Sister
Carol Keehan, DC, is the ninth president and chief executive officer of the
Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA). She assumed her duties
as of October 2005. She is responsible for all association operations and leads
CHA's staff at offices in Washington, DC, where she is based, and in St. Louis.
Sister Carol has worked in administrative and governance positions at hospitals
sponsored by the Daughters of Charity for more than 35 years. Most recently,
she was the board chair of Ascension Health's Sacred Heart Health System,
Pensacola, Fla. Previously, she served for 15 years as president and chief
executive officer of Providence Hospital, which includes Carroll Manor Nursing
and Rehabilitation Center, in Washington, DC. In the early 1980s, she served as
Providence Hospital's vice president for nursing, ambulatory care, and
education and training. In addition, she has served in leadership positions at
Sacred Heart Hospital, Cumberland, Md., and Sacred Heart Children's Hospital
and Regional Perinatal Intensive Care Center, Pensacola, Fla.
Sister Carol has held influential roles in the governance of a variety of health care,
insurance, and educational organizations. She is a representative to the
International Federation of Catholic Health Care Associations (AISAC) of the
Pontifical Council for Pastoral Health Care. She serves on the boards of
Catholic Relief Services, Baltimore. She has served on the boards of the
Catholic Health Association of the United States, of which she is a past
chairperson; Catholic Healthcare Partners, Cincinnati; St. Agnes Hospital,
Baltimore; Mercy Health System, Miami; Catholic Healthcare Audit
Network, Clayton, Mo.; and SOAR! (Support Our Aging Religious), Silver Spring,
Md. In addition, she has been a member of several health, labor, and domestic
policy committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,
Washington, DC, and serves on the finance committee of the Archdiocese of
Washington.
Currently Sister Carol serves on the boards of St. John's University, N.Y., and the
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn. She has served on the boards of the
District of Columbia Hospital Association, of which she is a past chair; Care
First/Blue Cross of Maryland and the National Capital Area, Owings Mills, Md., and
its affiliate, Group Hospitalization and Medical Services, Inc. In addition,
she has previously served on the nominating committee of the American Hospital
Association; the finance committee of the Maryland Hospital Association; and is
a past chair of the Florida State Human Rights Advocacy Commission.
Her numerous awards and honors include the American Hospital Association's Trustee
Award; the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (Cross for the Church and Pontiff),
bestowed by Pope Benedict XVI; the American Cardinals' Encouragement Award; the
Medal of Honor and the Monsignor George C. Higgins Labor Advocacy Award from
the Archdiocese of Washington; the Seton Legacy of Charity Medal awarded by The
Daughters of Charity Emmitsburg Province; LCWR 2011 Outstanding Leadership
Award, Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Silver Spring, Md.; the
Elizabeth Ann Seton Award, given by SOAR! (Support Our Aging Religious), Silver
Spring, Md.; the Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Award from Catholic Common Ground
Initiative, New York; the 2009 Vision Award from Catholic Charities USA; the
Friend of Children Award from Children's National Medical Center, Washington,
DC; and named one of TIME magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the
World" in 2010.
Sister Carol received an honorary doctor of laws
degree from Niagara University, N.Y.; an honorary doctorate in public service
from the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass.; an honorary doctorate
from St. John's University, Queens, N.Y.; an honorary doctor of science degree
from The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC; an honorary doctor of
humane letters from Marymount University, Arlington, Va.; and an honorary
doctor of humane letters from DePaul University, Chicago. She earned a bachelor
of science degree in nursing from St. Joseph's College, Emmitsburg, Md., where
she graduated magna cum laude, and a master of science degree in business
administration from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C., from
which she received the School of Business Distinguished Alumna Award in 2000
and was honored in 2009 as "an outstanding alumna who has served others in a
manner that goes beyond what is required by the individual’s job or
profession."