07/14/2025

Dr. L. Mark Hensley

Dr. L. Mark Hensley is the Bereavement Service Manager at VITAS Healthcare. He draws upon many different streams of experiences and training in his work as Bereavement Service Manager. He is ordained Clergy in American Baptist Churches USA as well as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Word and Sacrament; these ecclesiastical endorsements affirm good standing as a Rostered Minister. Hensley’s immersion in clinical pastoral education in the role of Chaplain brings clarity to his spiritual care with patients and families at the end of life. These streams of consciousness converge into being a sought-after Grief Counselor with specialization in Pastoral Thanatology at the American Academy of Grief Counseling.

Hensley holds a B.A. in Organizational Communication from The Ohio State University (1987), a M.T.S. degree from Methodist Theological School (1990), and a D.Min. from United Theological Seminary (2001). Previously, Dr. Hensley was also a Battalion Chaplain in the Ohio Army National Guard; the military provided real-world experiences working across a variety of institutions through the Red Cross. A long-time Board Member of the Better Business Bureau, he sits on the credentialing committee that authorizes BBB endorsements to local businesses.

Since 2012, he has worked intensively with inter-disciplinary teams in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living settings to provide support to Administrators whose sole responsibility is to maintain work staff morale for the good of operations. Dr. Hensley’s core competencies and skill sets make him an invaluable and unique asset in communicating bad news. When not working, Hensley enjoys riding bicycles, listening to oldies but goodies music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, spending time with his daughter, and dreaming about next steps.