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Publications

MAJOR TOPICS IN HEALTH CARE

November-December | Volume 99, Number 6

'Let Us Sing as We Go!' Finding Joy in Ministry

BY: SR. DORIS GOTTEMOELLER, RSM, PhD

Pope Francis gives us the title of this reflection. Near the end of his encyclical on the environment, On Care for Our Common Home, after detailing all the scientific, political, moral and cultural problems that threaten our environment and the challenges

before us in making a response, he says, "Let us sing as we go!" This to me epitomizes the spirit of this papacy. Our leader is a man who understands all the pain and suffering in our world — not only the ecological disaster, but also the refugee crisis, war and terrorism, violence, hunger and disease, and yet his words resonate with joy. The titles of two of his principal writings so far include the word: The Joy of the Gospel and The Joy of Love.

Grow, Partner or Exit-A Mission Discernment Framework_ci

BY: MICHAEL SLUBOWSKI

Because of changes occurring in the health care world, as well as in our social, political and economic environments, the Catholic health care ministry faces challenging decisions regarding ministry repositioning, cost management, customer focus, competitive niches and the size of commitment that can be made to those who are poor and underserved.

Clergy Sexual Abuse and Catholic Health Care_ci

BY: FR. CHARLES BOUCHARD, OP, STD
The Pennsylvania grand jury's August 2018 report on sexual abuse by clergy has exposed anew the church's failure. The exhaustive report documents decades of misconduct and cover-up, names some specific offenders, conceals the names of others and describes in painful detail how hundreds of lives were ruined in the state of Pennsylvania.
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The Global Mission of CHRISTUS Health

BY: JEFFREY PUCKETT, MBA

On June 18, 2018, a cardiac surgical team spent 12 hours saving a 9-year-old girl's life by performing a heart transplant. On display were the skills and faith that such a complex operation requires from patient, family and surgical team. This scene could have occurred in one of hundreds of operating rooms across the United States, but it was taking place in Santiago, Chile, at Hospital Clínico UC CHRISTUS, and it's just one example of what it looks like to work together as an international health care system.
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Building a Better Future for Caregivers

BY: DEBRA A. CANALES AND DEBORAH A. BURTON, PhD, RN
Health care executives and human resource specialists must develop strategic plans that build an engaged caregiving community in light of the need for new skills, shifting venues for care delivery and a shrinking workforce. As the future of health care unfolds with great change and challenge, we are called to be employee-centric, innovative and consistently hopeful.
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Violence in the Workplace: We Aren't OK

BY: LOUANN SEARS BEAN, RN, BSN
"Code Gray!" The announcement over the public address system signaled an out of control, potentially dangerous person on a medical floor in our hospital. As part of a team of staff who are trained to respond to and manage assaultive or disruptive behavior, I arrived on the scene where four security officers were struggling to restrain a mentally ill patient. Amid the chaos, staff explained that the patient suddenly lunged at a staff member, dragging her across the room. Staff and visitors rushed to the sounds of the commotion and managed to free the victim, holding the patient at bay until more help arrived.
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What's on the Minds of Health Care Colleagues?

BY: LAURA MCKINNIS, APNP, TIMOTHY L. GLOVER, MDiv, MARY STARMANN-HARRISON, AND KIMBERLY LEUGERS
In keeping with our focus on major topics in Catholic health care, we asked several people active in the ministry to write about topics that keep them up at night, or occupy their thoughts on their drive into work, or stay top of mind as they move through their day. We thank Timm Glover, Kimberly Leugers, Laura McKinnis and Mary Starmann-Harrison for sharing their thoughts with us.
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Is There a Match.com for Health Care Partnerships?

BY: CAROL BAYLEY, PhD
If you think about the development of health care in the United States, it looks somewhat circular. Before there were hospitals, there were people's homes, with beds and kitchens, where family members who were sick or injured recovered, or didn't. As time went on, hospital buildings — small houses at first, and larger structures with rooms, corridors and operating rooms later — became a more efficient way to take care of the sick, even if "taking care" still largely meant supportive nursing while nature took its course.
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Disruptive Trends Bring Ministry Opportunities

BY: MICHAEL R. PANICOLA, PhD
Disruptive forces are a constant threat to incumbent market-leading companies, products and alliances. For a variety of reasons, most notably the rise of the internet and digital technologies, there has been no shortage of U.S. industries and legacy businesses disrupted since the 1980s. To name a few: Taxi companies have seen their business decimated by ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft; network television stations and cable/satellite TV services have been marginalized by digital distribution outlets such as Netflix and Hulu; stockbrokers and financial advisers have lost significant business to online trading websites like E*Trade and TD Ameritrade; and the hotel industry has been radically altered by the likes of Airbnb and HomeAway.
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Medicaid's Impact Reaches Beyond Health

BY: VIKKI WACHINO, MPP
Stefanie served as full-time caregiver to her husband, James, for more than three years before losing him to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. She lost her health coverage when James passed away, leaving her to deal not just with her grief, but with worry about how to take care of her own health. Enrolling in Medicaid coverage eased her worry: "Life always has a way of throwing us unexpected curveballs," she said. "I am so thankful to have peace of mind when it comes to my own health care until I can get back on my feet."
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Interview With Curt Ward, MD: Clinician Burnout Prompts Medical Education Changes

BY: MARY ANN STEINER
Curt Ward, MD, is a family medicine doctor at St. Vincent Indianapolis, a ministry of Ascension Health. He received his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. In addition to his medical practice, Ward serves as a leader in Ascension's efforts to recognize the problem of burnout among physicians and to address ways to support them in building resilience and wellness. He participated in the early development of the Resident Formation Pilot Group that began in 2012 at three Ascension ministries — St. Vincent's in Indianapolis, St. John's in Detroit and Genesys in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
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Employee Displacement In Catholic Health Care: Are We Unique?

BY: THERESE B. PANDL RN, MN, MBA, FACHE AND MARK REPENSHEK, PhD
Catholic, faith-based, secular, for-profit, private, investor-owned — across the spectrum, health care entities face the same operating discipline: continuously improve workflows, add technology and standardize processes to enhance the value of resources expended on health care delivery. Some might argue that its special attention to the poor and vulnerable puts Catholic health care under extra operating pressure.
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A Reflection: Learning to Live in a Time Of Competing Priorities

BY: LAURA RICHTER, MDiv

Lately I feel there isn't enough time to accomplish my ever-expanding task list. I know I am not alone. Just in the last month, I've experienced several interactions that suggest my company is plentiful.

A colleague decided to block her calendar at lunch to give herself a break from back-to-back meetings. But this was not time she set aside to eat — she wanted dedicated, protected time to spend at her desk in the hopes she could spend less time on her computer at night.