December 2009

DEAR FRIEND OF NYZCCC ,

May this find you well. As we begin our fourth year, we would like to share with you our growth and invite you to deepen your involvement in our work.

The New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care has become the leading organization in NewYork offering Buddhist-based spiritual care and education. Over the past few years we have established multiple partnerships that enable us to continue delivering and expanding our mission, including Beth Israel Medical Center, Visiting Nurse Service of New York Hospice, the Institute for Buddhist Studies and HealthCare Chaplaincy.

While our primary focus is to provide excellent care here in New York, our impact is broadening significantly, both through our training programs (people travel from California to Maine, from Mexico to New Zealand to train with us) and our invited participation and advocacy at national healthcare conferences.

We have also maintained our strong commitment to public education in this field, through “grand rounds” with medical staff, retreats and workshops on subjects including grief and loss, meditation for chronic pain, and contemplative approaches to caregiving.

A few highlights from 2009 include:

FEATURED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES In December, the Times featured our work in the context of health care reform and the importance of spiritual care. In the online version of the story, they featured a montage of photos of our chaplains at work with patients.

FRONT-PAGE PRESS Our work at Beth Israel was featured on the front page of the Los Angeles Times this past June

DOUBLED CHAPLAINCY TRAINING CAPACITY We’re now offering two accredited clinical training programs for professional Buddhist chaplains,increasing our impact

RAISING NATIONAL AWARENESS Invited speakers at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Clinical Team Conference:

• “You practice and remind us of what has been lost in end-of-life care.
• Thank you for reminding us of what is truly important.” Medical Director, NHPO Conference

CREATING COMMUNITY Convened the Center’s Monday night contemplative practice gathering

DEEPENING OUR IMPACT Held our first Contemplative Care Retreat training doctors, nurses, lawyers, social workers and chaplains

NYZCCC’S CUMULATIVE IMPACT

• 10,503 Patients received contemplative care, in the face of death, cancer, AIDS and other illnesses
• 2,967 Staff received spiritual care in hospitals, hospices and prisons
  (doctors, nurses, social workers and officers)
• 2,469 People educated in topics such as death and dying, Buddhist approaches to death, addictions, spirituality and contemplative practices
• 21 Units served by Buddhist Spiritual Care at Beth Israel Hospital

As we move into 2010, we plan to sustain our current offerings, continue expanding our clinical training programs, procure an interim training space (while continuing to work towards our own center) and partner with the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education to create a specialty training in hospice chaplaincy.

In 2010 our focus will be to provide the necessary support for our current programs, while continuing to expand our impact.We have identified two initiatives in particular to help us achieve this.

HOSPICE CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM NYZCCC is proud to announce we’re further expanding our clinical programs by partnering with the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education on a specialized hospice chaplaincy training program. This program will be in development in the first half of 2010 and launch September 2010.

INTERIM SPACE As we continue to grow and strategically plan for our Center, it is imperative to find an interim training space for our staff and students. (As always, any leads or help in finding an appropriate space is most welcome.)

NYZCCC is only possible because of you and your continued support. Our accomplishments, growth and future are all a reflection of your meaningful donations. Each dollar sent uplifts our deepest commitment to help those in need.

Thank you for all you give to NYZCCC.

T H R E E B OWS ,

Koshin Paley Ellison		Robert Chodo Campbell

co-founder and co-president co-founder and co-president