By DoM Communications | Date published: April 28, 2026
Jessica Zitter and Chaplain Betty Clark to Present at the Annual Howe Endowed Lecture Series
On Thursday, May 7, 2026, the Department of Medicine is pleased to welcome Jessica Zitter, MD, MPH, and Chaplain Betty Clark, MDiv, to campus as featured speakers for the annual Howe Endowed Lecture Series. Dr. Zitter and Chaplain Clark are the subjects of The Chaplain & The Doctor, a documentary film that explores the relationship between physicians and chaplains, highlighting the importance of caring for both body and spirit, honoring patients’ diverse backgrounds, and recognizing the shared human needs that connect us all. In a recent conversation with Dr. Zitter, director of the film, and Chaplain Clark, they shared that the film emerged from years of documenting conversations and insights within palliative care settings.
“Betty and I worked together for a long time, starting in 2011, and over the course of these 15 years, I learned how chaplaincy was really fundamental to the care of patients and how important spiritual healing is,” explained Dr. Zitter. “I started not planning to make a film, I was writing a lot of articles with the material, but in 2018, the project really started to take shape.”
According to Dr. Zitter and Chaplain Clark, chaplaincy is often overlooked in medical settings. In the film, they offer a deeper understanding of the importance of patients’ emotional and spiritual needs, as well as the value of collaboration between physicians and chaplains.
“Chaplains alone, without the conversation with the doctors, can only do so much, but when doctors and chaplains come together, that connection can happen, and that’s what the film for me is about,” explained Chaplain Clark. “It’s about the fact that just alone, walking alone as a chaplain, I can’t do much as I can do walking with a doctor, the collaboration together is what it’s really about.”
In presenting the film to the UMass community, Dr. Zitter and Chaplain Clark hope audiences gain a deeper understanding of how doctors and chaplains can work collaboratively, what it means to work with spiritual care, and the essential role chaplains play in supporting patients.
“What I want people to get out of this film is to understand that the spiritual part of a person and the physical part of the person are the same person,” shared Chaplain Clark. “Sometimes, it’s not so much the body as it is the emotions; it’s not what’s wrong with someone, it’s what happened to them.”
Dr. Zitter also hopes that the film will encourage physicians to better understand and engage with spiritual care, while helping chaplains further recognize their vital role in patient care.
“We are very proud of this film and really think it can make a big impact,” said Dr. Zitter and Chaplain Clark.
Members of the UMass community are invited to attend a special screening of The Chaplain & The Doctor on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the Albert Sherman Auditorium, followed by the annual Howe Endowed Lecture Series on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at noon, held in the Albert Sherman Auditorium and via Zoom, featuring a discussion with Dr. Zitter and Chaplain Clark.
*Please note that attendance for the film screening is not mandatory for the Howe Lecture, but we ask you to please attend both if schedules allow.*