Welcome from the Spiritual Health
Team at UNMH
The Department of Spiritual Health team cares for patients and families facing life-changing illness, injury, and adjustment, as well as those making end-of-life decisions. Spiritual Health at UNMH is a discipline that embodies an intercultural and holistic approach to health and healing for patients and families. Additionally, it is the intent of the Spiritual Health team to provide trauma informed care based upon current evidenced based practices that affirms patients, families and significant others’ meaningful connections, trauma, losses, coping, needs, hopes, resources and shared intersectionality. The department of Spiritual Health provides staff support and is active in the efforts for employees’ well-being as a significant resource. The unique intersection between spirituality and health care provides full expression for UNMH’s goal of caring for our patients.
Meet our Team
Skip Murphy, D.Min, M.Div, BCC
Director of Spiritual Health
Skip joined UNMH in 2013 as a spiritual health chaplain and became the Director of Spiritual Health in 2020. He is credentialed by the Association of Professional Chaplains and Spiritual Care Association and is endorsed by the American Humanist Society. He is passionate about spiritual health and intercultural care that emphasizes the worth, dignity, and agency in one’s search for meaning and shape to their own lives. Skip seeks to affirm the diversity, equity, and inclusion of all worldviews that assist individuals in meaning making and healing in their lives. Skip has been instrumental in establishing spiritual health at UNMH with a trauma informed care approach.
Jay Sparks, M.Div, BCC
Chaplain II
Jay Joined UNMH in 1995 as a chaplain intern and after receiving his education returned to UNMH in 2006 as a spiritual health chaplain. He is credentialed by the Association of Credentialed Christian Chaplains and Spiritual Care Association and is endorsed by the NAMB of the Southern Baptist Convention. Jay brings significant institutional wisdom to the Spiritual Health team at UNMH. Jay is a lifelong learner and is passionate about trauma informed support for patients, families, and staff. It is rare that a UNMH employee does not know Jay and this speaks to his significant caring and passionate support for all. Jay is the go-to person on the SH team as to how things operate. His dedication to UNMH and everyone involved is off the charts!
Malu Hatton, M.Div, BCC
Chaplain II
Malu joined UNMH in 2016 as a spiritual health chaplain and brings a strong work ethic with professionalism and passion. She is credentialed by the Spiritual Care Association, endorsed by the Texas Baptist General Convention and has been in hospital chaplaincy for many years. Malu is flexible, passionate, and a professional who excels in supporting patients, families, and staff in their meaningful connections. She loves to celebrate the human experience and moments with the spiritual health team, and is the glue that keeps the SH collective team approach humming.
David Martinez, M.Div, BCC
Chaplain II
David joined UNMH in 2021 as a spiritual health chaplain and brings an intercultural and trauma informed approach to patients, families, and staff. He is credentialed by the Spiritual Care Association and has been in hospice and hospital chaplaincy for many years. David is a systems thinker and has supported many projects with the department of Spiritual Health and IT. He has been instrumental in the implementation of communication platforms and data collection for the department of Spiritual Health. David excels in staff support in the education of evidenced based practices and the holistic approach of support by SH.
Jen Dant, D.Min (2025), M.Div, APP-NP, BCC
Chaplain II
Jen joined UNMH in 2023 as a spiritual health chaplain and brings significant institutional healthcare wisdom having been in healthcare for over 30 years. Jen is credentialed by the Association of Professional Chaplains and is endorsed by the Unitarian Universalist Association. Jen has been in hospital chaplaincy for many years and her experiences are grounded in level I trauma informed support, palliative care, and intercultural care approaches. Jen is significantly flexible, solid, and a lifelong learner. She has provided spiritual care in many contexts and hit the ground running. UNMH is blessed, lucky, and fortunate to have Jen to be part of our growing team.
Roger Grugel, JD, M.Div, BCC
Chaplain II
Roger joined UNMH in 2024 as a spiritual health chaplain and brings many years as a healthcare chaplain to the SH team. He is credentialed by the Association of Professional Chaplains and is endorsed by the Unitarian Universalist Association. His experiences are grounded in level 1 trauma support, palliative care, and intercultural care approaches. Roger is a seasoned chaplain who brings significant passionate care to patients, families, and staff at UNMH. He is a lifelong learner, a visionary, and an excellent team member to the SH team at UNMH.
Kelly Gregory, M.Div, BCC
Chaplain II
Kelly joined UNMH in 2024 as a spiritual health chaplain and brings many years as a healthcare chaplain to the SH team. She is credentialed by the Association of Professional Chaplains and is endorsed by the Presbyterian Church of the USA. Kelly’s experiences cover the entire spectrum of care in level I trauma support from end of life care to newborn care. Kelly brings her warm and steady whole self in trauma informed support to patients, families, staff and the spiritual health team. She is a seasoned chaplain, a lifelong learner, and an excellent team member.
Lynn Holloway, M.Div, BCC
Chaplain II
Lynn joined UNMH in 2024 as a spiritual health chaplain and brings many years as a healthcare chaplain to the SH team. She is credentialed by the Association of Professional Chaplains and is endorsed by the United Church of Christ. Lynn’s significant experience reside in trauma support with neuroscience patients and families in addition to her extensive support throughout a level I trauma hospital, women’s and heart hospital, and numerous hospices. Lynn is passionate, thoughtful, and caring in her support to everyone she encounters at UNMH.
Scott Houser, Ph.D, M.Div, BCC
Chaplain II – Palliative Care
Scott joined UNMH in 2024 as a spiritual health chaplain and brings a lifetime of experience and a few years as a palliative care chaplain to the SH team. He is credentialed by the Association of Professional Chaplains and is endorsed by the American Humanist Society. Scott is integrated with the Palliative Care team and has been instrumental in building a cohesive approach with the SH team for our patients, families, and staff. Scott is grounded in narrative chaplaincy support and is a significant provider of trauma informed care. He is a lifelong learner, visionary and an excellent team member at UNMH.
Kaysie Dannemiller, MA, M.Div
Chaplain II – Casual Pool
Kaysie joined UNMH in 2024 as a spiritual health chaplain and brings a lifetime of experience in the mental health discipline and chaplaincy to the SH team. She is credentialed by the Association of Professional Chaplains and is endorsed by the Upaya Zen Center. Kaysie brings a spiritual practice that is grounded in not knowing and is supportive of the human experience in suffering and flourishing. Kaysie is inquisitive, grounded, and an excellent team member to the department of Spiritual Health. She is a lifelong learner and an excellent team member to SH at UNMH.
Antonio Mendoza
Department Secretary
Antonio joined UNMH in 2020 and began his work as an Equipment Logistics Tech in the Medical Intensive Care Unit, followed by supporting Women’s Special Care as the department secretary. Antonio became the part-time departmental secretary for Spiritual Health in 2023, sharing his time with WSC. He is currently working towards his RN degree. Antonio is solid, exceptional, and invaluable in his support to the department of spiritual health. He is passionate, caring, and a significant part of the SH team at UNMH.