Thomas F . Backer, MA, MDiv

As a clinical pastoral educator, he directed Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) programs at the Nebraska Medical Center and CHI Health, where he also chaired the interprofessional Infant Bereavement Committee. He provided clinical pastoral supervision for seminarians, clergy, and lay ministers preparing to become pastors and/or chaplains. His clinical chaplaincy experience includes behavioral health, cardiovascular, hospice, intensive care, medical-surgical, neonatal intensive care, nephrology, neurological sciences, obstetrics and gynecology, perinatal hospice, pediatrics, oncology, post-intensive care, and solid organ transplant patient populations.

In addition to supervising chaplain residents and interns, he has taught undergraduate and graduate medical students, nursing and social work students, lay ministers, and Catholic deacons in formation. He developed and taught a Spirituality and Medicine curriculum for family medicine residents at the UNMC Department of Family Medicine. He teaches adult education classes and occasionally preaches at West Hills Church, where he and his family have worshiped since 1999.

Tom holds a BA in Public Policy from Duke University, an MDiv from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, and an MA in Theology and MILS from Creighton University. He enjoys going to the symphony with his wife, hiking, pickleball, pizza, and relaxing with a good book.