By Paul Thomas Moore
of The Catholic Post Online

“In the spirit of Christ and the example of Francis of Assisi, the Mission of OSF HealthCare is to serve persons with the greatest care and love in a community that celebrates the Gift of Life.” – OSF HealthCare Mission Statement

URBANA – OSF HealthCare understands that to serve with the greatest care and love, they need to have skilled medical and support staff and well-equipped facilities.

However, they also understand that human beings do not live “by med alone.”

That’s intrinsic to why OSF HealthCare considers its work to be a ministry, and why pastoral care is such an indispensable part of that ministry.

As well, while devotedly Catholic, OSF HealthCare is not just for Catholics but serves all without distinction, and that applies to how it delivers pastoral care.

SERVING PATIENTS AND MISSION PARTNERS

Paul Bittorf, based in Urbana, is OSF HealthCare’s director of pastoral care. Bittorf describes how his team meets people where they are spiritually: “Many have no faith tradition at all or have lapsed in their faith …. we may be the only person of faith this person has encountered in a long time.”

Paul Bittorf, OSF HealthCare pastoral care director, speaking with Pastor Dave Jassman of the Heart of Mary pastoral care team in Urbana. Provided photo/ Timothy Ditman, OSF HealthCare

Regardless of anything else, Bittorf says, “We are able to show Christ’s love and still explore issues of spirituality with all of our patients and their loved ones as well as our own Mission Partners.”

Relating to people of various backgrounds is made easier by the fact that 60% of the pastoral care staff are non-Catholic (although in accordance with Catholic ethical and religious directives, Bittorf and all of the pastoral care managers are Catholic).

OSF HealthCare’s pastoral care contingent includes 89 professionals spread across 16 hospitals as well as outpatient palliative, home health and hospice care. Coordinating such a widely-dispersed network requires well-honed skills of administration and coordination, which Bittorf’s personal journey has prepared him to provide.

Hailing from the Antigo area in northern Wisconsin, he spent over 25 years as an IT manager – including working for a trade association where he brought together executives from companies such as Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Apple, and Microsoft to work together on standards in the US, Europe and South Africa.

A CHANGE OF DIRECTION

Then came an about face (or perhaps “about faith”?) when Bittorf received a Master of Divinity from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 2010. This was followed by a year of clinical pastoral residency at Elmhurst Hospital.

Bittorf is pleased to answer Sister Judith Ann’s call as a musician for OSF and plays at a variety of leadership development functions. Provided photo/ Timothy Ditman, OSF HealthCare

He became a board certified chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains in 2014.

Among the unofficial credentials Bittorf brings to his role is a love for playing the guitar. He started at age 15 following in the footsteps of his father Fred, who was a member of the regionally well-known Bittorf Brothers Band in Door County.

Paul himself served as a church musician for many years at parishes in Wisconsin and Illinois, including as a youth minister. He is now pleased to answer Sister Judith Ann’s call as a musician for OSF and plays at a various leadership development functions.

Furthermore, in acknowledgement of the harmonious connection that music – the “universal language” – can help to establish between people, he has employed the guitar “when it has been appropriate” as a pastoral care tool. He allows, “I may have gotten into pastoral care so I could bring my guitar to work.”