Leaders of the Center for Spirituality and Health, in front of the “Tree of Blessings,” which holds patient-written prayers

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has created a new Center for Spirituality and Health that will develop clinical, educational, and research activities to enhance the understanding of the role spirituality plays in the prevention of, and recovery from, illness. The Center, which is an outgrowth of the Mount Sinai Health System Department of Spiritual Care and Education, will also lead a variety of initiatives that support religious expression, promote mutual respect, and encourage open dialogue.

“Our goal is to investigate how spirituality and clinical treatment align so we can provide our patients with the best care we can,” says Deborah Marin, MD, the George and Marion Sokolik Blumenthal Professor of Psychiatry, who was named the inaugural Director of the Center. Dr. Marin says that staff, including physicians, nurses, and social workers throughout the Health System, will be trained to understand and support the potential of spirituality in improving a patient’s well-being.

The announcement was made in November during Spiritual Care Week events held on The Mount Sinai Hospital campus. Activities examined how religion and spirituality impact health care and included lectures, interfaith services, a screening of the documentary CHAPLAINS, and recognition of the hospital’s more than 50 dedicated spiritual care volunteers.

Says Rabbi H. Rafael Goldstein, DMin, BCC, Director of Clinical Services, Department of Spiritual Care and Education, Mount Sinai Health System, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry: “We have one of the most culturally diverse patient populations in the nation, and our focus is to integrate spiritual and emotional support into patients’ everyday care.”