From tiny seeds, great forests can bloom. The Baptist Healing Trust grew from seeds planted across the long tradition of loving care at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, TN (founded in 1918). Charitable health care is traditionally grounded on the belief that the provision of healthcare must grow from deep compassion. Because we believe in the humanity and dignity of each human being as created by God, we deem that care must be compassionate in order to be truly healing.

 

In 2001, Baptist Hospital (Nashville, TN) embraced the concept of the Healing Hospital and from that seed the ideals of creating and growing a culture of compassion and healing have grown. These ideals are grounded in the teachings of Jesus and the parable of the Good Samaritan. We uphold the ideal that the offering of compassionate care giving arises from a servant's heart. Those who serve with a servant's heart have a passion to serve, take the extra steps to ensure that people's needs are met, and have a deep commitment to the organization's values, mission, and vision. Finally, we believe compassionate care is best expressed in a continuous chain of light from each caregiver to every patient, in the relationship among caregivers and supervisors and with fellow caregivers, and in care for one's self.

 

Although every charitable organization exists to serve those in need, we believe deep compassion must well from within in order to be shared. Of all of the relationships, caring for self seems the most difficult for most caregivers and yet is so vital to making possible the gifts of healing. We recognize that the work of providing care and serving others daily can be exhausting and challenging work. And we understand that regulations and rules can all too easily dominate the landscape. Standards of care are important, and those we serve expect no less than the best. We believe that the best care is the delivery of care that exceeds all expectation and that is encircled by compassion.

 

It is the hope of the Trust that through careful attention by all caregivers to the ideals of compassionate care, those who are served through charitable agencies of all kinds will experience not only excellence in skill but also the gifts of healing and deep compassion. Through retreats, workshops, team, and individual coaching, the Trust seeks to help reawaken and rekindle the flames of excellent, compassionate care.