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Upstate News

University Hospital appoints spiritual care manager

The Rev. Terry Ruth Culbertson has been appointed University Hospital’s first spiritual care manager. The post will oversee spiritual care programs for patients, their families and caregivers.

An ordained minister in the Church of God, Culbertson is Central New York’s only board certified chaplain in the Association for Professional Chaplains and only one of approximately 1,500 board certified chaplains in the country.

Culbertson formerly served as director of pastoral care with the Interreligious Council of Central New York, a position she held from 1979 to 1987 and again since 1999. She has also served as managing chaplain of the Rosamond Gifford Spiritual Care Center and Crouse Hospital’s Institute for Spirituality & Health, and has served as spiritual care manager at Hospice of Central New York and director of pastoral care at Loretto Geriatric Center.

She has served as course director for spirituality with SUNY Upstate Medical University’s College of Medicine since 2000 and as an adjunct faculty member for SUNY Upstate’s Program in Medical Humanities, Medicine and Society. She has also held adjunct faculty member positions at Harvard Divinity School, Goddard College and Empire State College.

Culbertson received a master degree, magna cum laude, from Drew Theological School and a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Towson State College in Maryland. She completed her chaplaincy internship at Morristown (N.J.) Memorial Hospital and residency at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.

Culbertson has been widely recognized for her accomplishments in the field, winning the Eckerd Drugs’ “Women of Achievement Award” in 2002 and the “Outstanding Local Leader Award” from the Association of Professional Chaplains in 2000, among others.

Culbertson resides on Syracuse’s east side with her husband, Mark Savad, Ph.D., and their daughter, Miriam.