Hollywood Visiting Chaplaincy Program (HVCP)

Mission and History of HVCP
Note: We regret to announce that the Hollywood Visiting Chaplaincy Program closed at the end of 2003 and the non-profit organization was dissolved. We are grateful to our chaplains and to those who made this wonderful program possible.

The Hollywood Visiting Chaplaincy Program was created to provide bed-side pastoral visits to long-term care nursing home residents in the Greater Hollywood community. 

Promotion of any particular expression of faith is not a component of this service and the Chaplain does not interfere by word or deed with prescribed medical treatment nor therapy. Visits are private and all information is confidential.

The Hollywood Visiting Chaplaincy Program was developed in response to concern for persons confined in nursing homes for long-term care. Most elderly and disabled in these facilities never receive visitors. Without family or friends many residents are emotionally, socially and spiritually isolated.

Total dependency on busy health care staff makes contact outside the facility difficult or impossible and former communities of faith out of reach. Some nursing homes provide worship services, but many residents are physically unable to attend. Those confined to their beds remain cut off from a potentially vital source of emotional strength, consolation and the very practical health benefits associated with their own sense of spiritual well-being.

This program is directly aimed at the quality of life, health and dignity issues of one of our most economically and physically dependent populations. 

HVCP provides regularly scheduled visits to participating nursing homes residents for the purpose of:

HVCP made over 6000 visits to more than 500 nursing home residents from Spring of 2000 to December of 2003. 

Spiritual Care Providers

Rev. Park, ordained by the Presbyterian Church (USA), received her M. Div. degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey, M.A.R. (Masters of Arts in Religion) in Culture and Personality from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana and M.A./B.A. in Christian Education from Ewha Women's University in Seoul, Korea.

Licensed for the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament, Rev. Park has additional training in counseling, domestic violence and conflict resolution. Reverend Park has served as pastor, counselor, educator, chaplain and program administrator/director in churches, hospitals and community service organizations. She is bilingual in Korean and English. 

Chaplain Mary Bomba earned her Master of Divinity degree from Claremont School of Theology where she received the Edwin and Frances Witman Pastoral Care Award and the Hoyt Hickman Award for Outstanding Liturgical Scholarship and Practice. She is certified by both the Geriatric Pastoral Care Institute and the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. When working for Hospice Services of California, Chaplain Bomba provided spiritual counseling and facilitated the ethics committee.
Along with her work for HVCP, she is offering care and support to patients and families through the Spiritual Care Department at UCLA Medical Center and teaching physicians specifically about geriatric spiritual issues.

Voices from Residents

Supporting Agencies

The Hollywood Visiting Chaplaincy Program thanks those who have supported our work: