A new podcast series from CHA gives viewers deep insights into the spiritual journeys of eight Catholic health care leaders. In the series, called "Inside Out," the executives describe how their spirituality has evolved, key milestones in the formation of their faith, how they nurture their personal growth, and what it means to them to draw on their spirituality in their work in Catholic health care.
CHA has developed resources to accompany the eight podcasts — each one lasts between a half hour and an hour. Anyone can access the audio version of the podcasts on streaming services, while CHA members can access the video version. CHA has produced discussion guides to accompany each podcast. Those guides include a summary of the podcast, discussion questions, prayers and recommended resources. CHA members can access transcripts of the podcasts.
The podcasts and discussion guides are available at chausa.org/insideout.
Darren Henson, CHA senior director of ministry formation, developed the podcast and leads the conversation in each episode. He says CHA designed the podcasts to give insights into how spirituality can support people's roles and leadership in Catholic health care.
Henson notes that spiritual formation was woven into the everyday lives of the men and women religious who founded and initially led Catholic health ministries. Today, most Catholic health systems and facilities are sponsored and led in large part by laity. Normally, those lay men and women lack the high level of exposure to formal spiritual formation on an ongoing basis that the vowed religious who proceeded them had.
"The spiritual lives of lay leaders are necessarily different from those of men and women religious," Henson says. "There can be gaps in the organizational and communal structures that support laity's ongoing spiritual development."
Henson hopes the podcast series will show viewers that there are many ways to nurture spirituality. He hopes the examples will inspire people to think about what spiritual formation practices resonate with them.
"I hope this resource will encourage leaders across the ministry to share more readily about their own spiritual lives and practices," he says. "There is a need to share with one another where we are finding spiritual nourishment, and — as one podcast guest said — how we are experiencing spiritual maturing."
Henson adds he hopes the podcasts also will start conversations about what feeds people spirituality and how people can support one another in their spiritual lives.
The executives featured in the podcasts are:
- Damond Boatwright, president and CEO, Hospital Sisters Health System, Springfield, Illinois
- Tom Bushlack, senior director of CHA's Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health. He formerly was vice president of mission and formation for St. Louis' Mercy system
- Laureen Driscoll, chief executive of Providence St. Joseph Health's South Division, California
- Dr. Mohamad Fakih, chief quality officer, Ascension, St. Louis
- Ron Hamel, past member, SSM Health Ministries and board of directors, SSM Health of St. Louis and a retired senior ethicist at CHA
- Mary Hill, retired chief mission officer, Avera Health, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Ronda Lehman, president of Mercy Health's Lima Market in Ohio, part of Bon Secours Mercy Health
- Kimberly Webb, senior vice president/chief human resources officer, CHRISTUS Health, Irving, Texas
Suggestions for future guests can be sent to dhenson@chausa.org.