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Health Progress
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Fall 2026The theme of Catholic service to the poor and vulnerable is familiar to us, perhaps so familiar that we can pass over it too quickly. We speak often about service, mission, compassion, dignity, access and care for those most in need. These words rightly belong to Catholic healthcare and to the wider mission of the Church... -
Fall 2026How Do Charisms Animate Our Work? New Times Need New Narratives
I recently visited Nano Nagle Place in Cork, Ireland, a heritage and community center that tells the story of Irish Catholic educator and social reformer Nano Nagle and the origins of the Presentation Sisters, the congregation she founded in 1775. During her lifetime, Nagle, called the "Lady of the Lantern," made nightly visits with her lantern to poor families in Cork and championed education as a path out of poverty. Although she spent most of her life serving as a layperson, she later founded a religious order with an active ministry in education and social reform. -
Fall 2026Sponsors as Co-Laborers: Relationship at the Heart of Meaningful Sponsorship
Many rich metaphors have been offered to describe the role of sponsors in Catholic healthcare, and I want to propose three descriptions, not as replacements for others, but as complementary to them. Viewing the sponsor’s role as vessel, witness and covenant partner allows us to highlight the relational nature of sponsorship roles and the importance of engaged collaboration among sponsors, governing board members and executive teams. -
Fall 2026Disruptive Change: Leadership Lessons Along the Road to Emmaus
The Catholic health ministry in the United States, and perhaps all modern healthcare organizations today, exist within a liminal space. We know change is both required and inevitable, yet we are not completely sure what the Catholic health ministry will look like in the future. -
Fall 2026Formation — Facilitation Inspired by Jazz Improvisation
What, exactly, is being facilitated in a formation experience? Those of us leading formation experiences refer to what we do as facilitation. -
Fall 2026Mission — Well-Being: So That All May Flourish
As leaders in well-being, the Catholic health ministry is called to foster an environment of healing where patients, co-workers and local communities may flourish. Together, we represent a community of nearly 700,000 associates, united by the healing ministry of Jesus and the enduring vision of our foundresses, dedicated to advancing human flourishing. -
Fall 2026Thinking Globally — Catholic Healthcare at a Global Inflection Point
"The pain that moves us to compassion is not the pain of a stranger; it is the pain of a member of our own body ... ." — Pope Leo XIV, Message for the 34th World Day of the Sick, January 2026 -
Summer 2026Mission — The Sound of the Genuine: A Call to Human Dignity
I recently overheard a concerning conversation between two people who disagreed over a news story. Their arguments were valid. They passionately represented differing perspectives. But as their dialogue shifted into debate, curiosity disappeared. They were no longer listening. In that moment, they forgot their relationship was one of deep, personal knowing, and instead, invisible lines were drawn — each assigning a partisan label to the other. Walls rose quickly. Fellowship felt impossible. -
Summer 2026Ethics — The Updated ERDs as Catalyst for Engagement on Medical, Ethical Questions
In the months since the release of the seventh edition of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (ERDs), CHA has engaged with ethicists and mission leaders across the ministry to better understand how these revisions are being received and applied. These conversations revealed something important: The seventh edition's impact lies less in what changed and more in the opportunity it has created for reengagement. -
Summer 2026
Formation — How Experience, Culture and Tradition Shape Catholic Healthcare: The Formation Triangle
Ministry formation weaves together the head and the heart. Through the years, it has developed its own distinctiveness. It differs from education, though drawing on knowledge and information. It also differs from formation in religious communities or parish and diocesan settings. A key distinctive feature is that our work transpires in a pluralistic environment, not exclusive to the community of believers. -
Spring 2026'I Have Loved You': Catholic Health Care's Role in Applying Dilexi Te to Medicaid’s New Community Engagement Requirements
As states and health systems prepare for sweeping changes to Medicaid under legislation that passed last year, including new mandatory “community engagement” (work, education, training and related activities) for many adults outlined in H.R. 1, Catholic health care leaders have a distinctive lens to bring to implementation: the moral vision articulated in Pope Leo XIV’s 2025 apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You). -
Spring 2026National Survey Highlights Trends and Obstacles to Professional Spiritual Care in Catholic Health Environments
In the summer and fall of 2025, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) conducted a survey of those working in professional spiritual care within Catholic health ministries in the United States.
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S7: EP5The Importance of Medical-Legal Partnerships in Healthcare
Health Calls Season 7, Episode 5 explores how medical‑legal partnerships (MLPs) are helping healthcare organizations across the United States address the social and structural factors that impact health. Host Brian Reardon welcomes Dr. Fred Rottnek of SSM Health and Danielle Pelfrey Duryea, JD, of Saint Louis University School of Law to discuss a collaboration that integrates legal professionals into care teams. By addressing issues such as housing instability, Medicaid coverage disputes, guardianship, educational rights, and unsafe living conditions, medical‑legal partnerships help resolve problems that traditional healthcare alone cannot fix. The conversation highlights how these partnerships improve patient well‑being, reduce caregiver burnout, support workforce development, and create opportunities for policy change. Health Calls is available on the following podcast streaming platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTube
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S7: EP4
Business Grants and Community Health
Health Calls Season 7, Episode 4 explores how economic development, entrepreneurship, and community investment can improve health outcomes across the United States. Host Brian Reardon welcomes Shekinah Mitchell, Director of Neighborhood Engagement for Community Health at Bon Secours Richmond, to discuss the innovative SEED (Supporting East End Entrepreneurship Development) program.Rooted in Richmond's East End, SEED helps local entrepreneurs access funding, coaching, and business development resources while addressing long-standing challenges linked to poverty, disinvestment, and health inequities. Mitchell explains how strengthening small businesses creates jobs, builds wealth, revitalizes commercial corridors, and contributes to healthier communities. The conversation also highlights the role of relationship-building, advocacy, and what Mitchell calls "radical imagination" in rethinking healthcare’s responsibility beyond hospital walls. Health Calls is available on the following podcast streaming platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTube
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S7: EP3
Palliative Care as a Value-Driver for Healthcare
Health Calls Season 7, Episode 3 explores why palliative care is both a clinical necessity and a mission imperative for Catholic healthcare systems across the United States. Host Brian Reardon and Executive Producer Josh Matejka welcome Dr. Mark Kantrow, System Medical Director for Palliative Care at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (FMOL), to discuss how palliative care improves outcomes for patients with serious illnesses while supporting families through some of life’s most difficult moments. The conversation challenges common misconceptions that equate palliative care with hospice, emphasizing its role in whole-person care, symptom management, goal setting, and care coordination. Dr. Kantrow explains how interdisciplinary teams, including physicians, nurses, chaplains, and social workers, help align treatment plans with patient values while reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and readmissions. The episode highlights how investing in palliative care advances human dignity, improves patient experiences, strengthens quality outcomes, and reflects the core mission of Catholic healthcare. Health Calls is available on the following podcast streaming platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTube