Excerpts from the speeches given by the award winners at the 2026 Catholic Health Assembly:
Dr. Fred Rottnek
Program director, addiction medicine fellowship, at SSM Health, Sister Carol Keehan Award winner
"I imagine most of us are united in believing that thoughts and prayers are good but change in behavior is better. We need to continue to find new ways to step off of our manicured campuses, partner with communities, and deliver care that is messy, less predictable, but deeply gratifying and transformative — for our patients and for ourselves."
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"We also have a proud history of messy and unpredictable in the church. Think of St. Basil and the care of those in fourth century Caesarea with leprosy, often considered the first hospital. Think of the medieval hospitals connected to cathedrals and abbeys, and perhaps most importantly, and the reason we're here tonight, think of the countless women religious who founded our hospitals throughout the United States. Messy and unpredictable was leaven in their bread. It was not the icing on their cake that could get scraped off and set aside when budgets get tight, when funding changes, and when our political climates change."
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"Catholic healthcare must set the healthcare world on fire. If we are to remain relevant, and to thrive in this century, we must be bolder in how we define our mission, in how we reach people and new communities, in the services we offer, and in how our budgets and strategies reflect our values. … And we must be united in that change. Tonight's recognition highlights a few sparks. My hope is that each of you leaves this assembly with at least one of them. So let's engage in some behavior change and let's set the world on fire."
Bonnie Price
Director of the community health — violence response team for Bon Secours Richmond in Virginia, Lifetime Achievement honoree
"One of my role models, Sr. Anne Marie Mack, once told me, she said, 'Bonnie, doing the right thing isn't always popular, but do it anyway.' She's right."
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"I want to also share this award with the violence response team, who's heard some of the most painful and emotionally heavy stories that any healthcare providers could hear, and they just do it with compassion and grace, and it's my honor to walk alongside them."
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"Violence isn't just a criminal justice issue. Violence is a healthcare issue. It affects our patients, it affects their families, our associates, our co-workers, and the communities that we serve. We've got a responsibility to respond and to advocate for those who are suffering."
Sr. Maria Luisa Vera
RSM, retired president of Mercy Ministries of Laredo, Texas, Lifetime Achievement honoree
"I am sure that in this gathering there are hundreds of stories that need to be told, stories that need to be heard, and the reason I say that is because, and I quote, stories have the power to engage the human brain's ability to translate abstract data into emotional, relatable narrative stories that shape our beliefs, drive our actions, and build trust in ways that facts and figures simply cannot."
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"So I want to say thank you to Mercy for nominating me for this award, and thank you to CHA for honoring me with this award. Thank you all for listening to my story, and I want you to go out and be instruments of God's mercy and share your stories with your communities all over the country."
Erica Smith
Executive director of Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach, which won the Achievement Citation
"To those of you from HSHS, Ascension, Mercy Health, PeaceHealth, SSM Health, Avera and Bon Secours Mercy Health, your donations and support give us the supplies and equipment to put in the hands of medical professionals around the world who love their patients and communities as much as we do ours. But it goes further than that, to all of us here. As Catholic healthcare united, we have a unique opportunity, a God-given obligation to serve our world, especially right now. This is our time to lead. Our shared commitment to Catholic social teaching means we care about and for every person, no matter what, especially those who experience poverty and injustice."
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"CHA's global health work in supply chain, workforce equity and environmental sustainability is an integral part of our mission and identity. This isn't just something we do, it is where we came from, and it is who we are as Catholic healthcare and as leaders. Your faith steers our capacity to do this work. You make the decisions that determine how resources will be allocated. You set the strategy and the budgets that guide what Catholic healthcare will or won't accomplish here and globally over the coming years."
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Further reading:
Dr. Fred Rottnek of SSM Health rises to prominence as innovator in caring for those on the margins