? I tell them about the HLC and offer them the contact information for the HLC in their area. I tell them that the goal of the HLC is to improve outcomes for patients using NBMM. And that a Member of the HLC would love to present what they have to offer to their service. 

Thanks for the explanation. I agree a constant reminder is aprapo. I am sure few of the staff notified in the 90s are still around. Good work, keep it up.

[BenJepthah]

18 minutes ago, Old said:

Thanks for the explanation. I agree a constant reminder is aprapo. I am sure few of the staff notified in the 90s are still around. Good work, keep it up.

Keep in mind . In 1990 we did not have JW.org and the compendium of scientific journals on the subject could not be easily accessed . Nor was their such a large footprint of medical staff agreeing to work with us.