Calvary Promotes Debbie Feldman To Vice President
Debbie Feldman
Vice President of Pastoral Care, Bereavement, and Family Care Services
BRONX, NY, August 14, 2020 – Calvary Hospital today announced that effective September 8, 2020, Debbie Feldman is being promoted to Vice President for Pastoral Care, Bereavement, and Family Care Services. Ms. Feldman will be responsible for all clinical programming for patients and families, outside of nursing and medicine.
Pastoral Care employs 27 chaplains and support staff who care for the spiritual needs of patients and families. Calvary’s Clinical Pastoral Education program is the only one in the country that provides extensive hands-on training with patients at the end of life.
Bereavement employs seven experienced counselors and support staff who lead more than 25 free support groups for adults, children, and teens. This department is also responsible for Calvary’s Camp Compass®, a week-long summer day camp for grieving children.
Family Care Services includes a team of social workers and support staff who care for more than 6,000 patients, 200 hospital volunteers, the Family Care Center, Therapeutic Recreation, and Music Therapy.
“Caring for families and non-abandonment is integral to the CalvaryCare® experience. Putting our Pastoral Care and Bereavement departments under Debbie’s experienced leadership will allow us to better serve the many families making this difficult end-of-life journey. As we navigate the post-pandemic environment, patients and families can be confident that there’s no safer place to be than under our care. The world may have changed but the quality of CalvaryCare® never will,” said Frank A. Calamari, President & Chief Executive Officer.
Since joining the Hospital in 1988, Ms. Feldman has served in various positions with increasing responsibilities. In her most recent role as Administrator of Family Care Services, a position which she has held since 2013, Ms. Feldman has been instrumental in:
- Transforming the Family Care Department (formerly Social Work) to better address the needs of families in crisis.
- Creating the FIT (family intervention team) model to effectively mitigate family issues that can quickly spiral out of control in a healthcare setting.
- Establishing the Family Care Center at Calvary’s Bronx campus in 2004, the first facility of its kind in the greater New York metropolitan area.
- Hiring the Hospital’s first canine employee, Banjo, a facility dog who has made a huge difference to many patients, families and employees at the Bronx campus.
Ms. Feldman is a member of numerous professional organizations such as: the National Association of Social Workers; Academy of Certified Social Workers; American Bar Association; and the New York State Bar Association. Her licenses and certifications include: New York State Bar Admission, 2007; Certified Divorce Mediator in accordance with the requirements of the Association for Conflict Resolution, 2006; and Clinical Social Worker, New York, 2005.
Ms. Feldman is a highly sought after speaker at national and local healthcare, social work and legal groups. Her presentations have focused on subjects such as but not limited to: Assessing and Dealing with the Needs of Families in Crisis in a Palliative Care Setting; Psychosocial Intervention with the Terminally Ill and Their Families; DNR vs. Dr. Kevorkian: Are Your Values Against the Law?; and Bereavement in the Health Care Setting.
Ms. Feldman graduated from Union College (Schenectady, NY) with a Bachelor of Science degree, Yeshiva University Wurzweiler School of Social Work with a Master’s in Social Work degree, and the Pace University School of Law, with a Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude. She also obtained an Advanced Clinical Social Work Certificate from Hunter College.
Since 1899, Calvary has been the nation’s only fully accredited acute care specialty hospital devoted exclusively to providing palliative care to adult patients with advanced cancer and other life-limiting illnesses. Each year, thousands of patients receive CalvaryCare® throughout the greater New York area. To learn how Calvary can help you and your family, please visit: www.calvaryhospital.org Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram (handle “calvarycare”).