Summer 2022 | Volume 103, Number 3
SCOTT KELLEY, PhD, MA, HEC-C and DAVID NANTAIS, DBe
Discernment, a deliberative process long used by Christian religious communities, has been increasingly used in business settings because of its capacity to broaden the discussion beyond technical frameworks that shape business disciplines. At the same time, however, the assumptions and practices that were foundational for religious communities in the past need to be critically reexamined to allow the tradition of discernment to enrich decision-making in contemporary Catholic health care. For this reason, Trinity Health recently updated and revised its framework and guidelines for discernment, helping to further actualize its mission and values in service to the common good.
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SR. DORIS GOTTEMOELLER, RSM
One of the achievements of the post-Vatican II health care systems was to develop the concept of "sponsorship." As long as institutions were founded and owned by dioceses, parishes or religious congregations, and led by priests or religious, their Catholic identity was secure. However, the aggregation of health care institutions into systems, at times involving more than one religious congregation and spanning multiple dioceses, called for a more creative approach. Hence, the idea of sponsorship was born.
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TOM BUSHLACK, PhD, and TOM EDELSTEIN, MAHCM, MBA, MA
At Mercy, the hiring process includes conversations and assessment to determine if candidates have qualities that will make them a good fit for the Catholic health care system. While many employers discuss the workplace culture with candidates, Mercy engages candidates in discussions specific to the system's Catholic identity.
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MARY ANNE SLADICH-LANTZ, MTS, JOHN SHEA, STD, and DARREN M. HENSON, PhD, STL
There is an ongoing appetite for formation programs and experiences, and it never seems to be enough. Participant evaluations of formation offerings consistently express the desire for more opportunities to connect one's work and personal meaning to the mission of the organization.
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LUCAS SWANEPOEL
So much of today's national discourse seems to revolve around politics; not politics in the idea of policies changed or laws created and enforced, but rather, in the sense of it being a sport — one where we cheer our "team," whether Red or Blue, and all else has little value or meaning. It's a sport where we see the "winner" as a validation of our sense of being, rather than as an affirmation of our contribution to making a more fair or just world. In this politically charged environment, CHA remains rooted in its mission, listens to its membership and strives to find common ground by seeking the common good in its health care advocacy work.
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ROB HANSON, MD, PhD
Think back on the best times you had as a teen and young adult.
Now, imagine being that age and hearing the words: "You have cancer."
Patients between the ages of 15 and 30, known in the medical world as adolescents and young adults (AYA), are a distinctively vulnerable population. When a cancer diagnosis suddenly turns their world upside down, this age group needs holistic, life-changing care to meet their unique needs.
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BARTHOLOMEW RODRIGUES, MDiv, MBA, BCC, WILLIAM VAUGHAN, MA, BCC, and
JESSICA MOORE
It has long been recognized that emotional and spiritual care plays an important role in one's well-being. Professionals in spiritual care and chaplaincy services who work in health care settings receive academic preparations and clinical training for this specialized healing ministry. They are a vital part of the health care team who contribute to a patient's overall health and wellness.
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FEATURE
CELESTE DeSCHRYVER MUELLER, DMin
Dear Colleague,
Congratulations! You have been appointed to serve as a mission leader. Your education, formation and experience have equipped you well for this. Through your professional leadership role, you have developed important competencies in ministry, theology and spirituality, as well as expertise in Catholic identity.
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