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As an emergency room physician, Dr. Nicholas Testa saw plenty of pain, suffering and cosmic injustice. "You have moments where you question where is the spirit in this, how is this fair?" he said. But even in the hardest moments, he is apt to think about the many orders of sisters who made grueling treks far from their homes to create hospitals from the ground up. "When I think about what they did with zero money and little support, it reminds me that this hard work is worth it."

Physicians are at the core of what it means to be health care — essential leaders of care teams and clinical initiatives who represent the deep purpose of the organization. They are called to heal, and the practice of medicine is the core of their work. Yet, operational leaders often hear physicians say they feel disconnected from much of the organization's decision-making and strategy discussions. For the Catholic health ministry, this gap is worth exploring, especially to sustain our identity, mission and values, as it represents dissonance in a sense of meaning and purpose.

The Catholic sisters who were the primary founders of health care in the United States — for Providence, the Sisters of Providence and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange — were courageous, pioneering women. They did not hesitate to brave the unknown to serve those in need and be a source of healing and love in the world. When our founding sisters arrived in the American West, it was still a rugged and harsh frontier. Through discernment and determination, they built hospitals, orphanages and schools.

Organizational ethics guides institutional decisions to align them with organizational values and is a fundamental component of institutional integrity. Although these principles dovetail closely with those in compliance, legal, human resources and other areas, it is its own distinct area of work. However, since organizational ethics is still an emerging field, it is often unclear what it actually entails, especially in health care.

In a rapidly evolving health care landscape, almost all health care organizations reported an increased need for regulatory compliance in recent years. To navigate these turbulent waters, a powerful alliance between health care compliance and leadership is not just a choice — it's a necessity.

This past year, CHA introduced a new vision statement: We Will Empower Bold Change to Elevate Human Flourishing. It's an aspirational call to each of us in the Catholic health ministry. With just nine words, CHA's vision statement makes it clear that the health systems of tomorrow must be innovative and courageous, while embracing a mandate to further extend ourselves into all aspects of human flourishing.

In Catholic health care, leadership includes a deep understanding of Catholic identity and a pledge to thoughtfully steward organizations to emulate the healing mission of Jesus.