Fall 2003 - Northwestern College

A l u m n p iro f i l eN o r t h w e s t e r n C l a s s i cSoul DoctorChaplain Harry Tysen answers call to hospital ministryIt was 6 p.m. on by Anita Ciru l i sa Friday On his way out the door, he heard hisevening, and pager go off. A 15-passenger van—part of aHarry Tysen ’70 Missouri church group on a mission trip tohad just finishedWyoming—had blown a tire on Interstatea nearly 12-hour70 just west of Salina, causing the vehicle today as chaplainat Salina (Kan.)roll. One person was dead. Several wereRegional Health s e v e rely injure d .C e n t e r.S u d d e n l y, instead of heading home, Ty s e nwas ministering to 40 people who weremembers of the mission team. The gro u pwas too large to fit in the chapel, so he usedone of the hospital’s main conference rooms as a place forthem to gather. Realizing they had nothing to eat, he contactedthe Red Cross, which provided 10 pizzas for the gro u p .And with a few phone calls, he found them lodging for then i g h t .“ H a rry really worked some miracles,” says RandyPeterson, the health center’s chief executive off i c e r. “Thosefolks were overwhelmed by the service and compassion theyre c e i v e d .”Meeting people’s needs—whether physical, emotional orspiritual—is all in a day’s work for Tysen, who is in his 23rdyear as a hospital chaplain at Salina. The degree to which heexcels at that has earned him the love and respect of patientsand staff alike. Tysen, they say, is deeply caring, a wonderf u ll i s t e n e r, non-judgmental and empathetic.“He can relate to anybody. It’s just amazing. But he’s genuine,”says Rex Snavely, a former superv i s o r. “He’s the besth i re I was ever involved in, and I was in human re s o u rces for28 years.”A typical day for Tysen usually starts as early as 6:15 inthe morning with visits to patients scheduled for surg e ry. Heworks most closely with two intensive care units, the mentalhealth unit, and open-heart surg e ry patients and staff .In addition to acting as a liaison between patients, theirfamilies and medical staff, Tysen leads grief support gro u p s ,consults with physicians about patient care, provides workshopsfor the hospital’s residents and serves on its ethics committee.He counsels staff on everything from stress managementto marital problems. He’s “on call” for crises and helpsHaving studied the healing components of laughter, Tysen often incorporates humorinto his work. He will don a clown’s rainbow-colored wig and red nose to help cheerpatients, juggle in the hallways, and cajole patients or staff into joining him inblowing bubbles or singing.1 8 ▲ F a l l 2 0 0 3