The annual Catholic Health Assembly is the premier gathering of Catholic health care leaders in the United States. This two-and-one-half day convention brings leaders from across the ministry together for learning, networking, celebration and renewal. Keynote speakers feature prominent voices from health care, academia, media, public policy and philanthropy.
True healing—of body, mind and spirit; healing of relationships, communities and societies; healing that brings about justice—this true healing is the mission of the Catholic health ministry. Such transformative healing occurs when there is, as Pope Francis describes, a culture of encounter wherein, “heart speaks to heart.”
Catholic health care organizations are distinguished by this culture of encounter in which heart-to-heart connections happen—between caregiver and patient, between staff and family members, between coworkers. The culture of encounter lives both inside and beyond the walls of the hospital, care center, clinic and system office, and it flows out into the community served. The essence of this culture is respect for the dignity of every human person.