On November 20-21, 2019, representatives for the Strategic Partners for Spiritual Care gathered in Cleveland, OH to continue to explore ideas to formalize their relationships. The strategic partners began dialoguing in early 2018 and provided the Joint Statement conveying the early contours of the discussion. In July 2018 they signed a Memorandum of Understanding, in which they envisioned a formal relationship, such as a federation or trade group, to bolster collaboration and efficiency while maintaining their unique cultures and identities. Each association has a rich culture and history, often intertwined but also unique. While maintaining their distinctiveness, the partners want to align their operations to amplify their voice, increase efficiency, and strengthen their relationships in service of shaping the profession. The April 2019 Progress Report #1 established that "The envisioned entity is being designed to accomplish both outward purposes for common efforts in advocacy, research, and marketing; and inward purposes for collaboration on certification, ethics, and other concerns for mutual benefit." Over the past months, our leaders continued these discussions.

It is well known that patients who experience significant medical illness often draw upon a variety of coping mechanisms, such as spirituality, to adjust to their new life. Laures-Gore et al., recently showed that patients with post-stroke aphasia (a language disorder affecting speaking, listening, reading, and writing) consider spirituality a positive coping mechanism and source of healing. Because spirituality plays a significant role in the aphasia recovery process, it is important to study whether spiritual healthcare providers both in and out of the healthcare system are trained to address spiritual needs in a way that patients with aphasia can comprehend and process. This study seeks to better understand whether spiritual healthcare providers are aware of and trained to communicate with patients who have aphasia.