Nation's most notable presidents exhibited resilience, flexibility, self-control

NEW ORLEANS — It is too early in President Donald Trump's presidency to fully ascertain which character traits will define his leadership style, but he and all leaders can learn from the most revered men who have sat in the Oval Office.

That was a theme of a keynote presentation that presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin delivered here on June 13, the closing day of the Catholic Health Assembly.
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Patrick Kennedy calls ministry to action on mental health

By BETSY TAYLOR

NEW ORLEANS — Just as the United States has rallied its minds and brought together its resources to fight against cancer and HIV/AIDS in recent decades, so too the country needs to focus its efforts to better screen for mental illness and addiction, advance research and effective treatments, and work to promote mental wellness. That was one of the calls from mental health advocate and former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy when he addressed the 2017 Catholic Health Assembly on June 12.
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Avera Health program helps prevent physician burnout, build resilience

By KIM VAN OOSTEN

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Avera Health's LIGHT program is bringing awareness to — and helping clinicians combat — one of the biggest threats to the nation's medical facilities: burnout. For its innovative approach, the program earned CHA's Achievement Citation, an honor bestowed at the 2017 Catholic Health Assembly.
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Cardinal Turkson: Find faith in the mercy of caring for others

By MARY ANN STEINER

NEW ORLEANS — In an address to the Catholic Health Assembly here, Vatican emissary Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson called on the audience of Catholic health ministry leaders to shun the commodification of health care and rediscover the roots of faith in being merciful toward — and caring for — every human person.

Appointed in August 2016 by Pope Francis to serve as prefect for the newly instituted Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Turkson delivered the annual Bishop Sullivan Memorial Lecture.
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StoryCorps' founder shares stories to build connections

By BETSY TAYLOR

NEW ORLEANS — StoryCorps' founder Dave Isay sees an intersection between the work of the Catholic health care ministry and that of his well-known nonprofit that encourages two people to sit down together and record an interview. Sharing stories allows for bridges of care and understanding to be built between people, he said.
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Supreme Court rules hospitals' 'church plans' can qualify for ERISA exemption

By JULIE MINDA

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 5 that pension plans covering employees of faith-based hospitals and other religious organizations can qualify for "church plan" exemption from federal pension regulations including for plan funding, disclosures and reporting.

The unanimous decision is consistent with 30-plus years of determinations by the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation with respect to "church plan" language set out in the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and expanded in a 1980 amendment.

The Supreme Court case, Advocate Health Care Network et al. v. Stapleton et al. was decided together with cases involving ministry members Saint Peter's Healthcare System and Dignity Health.
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