History Timeline

1914

First meeting about establishing an organization of Catholic hospitals.

Rev. Charles B. Moulinier, SJ, and 14 Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet met in St. Paul, Minn., to discuss Fr. Moulinier’s idea of establishing an organization of Catholic hospitals. He had perceived the need for a strong and prompt response to the growing public demands that hospitals raise their standards of care. (Photo: Cottage porch in Minneapolis where an association of Catholic hospitals was planned.)

1915

The Catholic Hospital Association is founded.

The Catholic Hospital Association was founded at a meeting April 8, 1915, at Marquette University in Milwaukee convened by Rev. Charles B. Moulinier, SJ, and attended by 35 sisters from congregations dedicated to the hospital apostolate.

1915

The first CHA convention is held in Milwaukee.

The first CHA convention was held in Milwaukee June 24-26, 1915. It was attended by 200 sisters, lay nurses and doctors, representing 43 hospitals in 12 states. A constitution and bylaws for the Catholic Hospital Association were adopted at the convention. Among the new association’s stated purposes was, “To advance the general interests of all hospital work, to encourage the spirit of cooperation and mutual helpfulness among hospital workers, to promote by study, conference, discussion, and publication the thoroughness and correct moral tone and practice of medicine.”

1915

Fr. Moulinier elected first CHA president.

At the first convention of the Catholic Hospital Association, Rev. Charles B. Moulinier, SJ, was elected as the first president of the association, and headquarters were established in Milwaukee.  The 1915 convention also established a summer school for hospital sisters at Marquette University.  The first year, two courses were offered: clinical pathology and radiology.

1916

Sr. M. Esperance Finn, CSJ, elected second vice president of CHA.

Sr. M. Esperance Finn, CSJ, one of the founding members at the 1914 meeting in St. Paul, Minn., was elected as second vice president of CHA. Although CHA was recognized primarily as a “sisters’ organization,” the rules of the sisters’ religious institutes did not allow them to serve as full-time officers of a national organization. (Photo: Sr. Finn standing next to a commemorative granite stone erected in 1931 on the site of the 1914 meeting.)

1918

The association’s name was changed to the Catholic Hospital Association of the United States and Canada.

1920

The first issue of Hospital Progress published.

The first issue of Hospital Progress was published. The 22-member editorial board included 17 physicians. Bernard F. McGrath, MD, CHA’s secretary/treasurer, conceived of the journal and its general thrust and provided the name.

1921

The code of ethics for Catholic hospitals and health care workers is adopted by CHA.

1924

Marquette University opens the nation’s first academic program in hospital administration.

Marquette University opened its Hospital College, the nation’s first academic program in hospital administration. Fr. Moulinier had encouraged the university to initiate the program which also included short courses for women religious who had hospital experience but not the requisite undergraduate degree to pursue graduate studies.

1928

Rev. Alphonse Schwitalla becomes the second president of CHA.

Rev. Alphonse Schwitalla, SJ, dean of the Medical School of St. Louis University, became president of CHA. Fr. Moulinier remained as administrator and moved CHA headquarters to Chicago.

1929

CHA headquarters is moved to St. Louis.

1931

CHA develops the Council on Nursing Education.

At the suggestion of Sr. Berenice Beck, OSF, CHA developed the Council on Nursing Education to evaluate Catholic schools of nursing and vote on issues related to nursing.  Sr. Beck helped establish Marquette University’s College of Nursing and taught nursing courses at the Catholic University of America.

1932

CHA joins with the American Hospital Association and the Protestant Hospital Association to form the Joint Committee of the Three National Hospital Associations.

CHA joined with the American Hospital Association and the Protestant Hospital Association to form the Joint Committee of the Three National Hospital Associations to ensure that federal legislation dealing with hospitals included the voluntary hospitals and that the successful dual system of public and voluntary hospitals be preserved.

1934

The hospital chaplains’ conference is organized.

1937

An undergraduate curriculum in hospital administration is initiated at St. Louis University.

 

1939

The Conference of Bishops’ Representatives is formed to serve as a liaison between episcopal authority and CHA.

(Photo: A meeting of the Conference of Bishops’ Representatives in Chicago, 1946.)

1942

The CHA Administrative Board is developed to coordinate general policy, direct public relations and propose legislation related to health care.

The CHA Administrative Board, composed of the CHA executive board and the executive committee of the bishops’ representatives, was developed to coordinate general policy, direct public relations and propose legislation related to health care. Bishop Karl J. Alter was selected as episcopal chairman.

1946

The Hospital Survey and Construction Act (also known as the Hill-Burton Act) is passed.

The Hospital Survey and Construction Act, better known as the Hill-Burton Act, was passed. The first piece of federal legislation to be conceived and formulated by the U.S. voluntary hospital associations—including CHA—it provided subsidies for the construction of new hospitals based on local need.

1947

Rev. John Joseph Flanagan, SJ is named executive director of CHA.

Bylaw changes approved at the 1947 convention prescribed a one-year term for CHA’s presidency and the establishment of the office of executive director to supervise the association’s central office and be accountable to the administrative board. Rev. John Joseph Flanagan, SJ, the president of Regis College in Denver, was named as executive director of CHA.

1948

CHA is incorporated as a Missouri not-for-profit corporation.

1949

CHA’s code for medical ethics, Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Hospitals is published.

1954

The Catholic Hospital Association of Canada is established, officially separating from the U.S.-based CHA.

1954

CHA’s new central office building is dedicated.

CHA’s new central office building was dedicated. Under the leadership of Fr. John Joseph Flanagan, SJ, the central office had grown rapidly, requiring additional office space.

1956

CHA presents a series of regional conferences.

CHA presented a series of regional conferences on medico-moral problems, canon and civil law issues, and medical education and research in Catholic hospitals and schools of medicine.

1958

CHA to establishes a Department of Continuing Education.

A grant from the Kellogg Foundation enabled CHA to establish a Department of Continuing Education. With 191 faculty members form St. Louis University and CHA, the program sponsored 16 sessions with a total enrollment of 1,156 in 1958-59.

1961

CHA establishes a department of service to nursing homes.

1965

A revision to the CHA bylaws opens the association presidency to sisters for the first time.

A revision to the CHA bylaws opened the association presidency to sisters for the first time. The association’s administrative board and executive board were combined into one board of trustees.

1967

Sr. Mary Brigh Cassidy, OSF, becomes first woman religious to serve as board president.

Sr. Mary Brigh Cassidy, OSF, became the first woman religious to serve as president of CHA, and John A. Bradley, Ph.D., became the first layperson to be elected to the association’s board of trustees.

1968

Rev. Thomas J. Casey, SJ becomes CHA executive director.

A cerebral hemorrhage forced Fr. John Flanagan, SJ, to resign his post as executive director of CHA, after more than 20 years of service. Rev. Thomas J. Casey, SJ, who had served as Fr. Flanagan’s assistant since 1966, followed him as executive director.

1969

CHA’s board approves “Guidelines for Establishing a Department of Religion in a Catholic-Sponsored Hospital.”

1970

Sr. Mary Maurita Sengelaub, RSM, becomes the first woman to be named executive director of CHA.

Sr. Mary Maurita Sengelaub, RSM, is named executive director of CHA. She is the first woman to hold the position. In 1972, her title was changed to executive vice-president and then to president in 1974.

1970

CHA launches Catholic Health Services Leadership Program to help sponsoring groups and their health facilities establish multi-facility health programs.

CHA launched the Catholic Health Services Leadership Program to help sponsoring groups and their health facilities establish multi-facility health programs on a corporate basis. CHA later published a series of nine models that could be used when sponsoring institutes were establishing health systems.

1971

The National Conference of Catholic Bishops alters and approves a revised edition of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Hospitals.

 

1975

CHA creates the Achievement Citation award.

CHA initiated the Achievement Citation to recognize outstanding programs and services that exemplify the ministry’s commitment to carry on Jesus’ mission of compassion and healing.

1976

The Study Committee of the Catholic Health Association is formed to facilitate and evaluate ways that CHA could improve its purpose, mission, and ministry.

The Study Committee of the Catholic Health Association, composed of laypersons, religious and priests, was formed to facilitate and evaluate ways that CHA could improve its purpose, mission, and ministry. The consulting firm Arthur D. Little, Inc., was commissioned to determine how well members’ expectations were being fulfilled and make recommendations for improvement. 

1976

CHA’s office of government services, created in 1973, moves to Washington, D.C.

1977

Sr. Helen Kelley, DC is named president of CHA.

Sr. Helen Kelley, DC, administrator of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Binghampton, N.Y., was named president of CHA, succeeding Sr. Maurita Sengelaub who resigned due to illness. When she assumed the presidency, Sr. Kelley also became chairperson of the Study Committee. When the committee completed its work in 1978, she announced her retirement from the presidency.

1979

John E. Curley becomes CHA’s first lay chief executive officer.

John E. Curley, the executive director of the California Association of Catholic Hospitals, became CHA’s first lay chief executive officer, a position he held until he retired in 1998.

1979

CHA officially changes its name to the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

CHA officially changed its name to the Catholic Health Association of the United States, following one of the recommendations of the Study Committee report.

1980

CHA publishes the Evaluative Criteria for Catholic Health Care Facilities to enable members to evaluate their mission effectiveness.

CHA published the Evaluative Criteria for Catholic Health Care Facilities to enable members to evaluate their mission effectiveness. In their 1981 pastoral letter Health and Health Care, the U.S. bishops cited the Evaluative Criteria as a “commendable” effort because it was designed to draw attention to questions related to Catholic identity.

1981

CHA moves into a new headquarters building on Woodson Road in St. Louis.

1983

CHA board authorizes the first phase of a Study of the Feasibility of Alternative Sponsorship of Catholic Health Care Institutions and Services.

The CHA board authorized the first phase of a Study of the Feasibility of Alternative Sponsorship of Catholic Health Care Institutions and Services, based on one of the recommendations of 1977 Study Committee.  

1984

The title of the association’s journal changes from Hospital Progress to Health Progress.

1984

The Task Force on Health Care of the Poor is established by CHA’s Board of Trustees.

The Task Force on Health Care of the Poor is established by CHA’s Board of Trustees. The task force’s report, No Room in the Marketplace: The Health Care of the Poor, released in 1986, recommended ways for the ministry, the Church as a whole, and the federal government to health address the problems of the nation’s health care poor. The task force favored a long-term strategy that included federally mandated universal health insurance.

1985

The association introduces its newspaper, Catholic Health World, published twice a month.

1986

CHA launches a pilot program to test lay sponsorship of Catholic health care.

CHA launched a pilot program to test lay sponsorship of Catholic health care to clarify the status and options of sponsoring groups under canon law; to help establish proper relationships among the local bishop(s), the sponsoring group, and the health care facility; and to set up a process for the annual review of the sponsor’s stewardship.

1986

CHA establishes Task Force on Long-term Care Policy.

CHA established the Task Force on Long-term Care Policy. Its 1988 report, A Time to Be Old, A Time to Flourish: The Special Needs of the Elderly-at-Risk, described the state of the long-term care system in the United States and recommended federal programs to help finance health care for the aged.

1987

Pope John Paul II addresses a special CHA membership assembly in Phoenix.

1989

CHA publishes the "Social Accountability Budget: A process for Planning and Reporting Community Service in a Time of Fiscal Constraint."

CHA published the Social Accountability Budget: A process for Planning and Reporting Community Service in a Time of Fiscal Constraint. It represented the first step in helping member organizations provide the accounting for social services that critics and Congress sought.

1990

The CHA Board of Trustees endorses “Principles for Systemic Healthcare Reform.”

The CHA Board of Trustees endorsed the “Principles for Systemic Healthcare Reform” as the basis for any systemic reform. The principles were the product of the association’s Catholic Leadership Symposium on Systemic Reform of the National Healthcare System held in late 1989 at Georgetown University.

1991

A high-level CHA task force examines charity care and community benefit standards.

A high-level CHA task force on tax exemption determined that a lack of clear, consistent standards for charity care and community benefit made it difficult to demonstrate Catholic health care’s comprehensive community role.

1991

CHA publishes the book Food for the Journey: Theological Foundations of the Catholic Healthcare Ministry.

CHA published the book Food for the Journey: Theological Foundations of the Catholic Healthcare Ministry by Sr. Juliana Casey, IHM. This theological reflection proved to be one of the most sought-after formation resources over the next two decades.

1991

CHA launches an educational effort for articulating advance directives.

To prepare members for the requirements of the Patient Self-Determination Act, CHA launched a multi-pronged educational effort for member organizations that included effective and understandable forms for articulating advance directives or for assigning responsibility for health care decisions to another party through a durable power of attorney for health care.

1992

The CHA Board adopts the landmark report “Setting Relationships Right: A Working Proposal for Systemic Healthcare Reform.”

The CHA Board of Trustees adopted the landmark report “Setting Relationships Right: A Working Proposal for Systemic Healthcare Reform,” which was the work of the association’s Leadership Task Force on National Health Policy Reform, chaired by Sr. Bernice Coreil, DC.

1992

Board approves statement of CHA standards for community benefit.

Based on the recommendations of a CHA task force on tax exemption, the association’s Board of Trustees approved a statement of CHA standards for community benefit and urged members to adopt them.

1993

CHA Opens Romanian Home for Children

After many construction delays and supply shortages, CHA opened its first residence for disabled children in Romania, the Casa of the Mother of God. The project was funded through CHA’s “Fund for the Nameless Children of Romania.”

1994

Sr. Bernice Coreil, DC, chairperson of CHA’s Leadership Task Force on National Health Policy Reform, addresses a White House gathering.

Sr. Bernice Coreil, DC, chairperson of CHA’s Leadership Task Force on National Health Policy Reform, was one of three representatives of health care providers chosen to address a White House gathering of 200 health care professionals and to introduce President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton.

1994

CHA introduces the leadership competency model “Transformational Leadership for the Healing Ministry: Competencies for the Future.”

At the annual Catholic Health Assembly, CHA introduced the leadership competency model “Transformational Leadership for the Healing Ministry: Competencies for the Future,” the result of a nine-month study conducted by the association in collaboration with DePaul University’s Center for Applied Social Research and Hay McBer.  The research identified that outstanding leaders in Catholic health care shared the same core competencies as outstanding executives in other industries and were distinguished by a deep spirituality and appreciation for positive interpersonal relationships.

1994

CHA holds first official program for sponsors of Catholic health care organizations.

CHA held its first official program for sponsors of Catholic health care organizations to keep them aware of rapid changes in the ministry, processes for creating new forms of sponsorship and relevant canon law.

1994

CHA and six other organizations form National Coalition on Catholic Health Ministry.

CHA and six other leadership organizations united as the National Coalition on Catholic Health Ministry. Other coalition members included the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Catholic Charities USA. In 1995 the coalition issued Catholic Health Ministry in Transition, a Handbook for Responsible Leadership.

1995

Joseph Cardinal Bernardin writes pastoral letter, “A Sign of Hope.”

In his pastoral letter titled “A Sign of Hope,” Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Archbishop of Chicago, proposed a time of “refounding” for Catholic health care when some were talking about “the beginning of the end.”

1995

CHA joins three organizations to form “New Covenant” initiative.

“New Covenant,” a bold, multiphase initiative by three organizations—CHA, the National Coalition on Catholic Health Care Ministry, and Consolidated Catholic Health Care—began with a national convocation in Chicago that brought together 170 Catholic health care leaders. The national meeting was followed by 15 regional and local meetings, working toward the goal of a “refounded ministry” based on commitments to new action strategies for collaboration among Catholic organizations.

1995

First major revision of the Ethical and Religious Directives is published.

The first major revision of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services since 1971 was published. The revised document was divided into six sections, each with an introductory essay on the Scriptural, theological and social dimensions of the section’s theme, followed by specific directives.

1996

CHA publishes "In Their Own Words: An Assessment of Evolving Arrangements by the Sponsors Who Use Them."

CHA published In Their Own Words: An Assessment of Evolving Arrangements by the Sponsors Who Use Them in which women religious gave pros and cons of new sponsorship models and described the soul searching that went into adopting them.

1996

CHA publishes “A Call to Care: The Women Who Built Catholic Health Care in America."

The documentary and companion book, “A Call to Care: The Women Who Built Catholic Health Care in America,” produced by CHA, debuted at the annual Catholic Health Assembly in San Antonio, Texas.

1996

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which CHA had strongly supported, was passed into law.

1997

Congress passes the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which CHA strongly supported.

 

1998

Rev. Michael D. Place, STD, becomes the eighth president and chief executive officer of CHA.

Rev. Michael D. Place, STD, a widely respected theologian and church policy expert, became the eighth president and chief executive officer of CHA. For 14 years, Fr. Place had served Joseph Cardinal Bernardin of Chicago as consul for policy development and as a member of the archbishop’s cabinet.

1998

CHA membership approves new membership categories.

At the annual Catholic Health Assembly, the membership of CHA approved new membership categories to reflect the growing prominence of Catholic health systems, the proliferation of integrated delivery networks and the diversity of health care partnerships.

1999

CHA convenes theologians to explore a need for a theology of sponsorship.

Recognizing a need for a theology of sponsorship, CHA convened a blue-ribbon group of theologians to explore the topic in depth. The work of the Sponsorship of Catholic Ministries Think Tank was published in 2005.

2000

CHA launches “Living Our Promises, Acting on Faith” program.

CHA launched “Living Our Promises, Acting on Faith,” a program to help members measure and demonstrate how well they lived out the constitutive elements of Catholic identity described in the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.

2001

CHA publishes the “Shared Statement of Identity for the Catholic Health Ministry.”

Based on input from Church and ministry leaders and tested through a series of listening sessions and meetings across the country, CHA developed and published the “Shared Statement of Identity for the Catholic Health Ministry.”

2002

CHA initiates annual Rome retreat for executives and trustees.

CHA initiated an annual retreat in Rome for executives and trustees of Catholic health systems. The program included lectures on Catholic tradition and theology, visits to various Vatican offices, a papal audience, and a visit to Assisi. The program continues to be one of the association’s most popular educational offerings.

2002

CHA-commissioned report, “A Commitment to Caring: The Role of Catholic Hospitals in the Health Care Safety Net," is released.

The report of a CHA-commissioned study of community safety nets, “A Commitment to Caring: The Role of Catholic Hospitals in the Health Care Safety Net,” demonstrated that a multitude of services performed by Catholic hospitals had long served as an integral part of community safety nets for vulnerable populations.

2002

CHA launches annual Catholic Health Care Advocacy Days.

CHA launched what would become the annual Catholic Health Care Advocacy Days (now the Catholic Legislative Advocacy Conference), bringing health care leaders from the ministry to Washington, D.C., to meeting with members of Congress and their staffs.

2003

CHA joins with other national organizations in the campaign, “Cover the Uninsured Week.”

CHA joined with other national organizations in the campaign, “Cover the Uninsured Week” sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The campaign was held each year through 2010.
(Photo: A panel presents as Cover the Uninsured Week 2004)

2005

Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, is named CHA's ninth president and chief executive officer.

Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, was named the ninth president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association, the third woman religious to head the association in its 90-year history.  Sr. Keehan had previously served for 15 years as president and chief executive officer of Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C., and board chair of Ascension Health’s Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, Fla. 

2006

Sen. Charles Grassley commends CHA's community benefit guidelines.

In a letter to CHA president and chief executive officer Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance commended CHA’s Guide for Planning and Reporting Community Benefit writing that it “is a valuable resource and should be utilized by all tax-exempt hospitals.”

2006

CHA sponsors conference, “Theological Dialogue on Medically Administered Nutrition and Hydration.”

CHA sponsored a major conference titled “Theological Dialogue on Medically Administered Nutrition and Hydration.” Participants came from Catholic health care organizations and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
(Photo: Fr. Albert S. Moraczewski, OP, PhD, president emeritus, The National Catholic Bioethics Center, and Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, CHA president and chief executive officer, participate in a table discussion at the 2006 CHA-sponsored "Dialogue on Medically Administered Nutrition and Hydration.")

2007

CHA announces overwhelming member adoption of its revised guidelines for community benefit reporting.

CHA announced in a news release that its revised guidelines for community benefit reporting had been adopted by 95 percent of member health systems and 90 percent of member hospitals.

2007

CHA newspaper ad announces over 5.7 billion dollars in community benefit services.

A CHA ad in national newspapers such as USAToday and Our Sunday Visitor announced that Catholic-sponsored not-for-profit hospitals had contributed more than $5.7 billion in services identified as community benefit in the previous fiscal year.

2007

CHA publishes three new resources for sponsors and trustees.

Three new resources for sponsors and trustees were published by CHA: One Vine, Different Branches: Sponsorship and Governance in Catholic Ministries; Core Elements for Leaders of Catholic Ministry: A Reflection Guide; and Personal Development Plan for Leaders in Catholic Ministries: Sponsor-Trustee-Executive.

2007

CHA publishes first issue of Health Care Ethics USA.

CHA added to its bioethical resources for the ministry by assuming editorial responsibility for a quarterly publication, Health Care Ethics USA.

2008

CHA releases “Our Vision for U.S. Health Care,” a set of values-based criteria for a redesigned health care system.

Based on several years of work by a CHA task force, CHA released the document “Our Vision for U.S. Health Care,” a set of values-based criteria for a redesigned health care system. The association also provided member organizations with a detailed guide for hosting community dialogue meetings to build grassroots support for reform.

2009

CHA’s launches “I Can’t Wait” campaign for health reform.

CHA’s “I Can’t Wait” campaign elicited hundreds of photos of people in- and outside Catholic health care holding signs beginning with the words, “I can’t wait…” and completed with their hopes and expectations for health reform. The campaign was featured on ABC Nightly News.

2010

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is signed into law.

Congress passed and President Barak Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law. Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, CHA president and chief executive officer, calls it “a victory for the American people, for the poor, for families struggling to obtain coverage and for the long-term strength of our health care system.”

2010

CHA introduces a new logo and tagline, “A Passionate Voice for Compassionate Care.”

2010

Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, CHA’s president and chief executive officer, named to Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

2011

CHA’s Board of Trustees begins a study of membership criteria.

With several member organizations restructuring, CHA’s Board of Trustees begins a study of membership criteria. The recommendations of the Membership Task Force will go to association members for a vote at the 2015 Catholic Health Assembly.

2011

CHA member organizations donate 10.1 million dollars to support the rebuilding of hospital in Haiti.

CHA member organizations donate $10.1 million to support the rebuilding of St. Francis de Sales Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which was destroyed by the January 2010 earthquake.

2011

CHA convenes first global health care summit.

Following the annual Catholic Health Assembly in June in Atlanta, CHA convenes the first global health care summit, focusing on the ministry’s activities to improve health status in the developing world.

2013

CHA enlists as a charter member of Enroll America.

CHA enlists as a charter member of Enroll America to educate hard-to-reach audiences about eligibility for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act and how to access it.

2013

CHA publishes “Caritas in Communion: Theological Foundations of Catholic Health Care.”

The white paper “Caritas in Communion: Theological Foundations of Catholic Health Care,” authored by theologian M. Therese Lysaught, was published by CHA. The paper was commissioned as part of the association’s membership study.  

2014

CHA announces a new program of sponsor formation in 2015.

CHA announced it will begin offering a program of sponsor formation in 2015. The new program builds upon two formation programs that had been created and operated by groups of Catholic health care providers: the Collaborative Formation Program for Public Juridic Persons that had served seven health systems with PJP sponsorship models, and the Collaborative Sponsor Formation Program that served 12 systems with various sponsorship models.

2014

CHA launches “100 Days of Prayer” social media campaign for the sick and caregivers.

CHA launched “100 Days of Prayer,” a social media campaign in celebration of the association’s centennial. The 100 days began November 3 and will culminated February 11, 2015, World Day of the Sick. Thousands of people signed up at CHA’s website to pray and ask for prayers for persons who are sick and injured and their caregivers.

2015

President Obama Speaks at the 2015 Assembly

On June 9, 2015 President Barack Obama spoke at the Catholic Health Assembly in Washington, D.C. The President told CHA members that it was an honor to join them on their “100th anniversary of bringing hope and healing to so many.” He also thanked CHA for its support of the Affordable Care Act and said that "without your commitment to compassionate care, without your moral force, we would not have succeeded."

2019

Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, named President and CEO

Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, a member of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, is the 10th president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA). She assumed the position in July 2019, succeeding Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, upon her retirement.

2020

We Are Called

In July of 2020 the CHA Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the Catholic health ministry's Confronting Racism by Achieving Health Equity initiative. This initiative, "We Are Called," urged all those in the Catholic health ministry to take immediate action to achieve health equity in COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccination, and work for systemic change for health equity by putting our own house in order, building right and just relationships with our communities and advocating for change to end health disparities and systemic racism.

2023

CHA Adopts New Vision Statement

CHA's vision - We Will Empower Bold Change to Elevate Human Flourishing^SM - complements our mission “to advance the Catholic health ministry of the United States in caring for people and communities.”

With our core values of respect, integrity, stewardship, and excellence, this vision reinforces our commitment to the belief that every person is a treasure, every life a sacred gift, every human being a unity of body, mind, and spirit.

Taken together, our mission, vision and values give us a clarity of purpose, priorities, and principles as we continue to advocate for health policy that leaves no one behind.