Last February, Adventist Health System presented Tricia Treft, chaplain at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, with the Christian Service Award during its annual Ministries and Mission Conference in Orlando. According to Garry Losey, chaplain at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, “Adventist Health System presents the award to people who have done a lot to honor the place where they work in all that they do. If you asked Tricia, she would just say she was doing her job. But she always does a little extra and goes above and beyond what is necessary.”

“Tricia is a positive influence in the health care ministry of Adventist Midwest Health (AMH) and at the local conference. She has been a model for many of us in being a compassionate and active Seventh-day Adventist Christian, bringing hope and healing to all with her words and action,” said John Rapp, D. Min., AMH vice president for ministries and mission.

Carolyn Strzyzykowski, chaplain, describes Tricia as “one creative and energetic soul who is living out of her compassionate spirit.”

Adventist GlenOaks Hospital chaplain Delora Hagen said, “Tricia has inspired me with her energy that goes along with her caring attitude and compassion. She is willing to go the extra mile to help in the hospitals as well as her church.”

Tricia came to AMH in 1997 after completing her pastoral education residency at Porter Adventist Hospital in Colorado. Born and raised in Colorado, she attended Walla Walla College where she earned a B.A. in Theology and then continued on with her M.Div. at Andrews University. She and her husband Garry, an editorial assistant for Moore Response Marketing, now live in Westmont, Illinois, and are members of the Hinsdale Adventist Church. “During high school, the Lord put a desire for ministry in my heart and I wrote about my high school chaplain. Recently, my mother told me that she always thought I would work in health care because I had been sick as a child.” This combination of interests prepared her to serve as the chaplain of Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital where she has worked since 1999, after serving two years at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital.

Tricia leads the Spiritual Life Committee, coordinates Days of Spiritual Emphasis, and National Day of Prayer events. As part of the Spiritual Life Committee, she plans food collections twice a year at the hospital and works once a month at a community food pantry that serves 100 families per week. All this is in addition to visiting and ministering to patients, families, and employees on a daily basis, including rotating on-call hours.

“When I received the Christian Service Award, I was so touched that they mentioned my husband. Your family is part of your life. They help form who you are as a person,” said Tricia.

Her husband Garry shares in her love of ministering to people. “We bake banana bread together and like to share it with people,” explains Tricia. He also helps with Operation Christmas Child, a program that sends donated shoeboxes filled with gifts to children around the world. “We’ve been involved with that for ten years.”

“The Pastoral Care department at ALMH has a great team. We have a diverse group of people with really positive outlooks,” said Tricia.

Being a chaplain is a blessing and a challenge at times for Tricia. “I enjoy being with patients who let you into their journey. It’s an honor to be with them at meaningful, as well as difficult times, in their lives. Some patients have become like family since I have seen them over the years every time they are hospitalized. I also like ministering to employees. The challenge is there are so many opportunities to help people and only so much time in a day.

“When I’m on-call and the phone rings in the middle of the night, it usually means pain for a family. We chaplains pray that God uses us to give peace in those times. We know we are called for a reason, and we are supposed to be there according to His plan,” she said.

"Some people have questioned me if it’s sad to be a chaplain in a hospital. I don’t think so. There are many holy moments when you see God at work. I pray before I see a patient that I will be at peace with where I am at that moment. There is joy in comforting someone who is anxious and ailing, as well as visiting a lonesome patient who was wishing for a visitor. Being with patients is the most meaningful part of my work.”

God gives Tricia peace, which she in turn shares with others.

Lynn Larson is a public relations specialist for Adventist Midwest Health.