In a place where hope and healing intertwine, the Assistant Chaplain serves as a steady presence - offering comfort, spiritual grounding, and compassionate support to patients, families, and staff navigating the emotional landscape of cancer care. With a hear tfor service and a calling to walk alongside others in their most vulnerable moments, this role helps transform clinical care into holistic healing.

Highlands Oncology began in 1996 with three physicians and a desire to change the face of oncology care in our community. Dr. Malcolm Hayward, Dr. Dan Bradford, and Dr. Thad Beck knew that patients do better at home, in the community where they live and work, and where their support system is already in place. In furthering that goal, Highlands has grown with the region from a single location 26 years ago, to 6 locations in Northwest and Northcentral Arkansas today employing more than 800 diverse team members.

As Northwest Arkansas continues to grow, so must the services and providers available in the region. Highlands Oncology is committed to remaining on the cutting edge to ensure our community has access to the very best cancer care. What we have is something quite unique right here in our own backyard with a caring multidisciplinary team focused on treating patients like family.

Job Summary: The Assistant Chaplain provides spiritual and emotional support to patients, families, and healthcare staff, regardless of their faith background. The primary purpose is to offer compassionate, nonjudgemental, support to individuals experiencing illness, stress, grief, or other life challenges. Providing comfort and helping patients and their loved ones find meaning and peace in difficult situations by addressing the spiritual and emotional well-being of all involved in patient care.

Job Duties / Responsibilities:

• Providing Spiritual Support: Offer spiritual and emotional support to patients, families, and staff of various faiths or spiritual backgrounds, respecting diverse beliefs and values.
• Crisis Intervention: Offer immediate support during crises, including trauma, end-of-life situations, and medical emergencies, helping individuals navigate stress and grief.
• Counseling and Emotional Support: Listen actively and provide counsel to help patients and families process emotions related to illness, loss, or challenging medical decisions.
• Facilitating Religious Services and Rituals: Conduct religious or spiritual rituals, prayers, sacraments, or ceremonies upon request by the patient or patient’s family with approval of Spiritual Care Director
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Work with healthcare teams to contribute to holistic patient care, offering insights into the patient’s spiritual needs and values
• Ethical Consultation: Participate in ethical discussions or act as a resource in cases that involve moral or spiritual considerations, providing perspective on patient values and beliefs.
• Documentation and Record-Keeping: Maintain accurate records of interactions with patients and families in compliance with policies and procedures of Highlands Oncology and following privacy and confidentiality standards.
• Educational Support: Educate and train healthcare staff on cultural and spiritual sensitivity, compassionate communication, and stress management, helping foster a supportive healthcare environment.
• Self-Care and Professional Development: Engage in ongoing personal and professional growth, including attending relevant workshops, debriefing, and reflecting on self-care practices to avoid burnout.
• Participate in departmental planning and other meetings as needed or required.
• Respond to all spiritual care requests in a timely manner.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Able to work in emotional and stressful situation
• Highly developed communication skills, both verbal and written
• Able to work independently with little to no supervision
• Knowledgeable in areas of spiritual assessment and death and dying
• Able to demonstrate respect and sensitivity to all faiths, cultures, and backgrounds

Certifications/Licenses/Education/or Experience in a related field:

• Master’s degree in theology, ministry, divinity, or in a related field
• Two units of CPE from DoE accredited institution
• 1 year of experience in healthcare chaplaincy
• Highlands Oncology may determine an equivalency for any of the certifications / licenses / education or experience.

Physical Requirements:

• Sitting for prolonged periods of time at a desk.
• Computer use requiring visual acuity, typing, use of mouse/keyboard, and staring at a screen for extended periods of time.
• Occasionally lifting objects of up to 25 pounds such as files, office supplies, assisting patients when needed, etc.
• Walking and standing for continuous periods around the office or clinic as needed.
• Fine motor skills for tasks like typing, writing, handling small objects or equipment and materials.

Work Environment:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
• Due to the nature of our business and the use of radiation and hazardous chemicals, it is imperative that all employees foster a culture and environment of safety.
• Safety Sensitive: In accordance with Arkansas code this position is designated as a safety sensitive position wherein the employee performing the job duties under the influence may constitute a threat to health or safety

Highlands Oncology offers a full suite of benefits to all full-time employees that includes those pictured below and MANY MORE...

• Certified a Great Place to Work!