Teaming up with local doc to meet a family’s spiritual needs
A letter from a local physician whose experience at AAMC left a lasting impression.
I write this letter of appreciation to the administration and staff at AAMC. One of your patients recently delivered and, being Jewish, scheduled a Bris for her son for the eighth day. Unfortunately, she developed a fever and was re-admitted to AAMC for IV antibiotics.
As the only physician mohel in the Baltimore/Annapolis area, I had been asked to officiate the Bris, which of course includes the circumcision. I know trying to obtain emergency privileges to perform her child’s circumcision would be very difficult or impossible with less than one day’s notice. The family thought that left them with two poor choices: (A) to change the date of the Bris away from the eighth day or (B) keep the eighth day and have her miss her son’s Bris.
The nursing supervisor heard of the dilemma and informed the family that since this was a religious ceremony, not a medical ceremony, it could be done in the hospital chapel with the mother in attendance.
The Bris took place in the chapel on the eighth day. Amy and her family were able to participate and the baby did well.
I want to compliment AAMC, the administration, nurses, and staff for seeing to this family’s physical and spiritual needs. Your hospital is a model that I would hope others would emulate.
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