Risevoic
Chaplain
Company : Catholic Health Initiatives
Location : San Bernardino, CA, 92404
Job Type : Full Time
Salary : 32.38-48.17 HOUR
Date Posted : 13 January 2026
Job Summary and Responsibilities
As our Chaplain, you will serve as a vital spiritual leader and compassionate caregiver within our hospital community, providing essential spiritual counseling and support to patients, families, and staff.
Every day, you will provide direct spiritual, religious, and existential care, offering compassionate presence, support, and appropriate rituals to patients, families, and staff, especially during times of crisis or grief. You will collaborate with the healthcare team to advocate for spiritual needs and integrate holistic care, ensuring respect for diverse beliefs.
To be successful in this role, you must be a highly compassionate individual, comfortable and skilled in engaging with people who may be emotional, panicked, stressed, or in pain. You'll need the proven ability to provide empathetic care, adapt to diverse spiritual needs, and communicate effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
- Patient Satisfaction: Is a role model for the Hospital's Patient Satisfaction effort, i.e. demonstrates AIDET principles when interacting with customers, subordinates and colleagues.
- Ensures quality spiritual care integration into culturally competent patient/family care that recognizes the patient's and family's psycho-social-spiritual needs.
- In conjunction with VP of Mission Integration and the Palliative Care Coordinator, develops, implements and maintains comprehensive palliative care processes for patients, families and staff.
- Participates in patient assessment, documentation, consultation and ethical decision making with special emphasis on palliative care patients.
- Assesses pastoral/sacramental needs of patients, families and personnel and make appropriate referrals and/or follow-up as needed
- Responds to all referrals to make a spiritual care assessment; provides appropriate follow-up care and documentation in department and medical records.
- One year experience in hospital chaplaincy (if CPE training was in a non-medical facility)
- Bachelors degree and advanced study in Theology and
- Board Certified Chaplain APC, upon hire
Founded as a faith-based hospital in 1931 by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Dignity Health – St. Bernardine Medical Center is a 342-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in San Bernardino, California. The hospital offers a full complement of services, including the Inland Empire Heart and Vascular Institute, an award-winning orthopedics program, surgical weight loss, and is an official Neurovascular Stroke Center, as designated by ICEMA. The hospital shares a legacy of humankindness with Dignity Health, one of the nation’s five largest health care systems. Visit here https://www.dignityhealth.org/socal/locations/stbernardinemedical for more information.
One Community. One Mission. One California
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Frequently asked questions
Success as a chaplain in San Bernardino's healthcare environment demands deep empathy, active listening, and adaptability to diverse spiritual beliefs. Being comfortable supporting patients and families during crises, while collaborating with medical teams, ensures meaningful spiritual care aligned with holistic healing.
Hospital chaplain roles center on acute care, crisis intervention, and interdisciplinary collaboration, unlike university or military chaplains who may emphasize community building or morale. Hospital chaplains must rapidly assess spiritual needs amid medical emergencies, making their work uniquely intense and patient-focused.
Within faith-based systems such as Catholic Health Initiatives, chaplains can advance into leadership roles like mission integration coordinators or palliative care directors, leveraging clinical experience and theological expertise to influence patient care policies and spiritual program development.
While board certification as a chaplain (APC) is standard, San Bernardino hospitals often value experience in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) with a healthcare focus. Familiarity with culturally competent care and regional community health initiatives can also enhance a chaplain's effectiveness locally.
The Inland Empire area sees moderate demand for hospital chaplains due to its growing healthcare infrastructure. Positions at major centers like St. Bernardine Medical Center attract qualified candidates, but opportunities remain accessible for certified chaplains skilled in multicultural spiritual care.
Catholic Health Initiatives chaplains integrate faith-based principles deeply into patient care, emphasizing spiritual rituals and mission-driven compassion. Unlike secular hospitals, they often collaborate closely with religious leadership and participate in faith-aligned ethical decision-making.
Chaplaincy here acts as a bridge between spiritual care and medical teams, contributing to holistic patient assessments and ethical consultations. They advocate for patients' psycho-social-spiritual needs, enhancing team understanding and patient-centered care approaches.
Hospital chaplains in San Bernardino typically earn between $55,000 and $75,000 annually, with board certification and hospital experience pushing salaries toward the higher end. Specialized skills in palliative care or multicultural counseling can also influence pay positively.
Yes, chaplains at Catholic Health Initiatives often participate in palliative care program development and community spiritual support, extending their role beyond inpatient settings. This engagement strengthens holistic care and fosters sustained connections with patients' families.
Daily duties blend direct spiritual counseling with culturally sensitive rituals tailored to a diverse patient base. Chaplains embody the hospital's humankindness mission through compassionate presence, supporting individuals facing emotional and physical challenges in a busy acute care environment.