CELEBRATING EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CATHOLIC HEALTH MINISTRY
Tomorrow's Leaders Program | Sister Carol Keehan Award | Lifetime Achievement Award | Achievement Citation
Tomorrow's Leaders
Honoring young people who will guide our ministry in the future
The Catholic health ministry of tomorrow will depend on strong leadership and passionate commitment to the healing mission. CHA's Tomorrow's Leaders Program encourages the promising young leaders of today to continue their careers in Catholic Health ministry. Each class consists of an impressive cadre of dedicated, high-performing individuals who already have demonstrated commitment to advancing the healing mission.
Honorees will participate in an exclusive leadership formation event in spring 2026 which will bring them face to face with senior leaders from across the ministry. They also will be recognized during the 2026 Catholic Health Assembly in June and receive a complimentary registration to attend. Participation in both events is required.
Nominees for the Tomorrow's Leaders honor must be currently working in a ministry organization and must be age 40 or younger at time of nomination. Three (3) letters of recommendation must accompany an entry for this category, which can be attached during the online submission process (see the SAMPLE nomination form below for further details). The letters must be provided by three (3) additional sources, other than the person submitting the nomination. Nomination in a prior year does not preclude renomination for this or a different CHA Award.
The deadline for nominations has passed. Please join us for the Awards Banquet at Assembly 2026, June 2-4 in St. Louis!
Sister Carol Keehan Award
For boldly championing society's most vulnerable
Created in honor of Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, for her courageous work to ensure everyone — regardless of means, race, religion or creed — has access to quality health care, CHA is pleased to introduce the Sister Carol Keehan Award.
This award will be annually bestowed on someone who advances the healing mission of Jesus by valiantly advocating for a more equitable and compassionate health system. The recipient will have exhibited a deep commitment to social justice and boldly defended the most poor and vulnerable in society. The person will have demonstrated the ability to shape public opinion, influence the work of others, remain steadfast in the face of adversity and courageously champion a cause to further the common good.
The Sister Carol Keehan Award will be presented during the 2026 Catholic Health Assembly in June. The recipient will receive an honorarium and complimentary registration to attend the Assembly 2026. CHA will pay for the recipient’s applicable travel-related expenses to accept the award.
;Nominees may or may not be working in the Catholic health ministry but will have collaborated with ministry organizations or its representatives to advocate for an improved health system. Nominees must be alive and may or may not be retired. Nomination for a different CHA Award does not preclude nomination for this award.
The deadline for nominations has passed. Please join us for the Awards Banquet at Assembly 2026, June 2-4 in St. Louis!
Lifetime Achievement Award
For a lifetime of contributions to the ministry
Catholic health care in the United States has been blessed with faithful leaders whose dedication throughout their careers has built the ministry and ultimately brought care and healing to persons and communities.
CHA's Lifetime Achievement Award annually recognizes someone who has inspired and mentored numerous others in Catholic health care and whose accomplishments, over the course of a career, have strengthened the ministry. Her or his leadership extends past the Catholic health ministry to influence and impact the local community and beyond.
The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented during the 2026 Catholic Health Assembly in June. The recipient will receive an honorarium and complimentary registration to attend the Assembly 2026. CHA will pay for the recipient’s applicable travel-related expenses to accept the award.
Nominees must have spent most of their careers in Catholic health care. Nominees must be alive and may be retired. Nomination in a prior year does not preclude renomination for this or a different CHA Award.
The deadline for nominations has passed. Please join us for the Awards Banquet at Assembly 2026, June 2-4 in St. Louis!
Achievement Citation
For innovative programming that changes lives
Motivated by Christ's call to care for those who are poor, suffering and vulnerable, Catholic health care organizations respond with innovative approaches to the needs of people within and beyond their communities.
Each year, CHA's Achievement Citation recognizes an outstanding program or service that exemplifies the ministry's commitment to carry on Jesus' mission of compassion and healing. The Achievement Citation will be given to a CHA-member organization that is the creator and lead sponsor or partner in an original, bold, innovative program that delivers measurable results for the community served. The program will be selected because it is inspirational for the sponsoring organization, the people it serves, the community and beyond, and it will be available for replication within CHA's membership.
The outstanding program honored with the 2026 Achievement Citation will receive a $10,000 contribution to help further its exceptional work. CHA may produce a brief video documentary about the program to be shown during the 2026 Catholic Health Assembly in June. One representative from the recipient organization will receive complimentary registration to attend Assembly 2026. CHA will pay that representative’s applicable travel-related expenses to accept the award.
Any CHA member organization is eligible to nominate a program, project or service. Persons are not eligible to be nominees nor are past recipients of the Achievement Citation. Nominated programs must have been in existence for at least two (2) years by July 1, 2025. Nomination in a prior year does not preclude renomination for this award.
The deadline for nominations has passed. Please join us for the Awards Banquet at Assembly 2026, June 2-4 in St. Louis!