Medicine spurred on by the technological advances of the last half-century, focuses care in terms of curing. Curing is valuable and often desirable, but many illnesses in medicine are not curable but chronic and lifelong. I believe that there is always an opportunity for healing. Healing can be manifested by acceptance of one's situation, by having inner peace and hopefulness. Healthcare providers can help a patient heal by fostering hope and caring for the whole person.
Patients often look to their caregivers for love and compassion.
As a physician, I care for patients in many different healthcare settings. Often, many in a healthcare team are involved in the care of one patient. Each team member is essential and each interacts with patients on that spiritual realm that is the basis of compassionate care. There is no expertise needed to care, no certification needed to demonstrate love and no billing sheet required for being present to another person during their time of need. In terms of inquiring about a patient's spiritual beliefs and whether those beliefs are important to the patient, that could be done by any member of the healthcare team.