BY: RICHARD J. STATUTO
Mr. Statuto wrote this article in September 2004, a month before stepping
down as the president and CEO of St. Joseph Health System, Orange, CA.
In order for an organization to be committed to change, or to a broader purpose,
that organization must have more than programs and initiatives. The commitment
to cultural change must be ingrained in the words, actions, and beliefs of the
organization and its leaders.
Such is the case with St. Joseph Health System (SJHS). Although we have programs
that reach beyond hospital walls and that encourage the development of our leaders,
these are the realizations and manifestations of our mission and vision — they
are the external examples of an internal commitment.
This commitment has its roots in the year 1650, when the Sisters of St. Joseph
began reaching out to communities in France to see what help they could provide.
The sisters brought this commitment across the Atlantic as they traveled from
France to St. Louis, MO, in 1836; they began their health care ministry in Eureka,
CA, in 1912.
It is that commitment to continue the healing ministry of Jesus that drives
SJHS. It is our relationship with the congregation that has helped us develop
the spirit that carries the culture into every aspect of the system's operations,
be it leadership selection and development, financial decision making, human
resources initiatives, community benefit programming, or mission integration.
Translating Values into Actions
A commitment to respond to the most pressing needs in a community is something
that all Catholic health care providers must sustain, regardless of external
pressures. The SJHS mission inspires us to work to create communities that are
vital and alive. Truly healthy communities arise only when all people living
within them are provided the opportunities and resources to increase their health
and happiness. Examples of SJHS healthy communities initiatives include child
care centers, support for local community centers, programs for at-risk children
and adults, graffiti- and gang-prevention programs, subsidies for low-income
housing projects, shelters for the homeless, and neighborhood-organizing programs.
Among these initiatives are the following:
- The St. Joseph Health System Foundation directs distribution of funds
for the economically poor in the community and for community-building initiatives.
- SJHS's Budget Philosophy is a mechanism intended to increase attention
to areas in system entities that focus specifically on the mission and values
and to monitor ongoing investments in mission-critical areas. Monies are set
aside to fund projects that might otherwise not be included in the operating
budget.
- SJHS's Socially Responsible Investing Policy incorporates social,
ethical, moral, and religious principles in the system's investment decision
making.
- SJHS's Community Investment Loan Fund provides capital in the form
of low-interest loans to not-for-profit organizations, thereby promoting the
development of healthy communities.
Leadership Development
SJHS's heritage of practical, loving service to people and communities requires
deeply committed leaders. It requires an understanding of the theological underpinnings
of Catholic health care and the particular traditions and charism of the Sisters
of St. Joseph of Orange. SJHS has been in the forefront of ministry leadership
development and continues to commit resources to the development of men and
women devoted to the Catholic health ministry.
To that end, SJHS has established its Center for Ministry Leadership, a resource
center that provides programs and services intended to foster the development
of strong communities of leaders. The center's programs — which include executive
orientation, trustee orientation, physician leadership development, and coaching
seminars for executive teams — are designed to strengthen the confidence
and competence of our leadership in carrying the ministry into the future.
The center's first program, begun in 1998, is called "Mission and Mentoring."
A yearlong program, it brings people from across the system together in order
to:
- Increase understanding and appreciation of the history and legacy of the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange
- Increase understanding of the elements of spirituality
- Increase understanding of the importance of integrating SJHS's mission
and values in its daily operations, thereby equipping participants to lead
and support such integration in the system's various entities
The Mission and Mentoring program has enabled more than 500 graduates to develop
mission integration projects in their workplaces; they are often called upon
to act as facilitators for other local initiatives. Educational sessions inspired
by the Mission and Mentoring curriculum are offered to all system employees.
Counting on Our Vision
Catholic health care finds itself in a world of change — changes in technology,
in regulation and law, and in the public's perception of the services it
provides. Couple all that with the changes that SJHS itself faces — in leadership,
for example — and you can see that it could be easy for us to lose our way.
After all, with so much change, what can we count on?
We can count on our roots, on our foundation. The mission of the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Orange remains the mission of SJHS — our determination to bring
people together to provide compassionate care, promote health improvement, and
create healthy communities. These are the elements that will last, the elements
that we can rely on, the elements that will continue to help us remain committed
to cultural change, healing, and hope.
Finally, let me close on a personal note. There is a power and strength in
being a part of the community of Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange and SJHS. This
power, this spirituality, has allowed me to deepen my faith and become a better
leader; a better corporate citizen; and a better spouse, parent, and friend.
Copyright © 2004 by the Catholic Health Association of the United States
For reprint permission, contact Betty Crosby or call (314) 253-3477.