Health Care Across America
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The Road to Revision: Updated ERDs Set Guidelines for Catholic Care
The Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (ERDs) outline the moral and theological principles guiding Catholic hospitals and health systems in fulfilling their mission of healing. They articulate the Church’s deep convictions about human dignity, the common good and faithful stewardship within the modern practice of medicine. As science and social questions evolve, so too must the guidance that supports the Catholic health ministry.
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Maryland's Total Cost of Care Model Aligns Health Innovation With Mission-Driven Care
A 60-year-old woman living with chronic conditions such as asthma, polymyositis, rheumatoid arthritis and depression sought emergency care due to worsening shortness of breath. Following her discharge from the emergency department, she continued to struggle with her symptoms while also navigating significant barriers to recovery, including food insecurity, lack of transportation and the need for home-based medical support.
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Place Human Dignity at the Center of Health Care Reforms
Health care in America is in need of a transformation. Average costs of care are consistently double those of other developed countries, while outcomes in the U.S. — like life expectancy, infant mortality and chronic disease management — fall short. Access remains a consistent issue with almost 8% of Americans, or 26 million people, without health insurance. Millions more are underinsured, causing them to delay or avoid care altogether.
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Treating Fear: Steps to Help Your Immigrant Patients
First, remember your vocation. Caring for patients is the main thing that doctors, nurses and health care professionals do. Navigating the nuances of immigration policy? Not so much. Unfortunately, immigration enforcement has become highly politicized, impeding the ability of healers to effectively treat their patients and to promote their health. Health care professionals need tools to address the social influencers of health related to immigration enforcement.
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Artificial Intelligence With a Purpose at Providence
At Providence, our commitment to delivering high-quality, mission-driven care guides us in everything we do, including leveraging technology solutions. To help give time back for what matters most — patient care and human connection — we're investing in artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools designed to streamline workflows and simplify day-to-day processes.
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Rallying Around Rural Care: Hospitals Strive to Deliver Accessible Services
Roughly 1 in 5 Americans — more than 60 million in all — live in rural areas across the country. The striking provider disparity between urban and rural areas in America is one key reason why. While urban areas currently average 31 providers per 10,000 people, rural areas have just 13 per 10,000 residents. And while urban areas boast 263 specialists for every 100,000 individuals, rural areas have only 30 specialists available per 100,000 people, according to the National Rural Health Association.
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Accountable Care Organizations Save Billions, But Struggles Remain in the Shift to Value-Based Care
Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are reshaping American health care, cutting billions in costs and improving patient outcomes through a patient-centered, preventive approach. Despite these successes, ACOs are facing growing challenges, prompting calls for reform to help these models achieve their full potential.
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Accessible, Affordable, Beneficial: How Can U.S. Health Care Be Reshaped to Better Serve Patients?
As a cardiologist in the Philadelphia area, Dr. Peter Kowey treated countless patients over the decades for different heart ailments. So, he wasn't surprised when he received a call from one of them. What was surprising was that the patient was asking him about her hip replacement surgery. She was in extraordinary pain and had gone in to see her surgeon for a follow-up appointment.
Departments
Pope Leo XIV - Finding God in Daily Life - Fall 2025
Editor's Note - Fall 2025
BETSY TAYLOR
Ethics - 50 Years Later: The Enduring Legacy of Karen Ann Quinlan Continues to Influence End-of-Life Decisions
BRIAN M. KANE, PhD
Formation - A Sign of Hope, 30 Years Later
DARREN M. HENSON, PhD, STL
Thinking Globally - Why We Need Serenity, Courage and Wisdom Now to Protect Our Most Vulnerable
BRUCE COMPTON and NEERAJ MISTRY, MD
Prayer Service - Faces of Welcome
JILL FISK, MATM, DIRECTOR, and KARLA KEPPEL, MA, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, MISSION SERVICES, CHA
Community Benefit - What's the Point of Doing a Needs Assessment and Improvement Plan if They Don't Lead to Real Change?
STEPHANIE MOXLEY, CAROLINE GAGNE and MADISON THOMPSON
Mission - Weaving Foundational Mission-Related Competencies Into Workplace Expectations
DENNIS GONZALES, PhD, BART RODRIGUES, MDiv, MA, MBA, JOYCE MARKIEWICZ, RN, BSN, MBA, and LAURA CIANFLONE, MA