Our Director

Dale Wratchford holds certifications as a Board Certified Chaplain, Board Certified Clinical Pastoral Education Supervisor, and Certified Clinical Pastoral Psychotherapist.

Currently, he serves as the Manager for the Office of Service and Spiritual Engagement at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, and continues on-call duties at Children’s Hospital Medical Center and CHI Immanuel Hospital in Omaha. He is also actively involved in creating a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program at Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Dale’s journey in chaplaincy began with a CPE residency in pediatric chaplaincy at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas. Over the years, he has contributed his expertise as a chaplain at institutions such as St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital in Houston. His experience extends to the Seton Family of Hospitals, where he served as a Supervisor at Dell Children’s Medical Center and covered hospitals throughout the system.

Notably, Dale assumed the role of Director of Spiritual Care at Indiana University Health La Porte and Starke Counties. Later, he played a pivotal role as the Manager of Spiritual Care at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, where he helped establish the THRIVE peer support and resiliency program.

Dale’s diverse background includes stints as a congregational pastor, hospice chaplain, and on-call trauma chaplain.

Dale holds a Bachelor’s in Theology/Philosophy from Texas Lutheran University, a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Care and Ethics from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Theology in Spiritual Direction from Capstone University, specializing in Spiritual Distress Assessment. Dale’s passion for the intersection between spiritual distress and its impact on health outcomes led him to pursue a Masters in Healthcare Administration at Bellevue University, and his commitment to ongoing education is evident through additional coursework in Social Work at Rutgers University and Medical Ethics at Creighton University and Baylor College of Medicine.

He is a proud member of the American Society for Bioethics and the Humanities (ASBH) and holds the distinction of being the second certified Healthcare Ethics Consultant in Nebraska.

Beyond his professional achievements, Dale is a Certified Therapeutic Musician and has co-authored several articles on the connection between spirituality and health. Outside of his professional pursuits, he enjoys cycling, cheering on the Cubs, and playing the guitar while singing. Dale and his wife, who has also dedicated her career to healthcare, love RV’ing and exploring the Midwest together.