Senior Clinical Administrative Chaplain
Heart Center and Palliative Care
MDiv, MSW, BCC-PCHAC
Theresa serves as both the Palliative Care Chaplain and the Heart Center Chaplain at Duke University Hospital. With a heartfelt commitment to companioning alongside patients, families, and staff, she addresses complex spiritual, emotional, and existential needs during critical decision-making and life-altering moments. Theresa is dedicated to exploring the intersection of spiritual beliefs and multi-faceted medical decision-making. She leads a groundbreaking Quality Improvement (QI) project, having developed an innovative Palliative Care elective for fellows in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. This QI is designed to bridge the gap between spiritual care and medical practice. She is adjunct member of the Ethics Committee. Theresa is a Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) and Palliative Care Hospice Advanced Certified (PCHAC) chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC). She earned her Master of Divinity from Duke University and her Master of Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill and completed her residency in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Duke.