John M. Pollack, MDiv, BCC
Biosketch
Mr. Pollack is Chief of the Clinical Center’s Department of Spiritual Care. He is a Roman Catholic lay minister who received his Master of Divinity degree from Union Seminary – New York City and completed chaplaincy resident training at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC. He is a board certified through the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. In addition, he serves the wider NIH community as the Chair of the Clinical Center Ethics Committee and as a member of the NIH IRB.
As Chief of the Clinical Center’s Spiritual Care Department, Mr. Pollack manages a group of dedicated chaplains who provide spiritual care for Clinical Center patients and their loved ones as well as for Clinical Center staff. The Department’s philosophy of care is that all persons have a spirit and spiritual concerns. While many express their spirituality through religiously based faith commitments, many also express their spirituality in a variety of other ways. The Spiritual Care Department is committed to serve all regardless of how they express their spiritual or existential concerns.
Among the services the Department offers are one-to-one support for those expressing spiritual need or distress, meeting the religious needs of those from specific faith groups and facilitating debriefing groups for Clinical Center staff as they themselves experience trauma and loss as they provide care. In addition, the Department also provides staff education on such topics as the religious and culture needs of patients who come to the Clinical Center from across the globe, staff self-care and wellbeing and an accredited chaplaincy training program.