GWish - George Washington University Institute for Spirituality & Health

Among neuro-oncology patients, ICU recovery settings, high-risk community clinics, and many more innovative applications, GWish Scholars are advancing the integration of spiritual care into routine clinical practice.

Through the GWish Project, interprofessional clinician–chaplain teams develop and evaluate demonstration projects grounded in the Generalist–Specialist model of spiritual care. In this framework, clinicians incorporate spiritual screening and history into standard care, while board-certified chaplains provide comprehensive spiritual assessment and specialized support.

These initiatives contribute to a growing evidence base for spiritual care, examining implementation, outcomes, and scalability across diverse healthcare environments. Findings are shared through an ongoing Learning Collaborative, supporting dissemination of best practices and model refinement.

Collectively, this work advances the field toward recognizing spiritual health as an essential dimension of whole-person care.

Announcing...Applications are Open. We're now accepting applications for the fall ISPEC™ spiritual care training course for clinicians and chaplains. If you feel that addressing spiritual health is an important part of treating the patients you serve, join us livestream on September 24 &25 at ISPEC™.

One clinician, one chaplain at a time, we can impact organizations and healthcare systems to offer this deeply beneficial care to the patients who need it most.

The course will fill up. Please act quickly if you feel called to prioritize spiritual care in your practice and in your institution.

Click through to learn more about the course.

ISPEC™ Training Course Interprofessional Spiritual Care Education Curriculum [ISPEC™]

What’s the next chapter in advancing spiritual care?

Join us tomorrow at 2:00 PM as Transforming Chaplaincy celebrates 10 years of impact—and looks ahead to the future of the field. This conversation brings together voices from across the community to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going.

Our warmest congratulations and appreciation to Transforming Chaplaincy for 10 years of meaningful, transformative work. Register now to be part of what’s next.

Grateful for the incredible turnout at the GWish Breakfast during the AAHPM/HPNA Annual Assembly!

Dr. Christina Puchalski and Chaplain Rick Bauer led a powerful conversation on ISPEC and how our growing community is impacting change in multiple healthcare systems. The focus and compassion in the room were felt by all!

Thank you to everyone who joined the discussion and shares our passion for making spiritual care available for all who need it.

At GWish, we envision a world where spiritual well-being is recognized as a vital part of whole-person care — for patients, caregivers, and communities alike.

Your gift helps grow transformative initiatives that restore meaning, connection, and resilience in health care:

• The GWish Project — advancing a new standard of clinical practice by integrating spiritual care into everyday health care worldwide.
• Reflection Rounds — facilitated small-group sessions that help healthcare professionals renew purpose, practice deep listening, and reduce burnout.
• ISPEC (Interprofessional Spiritual Care Education Curriculum) — innovative training for clinicians and chaplains to bring spiritual care into patient care settings globally.
• GNSAH (Global Network for Spirituality and Health) — a growing global community dedicated to advocacy, collaboration, and compassionate systems of health for all.

With your support, GWish can reach more health professionals, strengthen spiritual care training, and expand compassionate care practices across systems and around the world.

Donor Appeal Where to Donate: You Can Help Bring Heart to Health Care

Around the world, health systems are recognizing that spiritual health is essential to whole person care.

Through the Global Network for Spirituality and Health (GNSAH), GWish brings together clinicians, educators, researchers, and spiritual leaders worldwide to advance spiritual care in clinical practice. Together, we share best practices, promote scholarship, and advocate for integrating spiritual care across health systems — including in resource-limited settings.

Join a global community working to transform how care is delivered. Click through to learn more about GNSAH and how to become a member. Membership is free.

We're excited to share that Dr. Christina Puchalski will be speaking on Day 1 of the Collective Soul Symposium! Join us April 10–11 for transformative discussions on spiritual care in clinical settings.

Chaplain Rick Bauer, BCC and 2019 GWish Award for Excellence in Interprofessional Spiritual Care recipient Marvin Omar Delgado-Guay, MD will also be presenting at the conference.

This virtual event provides CME/CEU credits and meaningful insights for clinicians, chaplains, and healthcare professionals.

🔗 Click below for the full program description & registration.

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We’re pleased to participate once again in the AAHPM / HPNA Hospice and Palliative Care Annual Assembly, taking place March 4–7 at the San Diego Convention Center.

As part of this year’s Assembly, GWish will join colleagues from across the field who are advancing a more comprehensive model of serious illness care—one that recognizes spiritual health as a core dimension of quality, person-centered practice. Through education, research, and clinical integration, GWish is part of a growing movement to raise standards for spiritual health in healthcare.

If you’re attending, we invite you to visit the GWish booth ( #325) in the Exhibit Hall to connect with our team and learn more about our work. We look forward to meaningful conversations throughout the Assembly.

Annual Assembly | AAHPM 2026 Annual Assembly March 4-7, 2026San Diego Convention CenterSan Diego, CA The Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care, presented by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) […]

You're invited to attend Breakfast with GWish at the AAHPM & HPNA Annual Assembly for a thoughtful conversation on integrating spirituality into clinical practice. Join Dr. Christina Puchalski and Chaplain Richard Bauer for a meaningful discussion focused on whole-person care and how ISPEC is impacting clinical practice and entire health settings.

Coming to the conference? We hope you’ll join us for breakfast and an inspiring start to your day!

Thinking about ISPEC but wondering if you can step away to attend?The January ISPEC Training is livestream and fully virtual — and registration is closing soon.

Applications are due by January 20.

Learn live from wherever you are, alongside clinicians and chaplains committed to excellent spiritual care.

📅 January 29–30 ISPEC Training
🔗 Apply before enrollment closes.

ISPEC™ Training Course Interprofessional Spiritual Care Education Curriculum [ISPEC™]

Clinicians and chaplains, if you’ve been thinking about joining our ISPEC Training Course on January 29–30, we’d love for you to join Dr. Christina Puchalski and Chaplain Rick Bauer this Friday for a live Q&A. This informal session is a chance for clinicians and chaplains to connect with us, learn more about the program, and ask any questions you may have. We hope to see you there!

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Free ISPEC Information Session Q&A - Friday, January 9, 2:00PM-3:00PM ET. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Free ISPEC Information Session Q&A - Friday, January 9, 2:00PM-3:00PM ET. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Your Health: A Sacred Matter aired on PBS — and we’re honored that GWish Founder Dr. Christina Puchalski appears throughout the film, including sharing some powerful closing reflections.

This timely documentary explores the deep connections between spirituality, meaning, and whole-person health care — lifting up the voices of clinicians, chaplains, caregivers, and patients who remind us that healing is about more than the body alone.

Dr. Puchalski’s final words in the film speak to the heart of our mission: recognizing the sacred dignity of every person and honoring the spiritual dimension of health and healing.

🎥 Watch the documentary PBS.org and join us in reflecting on how compassion, presence, and spiritual care can truly transform health care.

Your Health: A Sacred Matter Explore how religion, spirituality and health care come together.