Abington Hospital hospice panelists
to appear April 8 at seminary

"How Do We Care for People Receiving Hospice or Palliative Care" is the title of an April 8 event on the seminary campus.

Timothy Wengert

The 80-minute session will feature a panel of Abington Memorial Hospital Home Health Care specialists from diverse faith perspectives. Remarks will also be made by LTSP Professor Timothy Wengert, whose wife Barbara received hospice care before her death from cancer. The panel program will run from 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. Each panelist will give remarks for about 10 minutes. The session will include an opportunity for questions and discussion involving the audience.

The program is intended for current and future ordained leaders, health care professionals connected with congregations and others who are interested. There is no charge for the event and no required registration, but e-mail notices from participants in advance would be helpful in locating the event on the seminary's campus. E-mail Director of Communications Mark Staples at mstaples@Ltsp.edu.

The panelists include: Dr. Maurice Gross, a physician of the Jewish faith, who is the hospital's Hospice Medical Director; the Rev. Judith B. Meckling, an Episcopal rector who is the Chaplain for the hospital's hospice program, and Carmela S. McDowell, a Medical Social Worker in the program who serves her Roman Catholic congregation as a Eucharistic Minister. Also on the panel are Lynn R. Staples, a certified Hospice and Palliative Care nurse who is a parish nurse at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lansdale, PA, and the Rev. Dr. Timothy J. Wengert, the seminary's Ministerium of Pennsylvania Professor of Reformation History and the Confessions.

The event was organized by seminarian Priscilla J. Hukki, who is on a field work assignment with the Abington program. For information contact mark Staples, Director of Communications at 215/248-6311 or via e-mail at mstaples@Ltsp.edu.