Catholic Health World - March 2025 by Catholic Health Association

‘MAGICAL CONNECTION’

Equine-assisted therapy program impacts young lives

By NANCY FOWLER

The setting for physical, occupational or speech therapy is typically a clinical environment — not an outdoor, fenced-in area. But that’s where children in Kodiak, Alaska, receive therapy every summer with the help of 1,000-pound assistants sporting glossy coats. It’s called hippotherapy, a practice

Our Lady of the Lake Health’s Community Impact Center provides space for nonprofits

By VALERIE SCHREMP HAHN

The nonprofits sharing space at Our Lady of the Lake Health’s Community Impact Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, are celebrating the best kind of officemate situation: one that happened organically and over time.

The building opened years ago as a day center for older adults but that program ended. Now, it houses the office of Our Lady of the Lake Health’s director for community impact, Monique Marino, and the offices of the leaders of about a dozen nonprofit organizations. Most of them moved in last year.

in which horses or ponies are part of the treatment. Hippotherapy helps people with issues including those involving neurological function, cognition and muscle tone, says Amy Stohl, an occupational therapist at Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center. The hospital is part of Providence St. Joseph Health, which helps support Kodiak’s Therapeutic Riding and Equine Assisted

Continued on 8

Proposals for drastic Medicaid cuts worry providers across Catholic health care

By LISA EISENHAUER

Ryan Cross would like the people behind budget proposals that call for drastic cuts to Medicaid to visit Our Lady of the Angels Hospital in Bogalusa, Louisiana.

The 66-bed hospital serves a community of about 10,000 and its rural surroundings with acute, emergency and specialty care that includes labor and delivery and pediatrics. The next closest hospital with similar services is 45 miles away. With 450 staffers, it is one of the largest employers in its parish. Of the patients the hospital treats, about 44% rely on Medicaid for coverage

The federal government paid 69% ($606 billion) and states paid 31% ($274 billion) of the costs of Medicaid ($880 billion) in FFY 2023

represents nearly $1

Two Bon Secours Mercy Health markets pilot down payment assistance for employees

By JULIE MINDA

Conversations with peers are part of Mercy’s approach to addressing problematic physician behavior

By JULIE MINDA

Mercy is using a standardized reporting system, prompt responses, and, sometimes, a conversational approach to try to put a quick end to disruptive physician behavior.

The Chesterfield, Missouri-based system has developed two programs within its systemwide harm reporting tool — Safety Accountability and Feedback for Everyone, or SAFE — that specifically track and seek to counter problematic physician behavior.

The nonprofit hub is the only such space in Baton Rouge, and the tenants use its Marino Continued on 6

Marino is excited about the potential of the center and the impact it could have for the community.

After Dr. Mutahher Mohammed completed his residency in July, he was thrilled to accept a position as a primary care physician at Mercy Health — Urbana Family Medicine and Pediatrics in Ohio. Working in Urbana meant he and his family could move to nearby Springfield, Ohio, where

Mohammed had lived from age 2 to 18. He had been eager to return to the beloved community where his parents and boyhood friends still live.

The icing on the cake was that a new employee benefit from Mercy Health provided him $10,000 in down payment assistance when he and his wife, Iman, bought a

Dr. Chad Smith and Kathryn Nelson, who have roles at Mercy connected with SAFE, say disruptive physician behavior while rare can pose a direct threat to patient safety, have a negative impact on patient outcomes, and put the safety and well-being of the offending physicians’ colleagues at risk. They say the reporting programs are designed to get at the root of problematic physician behavior in a

MEDICAID BY THE NUMBERS

A child in the equine-assisted therapy program in Kodiak, Alaska, hugs his horse. Instructors say children in the program tend to develop strong bonds with their four-legged helpers.

Dr. Mutahher Mohammed, a primary care physician at Mercy Health — Urbana Family Medicine and Pediatrics in Ohio, is joined by his wife, Iman; their son, Suliman; and their daughter, Minha, in front of their new house in Springfield, Ohio, last year. Mohammed was the first Mercy Health — Springfield employee to take advantage of the health system’s new down payment assistance program.

Double lung transplant

An imminent winter storm doesn't stop an organ procurement team and a surgical team at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston from completing a lifesaving operation.

Anonymous gift

A donor gave $10 million to Trinity Health Ann Arbor in Michigan to create a neurosciences institute on the hospital campus. Construction is expected to start later this year.

New nursing site

Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa, undertakes a $15 million Legacy of Faith Campaign to raise money to build a new facility for its nursing school.

Catholic ministry gathering offers hope to the healers

By BRIAN REARDON

ST. LOUIS — How can those who serve in Catholic ministries offer hope to fellow travelers who are on a journey of healing?

That was the central question posed to participants of a hybrid event entitled “Healing, Help and A Continuum of Hope: A Day of Renewal and Enrichment” that was held in St. Louis and virtually on Feb. 15. The gathering, attended by chaplains, mission and formation leaders and other professionals from Catholic health care and social services, provided an opportunity to gain deeper insights into spiritual life and strengthen collaboration and collegiality among Catholic ministries.

Danielle Harrison, manager of the St. Charles Lwanga Center of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and principal of Mission Faith Equity Consulting, presented on “Pilgrims of Hope,” the theme of the church’s 2025 Jubilee Year. She told a story about her physician father who emigrated from Haiti. Despite his patients sometimes having trouble understanding what he was saying due to his strong accent, she recalled how they “loved him because he took time to listen and always showed compassion on his face.” She pointed out that this bedside manner allowed space for God’s healing presence to come through in his encounters with his patients.

Harrison also highlighted the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet as an example for caregivers to follow. She encouraged attendees to remember the importance of not just being in service to others but also being open and vulnerable to those they serve. “How do we make room to allow others to help us?” she said. “We can learn from them, whether it be about the way they heal or how they pray. Caring speaks a language that is deeper.”

In reflecting on her work promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, Harrison argued that the current political environment has presented society with a “crossroad of understanding the giftedness of the other.” She pointed to 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 — There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. — as a reminder of our interconnectedness with one another. She encouraged attendees to prioritize accompaniment in their work and “walk as allies, not just bystanders or

and Enrichment,” a gathering in St. Louis.

cheerleaders. Use the power you have in relationships to speak the gospel.”

Mental health care

In a presentation on the church’s need to accompany those suffering from mental health issues, Mike Carotta, author of the Catholic Charities USA curriculum “Whole Hearted,” pointed to how painful events often contribute to mental health issues such as severe anxiety and depression. He encouraged caregivers to think about how the Paschal Mystery of Christ — his suffering, death and resurrection — pertains to their own lives as they go through the process of healing.

“We may be at different phases in where we are with suffering. We may have experienced loss, or find ourselves being reborn,” he said.

Carotta, who highlighted “Whole Hearted” as a parish resource for members or their loved ones who have been impacted by painful experiences, led attendees in an exercise where they shared examples of both grace and “dis-grace” in their lives as a way to better understand how letting go of certain ambitions, expectations and ideals can bring about restorative healing.

Joining Carotta in his presentation was Scott Hurd, vice president of leadership development and Catholic identity for Catholic Charities USA, who spoke about the power of forgiveness. He pointed out that while forgiveness plays a prominent

role in the Christian faith, the teachings of Jesus don’t specifically define how forgiveness should occur. “It’s not just reconciliation or letting people off the hook. It’s not something to be imposed on others,” Hurd said. “Rather, forgiveness is a process and a graceful decision.”

One of the final sessions of the day of enrichment was a panel discussion with representatives from CHA, Catholic Charities and the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. The group discussed the importance of collaborating as they work to foster human flourishing.

Call for collaboration

Jill Fisk, CHA director of mission services and the meeting’s facilitator, said that healing professionals and ministries that serve the church “are called to continually move toward their own healing. Offering hope to the healers, then, is an act of love. In a time when the world is hungry for hope, we must commit to greater collaboration as Catholic ministries: this is where we can do our very best work on behalf of the church.”

The meeting followed a similar gathering in Seattle last year, also held in commemoration of World Day of the Sick, and was sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Catholic Charities, the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, and CHA. Following the convening, Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski celebrated Mass for attendees. breardon@chausa.org

Professor urges: ‘Listen to what disabled people say’

A 2021 survey of more than 700 practicing physicians in the United States found more than 82% believed that people with significant disabilities have a worse quality of life than others. But on the whole, studies show people with disabilities report a similar quality of life to those without.

How can this disability paradox be reconciled? How does it get in the way of high-quality, equitable care for disabled patients?

Joel Michael Reynolds, an associate professor of philosophy and disability studies at Georgetown University in Washington, explored these questions during a Jan. 8 CHA webinar titled “The Health of People with Disabilities: Addressing Ableism and Disparities in the Clinic.” He defined ableism as “the assumption that the ‘standard’ or ‘normal’ able-body is in and of itself better than nonstandard or abnormal forms and the discrimi-

nation and oppression that results from this assumption.”

He pointed out that disabled people’s experiences are “wildly heterogeneous.” People who are deaf do not experience it as not being able to hear, for example, and neurodivergent people who exhibit selfstimulatory behavior might argue that the problem isn’t their stimming, as the behavior is known, but that the world is not comfortable with it.

“So let’s actually listen to what disabled people say,” he said.

Health World (ISSN 87564068) is published monthly and copyrighted © by the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

Address all subscription orders, inquiries, address changes, etc., to CHA Service Center, 4455 Woodson Road, St. Louis, MO 63134-3797; phone: 800-230-7823; email: servicecenter@ chausa.org. Periodicals postage rate is paid at St. Louis and additional mailing offices. Annual subscription rates: CHA members free, others $29 and foreign $29.

Opinions, quotes and views appearing in Catholic Health World do not necessarily reflect those of CHA and do not represent an endorsement by CHA. Acceptance of advertising for publication does not constitute approval or endorsement by the publication or CHA. All advertising is subject to review before acceptance.

Vice President Communications and Marketing Brian P. Reardon

Editor Lisa Eisenhauer leisenhauer@chausa.org 314-253-3437

Associate Editor Julie Minda jminda@chausa.org

Sr. Mary Elizabeth Voss, FSGM, left, and Sr. Rosalinda Drees, FSGM, listen as Sr. Mary Ignatia Cooney, FSGM, speaks during a discussion at “Healing, Help and A Continuum of Hope: A Day of Renewal

Chatting with the Chaplains gives elderly residents forum to discuss life and loss

By VALERIE SCHREMP HAHN

The chaplains at Marguerite’s House Assisted Living in Lawrence, Massachusetts, have come up with a simple way to help address the spiritual needs and concerns of residents: a good chat.

Chatting with the Chaplains started last fall and has become a monthly safe space for residents of all faiths to support one another. While it isn’t a bereavement or a therapy group, the residents who attend often talk about loss: of a spouse, of friends and even children, of parts of their independence.

“At this age, most of us are unable to be members of our former parishes any longer, for a lot of different reasons,” said resident Mary O’Brien, 88. “I feel that we have created a community of our own, where two or more are gathered in his name, there he is. I feel that we give, and we also get, and I feel it really helps me with any problems that come along in my life. I’m just very grateful that we have very caring, loving, spirit-filled chaplains here.”

The group discussion is led by Adrienne Cullen, director of mission and spiritual care at Mary Immaculate Health/Care Services, and Mary Immaculate chaplain Beth Young. The assisted living facility is part of Mary Immaculate Health/Care Services, which is a member of Andover, Massachusetts-based Covenant Health.

“I think, in health care or just in society itself, things are just so busy that people are running from one thing to the next, that you can miss out on these opportunities if you don’t stop and listen and be present,” said Young. “I feel like it’s really important that we cultivate a space where we can listen.”

Addressing loss

Cullen and Young said the idea came after Marguerite’s House residents experienced what seemed to be quite a few losses last summer. Neighbors died, or family members died, and some residents moved away or to the nursing home or rehabilitation facility on campus.

Lipstick Angels provide pampering, support to patients with cancer

By VALERIE SCHREMP HAHN

As a Lipstick Angel, Alicia Shaffer’s visits to patients at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle often include a moment of transformation.

She remembers a patient who had lost her hair and eyebrows to chemotherapy treatment for cancer. The patient perused the Lipstick Angels menu and chose the eyebrow service.

Shaffer asked: Do you want to relax during this and close your eyes? Or do you want to follow along so you can learn?

Scan to read an extended version of this story.

The woman opted to follow along. When Shaffer was finished cosmetically crafting new brows, she handed the woman a mirror. The woman looked at her reflection, stayed quiet, and then got tears in her eyes.

“This is the first time I’ve seen myself with eyebrows in more than two years,” Shaffer said the woman told her. “This makes me feel pretty, and like myself again.”

Lipstick Angels is a national, nonprofit organization, whose mission statement is “to compassionately support and educate people affected by cancer by providing

Christine “Tina” Bohannan, 77, holds a trinity cross that is used as a talking stick of sorts at Chatting with the Chaplains, a monthly gathering of residents from Marguerite’s House Assisted Living in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to talk about loss and life.

“I think they were all kind of feeling that sense of loss,” said Cullen.

Activity directors told Cullen they thought the residents could use some sort of bereavement group. Cullen had led a bereavement group in her previous work as a pastoral associate. To gauge interest in a group at Marguerite’s House, the facility invited Care Dimensions hospice services to present a workshop on grief. It was very well received, Cullen said, and residents wanted to continue the conversation.

The name Chatting with the Chaplains came up, and it stuck.

“But it’s nice that it’s not called a bereavement group, it’s just Chatting with the Chaplains,” said Cullen. “We try to keep it open-ended. It’s about loss, but also about something that’s maybe heavy on your heart, that you’re just carrying and might want to share.”

Meetings last about an hour, and Young

and Cullen usually start with a song to set the tone, giving residents lyrics on a handout so they can sing along. Sometimes there’s a theme for meetings, though residents usually take the conversation wherever they want to go. The meetings end with residents passing around a trinity cross as a talking stick of sorts, a reminder that as Jesus relied on God, God is also with them. A traditional crucifix can be a reminder for some of the love Jesus has for them, but for others, it can cause distress that God would allow his only son to suffer, Cullen explained. The trinity cross depicts a loving father holding Jesus up and allowing Jesus to lean into him in his time of distress.

“And the Holy Spirit is right there with them, filling Jesus with God the father’s spirit and grace,” she said.

As they hold the cross, group members are invited to share a grace they received during the meeting. They can also offer a prayer or petition or praise and gratitude. “That’s their time, and they are talking to Jesus,” said Cullen. “Then when they’re finished, they pass it on to the next person. And it’s very respectful. I mean, you could hear a pin drop.”

The session concludes with the Lord’s Prayer.

There are some ground rules: participants know they are sharing in a sacred space in that the stories do not leave the room. It’s also OK to not talk much at all.

No one offers advice unless it’s asked for, and residents are asked not to dominate the conversation, though that hasn’t been an issue.

It’s a lively forum, and about six to a dozen residents attend each time. Because different people attend, the dynamic varies, Cullen said. And yes, there’s often laughter.

The gatherings have helped residents become closer, Cullen and Young said.

“Even when you see residents each day and ask them, ‘Hey, how are you?’ and they say ‘fine,’ or if they ask us and we say, ‘We’re fine,’ it almost feels like there’s not always that time and place where you have time to really truly talk about how you’re actually

beauty and wellness services to inspire selfcare.” In addition to eyebrow tutorials, the organization trains volunteers on a list of services that includes facials, hand massage and aromatherapy.

All of the organization’s volunteers are professional makeup artists and estheticians, and all are oncology-trained in the field of esthetics.

Makeup artist Renata Helfman founded Lipstick Angels in 2012. She was inspired by her grandmother, Betty Elkes, who always

feeling,” said Young. “So it’s refreshing that in the group, they don’t have to put up this facade like, I’m fine, that I’m OK. They can talk about what’s really weighing on their heart.”

‘A blessing from God’

It’s also helped with personal family interactions. During the meeting in December, the group talked about the holidays, and one older resident expressed frustration that family members would stick her in the corner during gatherings. She said it seemed like nobody wanted to bother with her. But this year, she claimed a seat at the kitchen island, in the middle of the action.

“She wound up having a wonderful time,” said Cullen. “I was like, isn’t that great that you can advocate a little for yourself, and you can change things?”

Joyce Lister, 82, appreciates the chats because she can talk about her son, who died a couple years ago. “I had no one to talk to about it, and I didn’t know what to do with it,” she said. “I couldn’t talk to my own children because they were suffering, too. And I came here and one time, I spoke and I got it all out. I’ve enjoyed the group for other reasons, too, and the nice feeling of camaraderie and knowing that whatever you say here, stays here.”

Al Wihry, 86, told the group about his wife, who has Alzheimer’s disease and lives in the memory unit on campus. He often takes walks to visit her.

“I find the group to be very helpful to me, because at the present time, I don’t have many problems, but it’s nice to know that I’m not alone when I do,” he said.

Christine “Tina” Bohannan, 77, appreciates that people of different backgrounds come together to share. “It’s a mixture of whoever you are or whatever you need, and everybody is welcomed with no questions asked,” she said. “We have the freedom to unburden ourselves with some of the things that we may be worried about or have been in crisis with. To me, it’s a blessing from God.”

vhahn@chausa.org

of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, which is an affiliate of CommonSpirit Health. The hospital brought in the Lipstick Angels in 2019 but had to suspend the program because of the COVID-19 pandemic, explained Joy Selchow, a nursing director at the hospital. Because the program was extremely helpful and useful to patients, Selchow said, she advocated with a small team to bring it back in 2022.

Lipstick Angels visit the hospital three times a week, meeting patients and their families at an inpatient oncology unit, a radiation oncology unit and two outpatient infusion centers. They don’t take appointments, but many patients will try to schedule their chemotherapy when they know the Lipstick Angels will be there.

Lipstick Angels also offer virtual, group beauty and wellness classes, as well as free virtual community classes that are open to the public. The services are available for all genders.

The Lipstick Angels program is in hospitals and cancer centers around the country, but Virginia Mason is the only hospital in the Seattle area that has the program.

applied her favorite lipstick before her chemotherapy treatments, according to the organization’s website. Helfman saw the lipstick as a badge of courage.

When Helfman volunteered at CedarsSinai Hospital in Los Angeles, she discovered that patients needed human touch and connection as well as wellness and beauty services. She worked with the epidemiology department at Cedars-Sinai to develop Lipstick Angels.

Virginia Mason Medical Center is part

“It’s a true satisfier with our patients, because it’s something outside of medical care,” Selchow explained. “It’s an alternative way to remind them that we see them as a human, not just a patient.”

Selchow added that through Lipstick Angels’ services, the hospital lets patients know that it wants to do more than routine care. “We want to pamper you as well, and we see you as this other person that is going through a lot,” she said. “And we want to acknowledge that and treat the whole person, not just the illness.” vhahn@chausa.org

Alicia Shaffer gives a head massage to John Harnage, a patient at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. Shaffer is a program manager for Lipstick Angels. She and trained volunteers visit patients in hospitals and cancer centers to provide beauty and wellness services.

Catholic relief agencies grapple with how to respond to USAID cuts

By VALERIE SCHREMP HAHN

Catholic agencies that provide relief services around the globe are grappling with how to respond to plans to gut the U.S. Agency for International Development, which in 2023 managed more than $40 billion in appropriations, or about 40% of the global aid budget.

A sweeping freeze of funding by the Trump administration has shut down most USAID programs around the globe.

Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach, a mission of the Hospital Sisters Health System based in Springfield, Illinois, published a four-part blog series on USAID, explaining the purpose of foreign aid, why USAID matters to global health, and why readers should care.

“Make no mistake. Because of these actions, and if humanitarian aid isn’t completely and immediately restored, vulnerable people will die,” wrote Erica Smith, executive director of the outreach group. “They will starve to death. They will die because they didn’t receive medicine they

need. They will die because they have no access to hospitals or clinics.”

In a statement to Catholic Health World, Smith said: “For over two decades, Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach has partnered to advance health care access in low-resource settings. We are in solidarity with organizations delivering humanitarian global health care and the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people whose access to food, medicine, and shelter has been halted.”

Global health leaders who gathered for a networking call Feb. 5 organized by CHA lamented the implications of the cuts, said Bruce Compton, senior director of global health for CHA.

He has spoken to colleagues in agencies across the globe about their uncertainties and fears. He said workers with a relief group in Africa told him they don’t know what to do. “They’re scared,” he said. “They’re worried about their patients. They’ve worried about their employees. They’re having to cut staff. And

they don’t know about the reality of replacing some of these funds.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and its international charitable arm, Catholic Relief Services, released an action alert urging people to contact members of Congress and request that USAID funding be restored. They acknowledged that Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued an exception for lifesaving humanitarian help, but said organizations were not able to access the money to implement those programs.

“While we are always there with lifesaving relief in times of crisis, our goal is to help the people we serve become self-reliant and live with dignity,” the alert says. “When societies thrive, they contribute to greater global stability, reduce the risk of conflict, and create safer, more prosperous environments that benefit everyone, including us.”

Cardinal Michael Czerny, who heads the Vatican office responsible for migrants, the environment, the church’s Caritas Internationalis charity and development, told the Associated Press that governments have the

right to review their budgets but that dismantling an agency after it has made funding commitments is another issue.

“There are programs underway and expectations and we might even say commitments, and to break commitments is a serious thing,” said Cardinal Czerny.

He noted that the USAID budget is less than 1% of the U.S. gross domestic product and a fraction of the biblical call to tithe 10% of a person’s income.

Compton, with CHA, said that even if USAID funds suddenly get reinstated, trust already has eroded. He recalled a conversation he had with a consultant on a global health research report he was involved in writing.

“She was talking about in-kind donations and said the best and most successful partnerships happened because of good communication and building of trust,” he said.

“And we have just eroded much of that in one month.”

vhahn@chausa.org

Sponsors, ministry leaders explore sponsorship for our time

By JENN LYKE

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — At CHA’s Sponsorship Institute here 76 attendees, including seven CEOs and representatives from 21 ministries, explored the role of sponsors in influencing bold change in Catholic health.

Discussions at the gathering Jan. 22-24 focused on stewarding Catholic identity during challenging times, evaluating sponsorship effectiveness, and planning for the future of sponsorship. Participants also delved into emerging trends and key considerations for the sustainability of Catholic health care.

Sr. Jean Rhoads, DC, a member of the Ascension sponsorship board, said she valued the institute’s “intentional focus on our sponsor role as guardians of a sacred treasure, i.e., Catholic health ministry.

“Through presentations and synodal conversations, the institute fostered spiritual experiences that challenged us to see possibilities with a refined lens and to identify the mysterious movements of the Spirit,” Sr. Rhoads said. “Looking to the everchanging signs of the times, I believe greater collaboration among Catholic health systems is a call of the Spirit who promises, sustains and makes all things possible.”

Reviewing, reimagining

Sr. Teresa Maya, CCVI, senior director of theology and sponsorship at CHA, opened the institute by inviting reflection and discussion on the history of sponsorship. She asked those in attendance: What could be harvested from the past 30 years? In acknowledging the past, she encouraged participants to consider the signs of the times and their response as pilgrims of hope, the theme of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee 2025 celebration.

Sr. Maya posed reflective questions about what thresholds need to be crossed and reminded those present that sponsorship is “a threshold-crossing ministry.”

Quoting philosopher Byung-Chul Han’s book “The Spirit of Hope,” Sr. Maya emphasized that hope is a searching movement, venturing into the unknown and moving toward the new and unprecedented.

Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, CHA president and CEO, began her presentation on the association’s vision for the future by noting that the constitutions of women religious all included some version of responding “to the signs of the times.”

Ascension’s sponsor board; Patrick McCruden, chief mission integration officer at SSM Health; and Mary Anne Sladich-Lantz, a member of Providence St. Joseph Health’s sponsor board.

She emphasized that the values of the Catholic health ministry are nonpartisan and based on the principles of Catholic social teaching. Providing an update on CHA’s strategic plan on behalf of the ministry, Sr. Mary noted the association’s focus on relationships with government and ecclesial partners and other health care providers. She highlighted key priorities in ensuring care for all: Medicaid, maternal health, health insurance premium tax credits, palliative care, environmental sustainability, community impact and global health.

Emphasizing the need for a reimagined health ecosystem, Sr. Mary shared the evolution of health care models, citing wholeperson care for all as the model for the future. She emphasized the importance of ecclesial and other values-based partnerships in this important work.

Sponsorship survey results

Also at the institute, consultants Paul Stone and Rich Shively discussed findings from a study on sponsorship CHA conducted last year. The study included one-on-one interviews with sponsors and liaisons and an online survey. It analyzed the current state of sponsorship, emerging issues and key questions that sponsors must address, and how CHA can effectively respond to current needs with resources, programs and networking opportunities.

Of the respondents, 78% were 66 or older, and 64% were vowed religious or ordained.

To a key question about the primary concern of sponsors, 66% of respondents identified the recruitment of the next generation

of sponsors, while 50% indicated the importance of ensuring the sponsor’s voice in a rapidly changing health care environment.

Additionally, the survey highlighted that CHA is essential in maintaining alignment with the mission and recruiting sponsor members. Survey comments included the need for a collective voice of sponsors to have a more significant impact on key decisions and emphasized that formation and orientation need to be available promptly as new sponsors begin their roles.

The survey further explored opportunities to evaluate sponsor effectiveness by posing questions such as: Should a distinct set of metrics, aligned with both the mission and the system’s objectives, be utilized to define the sponsor’s role moving forward?

Stone said, “Our aim was to raise questions rather than draw conclusions. We hope these questions will lead to productive discussions.”

Succession planning

In a panel discussion that followed, Patrick McCruden, chief mission integration officer at SSM Health, and sponsor board members Sr. Danielle Bonetti, CSJ, of Ascension and Mary Anne Sladich-Lantz of Providence St. Joseph Health discussed the importance of planning for succession.

Sladich-Lantz noted the role of the sponsor as an elder, guide and wisdom figure in ensuring a prophetic voice. Bonetti shared that when Ascension invites someone to consider serving as a sponsor member, those individuals are first asked to serve on the mission committee of the board. She

said this service allows potential sponsor members to understand the role of the sponsor body and discover if there is a mutual fit. This process is a key piece in the ministry’s succession planning for sponsors.

The panel members raised questions about how the ministry can collaborate to ensure future generations of sponsor members. They discussed ways to generate interest in and love for the ministry.

McCruden posed a question about “widening our aperture” and the need to consider different approaches to forming potential sponsors and reaching out beyond those in Catholic health care. Engaging with emerging leaders from other Catholic organizations who are inspired by Catholic social teaching and the ministry of the sisters was also identified as a potential strategy for developing a pipeline of future sponsors. Additionally, the panelists noted that sponsor formation needs to evolve to include specific education related to health care for those lacking experience in the field.

Measuring performance

Dennis Gonzales, senior director of mission innovation and integration at CHA, offered an overview of the newly updated and virtual version of CHA’s Ministry Identity Assessment. Gonzales shared the process’s role in providing a consistent and robust assessment of Catholic identity, tracking performance improvement metrics, and sharing system dashboards to create national benchmarking.

Gonzales and Sr. Maya discussed plans for the development of a sponsor self-assessment tool as a companion to CHA’s Guide for Sponsors in Catholic Health Care that would complement the Ministry Identity Assessment practices with the intention of also sharing learnings across the ministry. Sr. Maya shared elements of the proposed sponsor assessment with participants and a desire to receive feedback from the ministries.

Laura S. Kaiser, president and CEO of SSM Health, was one of the executives who attended the institute. She said the gathering provided an important venue for sponsor members, liaisons and CEOs to engage in meaningful dialogue and fellowship.

“I had two key takeaways,” Kaiser said. “First was the idea that how sponsors serve may evolve, but the call is the same. The second was a wonderful, renewed commitment to our shared work.” jlyke@chausa.org

Sr. Teresa Maya, CCVI, senior director of theology and sponsorship at CHA, leads a panel on succession planning for sponsors with Sr. Danielle Bonetti, CSJ, chair of

Sr. Mary

Gonzales

Compton

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and another 40% on Medicare.

Cross is vice president of government relations for Our Lady of the Angels’ parent, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System. He said the cuts under consideration in Congress, which in the House’s budget plan include slashing $880 billion over 10 years from Medicaid and other federally supported health programs, could force rural hospitals such as Our Lady of the Angels to scale back services and even close.

“I would invite anyone from some of these think tanks in Washington, D.C., to come to Bogalusa and take a walk through Our Lady of the Angels and see what impact the proposals that are being put forward would have on those people in that community,” Cross said, referencing the conservative organizations that originally called for the cuts.

He pointed out that the closure of a rural hospital means more than a loss of access to medical care for residents. As is the case in Bogalusa, hospitals are often among the largest employers in communities across Louisiana and Mississippi, the states FMOLHS serves, Cross noted.

“And the direct and indirect economic impact of these policy ideas would be significant on each of those communities, whether it’s the direct jobs that could be lost or the indirect impact from lack of investment, construction, tax base,” he said.

Vital lifeline

Cross and other FMOLHS leaders are working with state health officials and other stakeholders in a strong health safety net to convince lawmakers of the need to maintain federal funding. They are not alone among health care leaders in predicting that slashing public health insurance programs could be devastating, for patients and for hospitals that largely serve low-income or rural populations.

Erik Wexler, president and CEO of Providence St. Joseph Health, is another leader from Catholic health care who is raising his voice on the issue. He joined members of the advocacy team from the system that spans seven states in meetings with members of Congress in mid-February to draw attention to the importance of the health care safety net.

“Millions of Americans depend on Medicaid for health care coverage, and it’s a vital lifeline for our patients, especially in rural communities,” Wexler said in a social media post about the visit to Washington.

CHA also is strongly advocating for Congress to maintain funding for health care coverage for the nation’s most vulnerable. Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, CHA president and CEO, directed a statement on the topic to Congress.

“Our health care system should be accessible to all, ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to thrive,” Sr. Mary said. “Congress has a pivotal opportunity to advance policies that protect Medicaid, guarantee affordable coverage, protect essential safety net programs, strengthen rural hospitals and support long-term care services.”

Sr. Mary went on to urge lawmakers “to

States with lower per capita incomes have a higher federal matching rate for Medicaid Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAPs) for

CHA advocates for Medicaid

Paulo Pontemayor, CHA senior director of government relations, said the association is taking a multipronged approach in advocating for Medicaid.

One part is to update and promote its Medicaid Makes It Possible campaign. That initiative shares stories about how the program benefits Americans and resources that illuminate Medicaid’s reach, including state-by-state breakdowns. CHA members can co-brand many of the resources.

Another part is to work with various groups with stakes in maintaining the health care safety net. One is The Partnership for Medicaid, a nonpartisan nationwide coalition of 25 organizations representing clinicians, health care providers, safety-net health plans, and counties. The coalition’s goal is to preserve and improve Medicaid. In February, Pontemayor was elected chair of the partnership.

CHA also is meeting with members of Congress to talk about the importance of Medicaid for many American families, such as covering more than 40% of all births.

champion policies rooted in compassion and dignity — because when we protect our most vulnerable, we create a healthier, stronger society for everyone.”

Work requirements

Paulo Pontemayor, senior director of government relations, is a point person in CHA’s advocacy efforts around Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The two programs together cover about 80 million Americans.

Pontemayor said the proposals Congress has on the table go beyond decreasing federal funding. Another idea that appears likely to be enacted is to require states, which administer Medicaid and have some leeway in setting coverage rules, to add work requirements for enrollees.

Pontemayor said CHA opposes such requirements. When Arkansas briefly made Medicaid recipients show proof of work, many people lost coverage. Of those who fell off the rolls, many still qualified but the red tape that was part of the requirements proved too much for them, Pontemayor

explained.

“We know that imposing additional burdens creates unnecessary hurdles for people to access the care that they need,” he said.

Expansion at risk

Edwin Park, a research professor at the Center for Children and Families at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, predicted that the Medicaid cuts and changes under review would be “hugely disruptive.” Among the concerns he pointed to is that the proposals would effectively repeal the Medicaid expansion set up under the Affordable Care Act. A majority of states have enacted the expansion, providing coverage to 21 million Americans.

The federal government picks up 90% of the costs for patients covered by the expansion, a higher percentage than it pays for other Medicaid enrollees, Park noted. The budget proposals call for ending that higher match and leaving it to states to cover the cost gap. About a dozen states have rules in

place to halt or reconsider the expansion if the federal match decreases.

“And then for the remaining states, they would be facing big cost shifts,” Park said. “Maybe some of them would be able to sustain the expansion for a short period of time, but eventually, most, if not all, of these states would have to drop the expansion.”

Park pointed out that for many lowincome Americans the impact of the budget cuts won’t stop at Medicaid. The people who rely on that program also often qualify for assistance from other federally supported programs such as Head Start and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, which are also in the crosshairs of Republicans who gained control of Congress in November.

“The election was largely about the economy and cost,” Park said, “and this is certainly going to significantly raise out-ofpocket costs for low- and moderate-income families, not just in health care, but elsewhere, and just make it so much harder for kids and families to thrive.”

Shared goal

Cross stressed that FMOLHS is in sync with the stated goal of the Trump administration to “Make America Healthy Again.” He also said he and other leaders from the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based system have been encouraged after meetings with members of Congress from Louisiana and Mississippi that those lawmakers support FMOLHS’ Catholic mission to provide health care to all.

“We want to make America healthy again, and we want to do that by ensuring access for those patients that need us the most, not only to emergency lifesaving care, but also to primary care, specialty care and preventative care,” Cross said. “And that will become exceptionally difficult in an environment where we’re looking to cut hundreds of billions of dollars out of the Medicaid program.”

leisenhauer@chausa.org

Tenor was hopeful, but challenges acknowledged at social ministry gathering

WASHINGTON — There was acknowledgement at the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering here that the next four years might prove more challenging for the church to advance its efforts to serve the poor, promote the common good and protect the environment.

In his keynote address at the start, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, shared a message from Pope Francis urging those attending to “have the courage to continue to be pilgrims of hope as your ancestors were.”

Several speakers raised concerns about shifts in federal priorities that may present new obstacles to serving low-income communities and migrants and to promoting Catholic social teaching. Nevertheless, they expressed confidence that Catholic institutions and advocates can stand together as “Missionaries of Hope, Advocates for Justice” – the theme of the gathering — during the church’s 2025 Jubilee year. The conference Jan. 25-28 drew 526 people from more than 40 states. The gathering was organized by the Secretariat of Justice and Peace of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 10 USCCB departments, and 20 national Catholic organizations, including CHA. Scan to

The message tied the theme of the church’s 2025 Jubilee celebration – Pilgrims of Hope – to the gathering. The pontiff conveyed his wish that the gathering “will become a sign of unity, to build bridges of reconciliation, inclusion and fraternity.”

Wexler

Pontemayor

Park

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home in Springfield for their growing family in August. The couple have three children: daughter Minha, 4; son Suliman, 2; and son Humza, who was born in December. Mohammed says while the Mercy Health culture was the biggest draw for him, the down payment help was “a very good added bonus. … it felt like someone was looking after me.”

Mohammed was the first employee to take advantage of the benefit that Mercy Health — Springfield began offering last year. Another Bon Secours Mercy Health market in Ohio, Mercy Health — Lima, just began offering a similar down payment assistance program.

Mercy Health leaders in Springfield and Lima say they expect this benefit will improve employee recruitment and retention, increase employee satisfaction and well-being, build up homeownership in local communities, and encourage community investment and stabilization.

Down payment Impact Center

other Bon Secours Mercy Health markets.

Springfield Douglas says the Springfield market’s program — the first of its kind at Bon Secours Mercy Health — originated from leadership discussions of how to differentiate Mercy Health from other local employers. “We were looking for a unique benefit offering for employees that stands out from our competitors,” she explains.

In surveys, employees said they wanted enhanced benefits, and the executives came up with the down payment program idea as part of a broader effort to sweeten their offerings.

The program is in partnership with Fifth Third Bank, which has locations in Springfield. Employees of Mercy Health — Springfield facilities are eligible for a $10,000 direct-to-home payment that is paired with an 18-month retention agreement from the closing date of their loan. Employees must receive their home loan through Fifth Third, and that bank serves as their “lender partner,” providing needed expertise for getting the mortgage and closing on the home, says Douglas.

Mercy Health has partnered on in Springfield should help with the availability issue, Douglas notes.

Springfield market leaders are monitoring the impact of the benefit. “The goal is to help get (employees) invested and involved, feeling connected to this community, so they can become long-term fixtures in the amazing progress we’re making here,” Adam Groshans, Mercy Health — Springfield president, says in a release.

Lima

Since about 2017, Mercy Health has been partnering with others to restabilize a particular local census tract in Lima that was at a “tipping point” between resurgence and deterioration. Mercy Health has been providing community investment fund dollars to a company formed by some Lima business owners to purchase and renovate homes in that census tract. Keehn says Mercy Health — Lima’s down payment program is tangentially connected to this work, although employees don’t have to use the benefit in that census tract.

Happy homeowners

Mohammed and his wife live just a mile and a half from his parents. He’s enjoying reconnecting with his Springfield friends. His wife is having fun decorating the new house, and his son is excited to be moving from a crib into a bunk bed. His daughter is at the perfect age for the move and is looking forward to making new friends, he says.

Mohammed says living near the Urbana clinic where he practices affords him quality of life because he has a reasonable commute. He says he likes that the down payment benefit could attract more young doctors to Springfield. He says with the community’s aging population, there had been a decline in population. Now he sees young talent is returning to the city. Young clinicians like himself “are helping Mercy and Springfield grow,” he says.

Back in Lima, Keehn says the type of community pride Mohammed feels is what Mercy Health hopes to cultivate in employees in both Ohio markets, in part through the benefit program. “We want to support our associates in being lifelong partners. We’re aiming to improve local housing and the cities we serve,” she says.

“We want our associates to be lifelong partners with us,” and when they live nearby, that can deepen their commitment to the organization and to the community, says Beth Keehn, director of community and government affairs for Mercy Health — Lima. Megan Douglas, Mercy Health — Springfield chief market human resources director, says the Ohio programs are pilots for possible duplication in

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office space and common areas at no cost. For the most part, the nonprofits address social determinants of health. The tenants include the Epilepsy Alliance Louisiana, Baton Rouge Area Youth Network, Dialogue on Race, and the Capital Area Autism Network.

The hub is about a mile from Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. The ministries are part of Our Lady of the Lake Health, a subsystem the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System.

Celebrating a new beginning

At an open house in December, tenants celebrated the center’s success and dreamed of its possibilities. Marino asked every nonprofit to invite supporters, clients, and anyone else they wanted.

“We had a wonderful turnout,” she said. “We did a blessing of the building, and it was beautiful. A lot of business cards were exchanged. We were thrilled at the networking that was occurring.”

Marino started working in the building about 12 years ago when she joined the system. The facility, about 9,200 square feet, had been used for different things over the years. Because it was built as a day center, it has a large training room, a formal classroom, lots of bathrooms, and meeting areas for big and small groups. There’s even a greenhouse where tenants can bring their laptops to work in a sunny spot away from their desks.

Marino has a background working with nonprofits, so she had many contacts in the community, and she was part of larger collaborations that had wished for a shared space, she said. Around 2017, she invited a nonprofit called The Safety Place to use the center’s parking lot to do car seat checks, a service the health system didn’t offer. The nonprofit agreed and even certified some hospital employees as child passenger safety technicians. The relationship grew.

Mercy Health — Springfield is budgeting to allocate a specific number of down payments. Last year, employees claimed four of the five down payment allotments. This year, 10 are available. But the program is evolving, and the allotment could increase, says Douglas.

To take advantage of the benefit, employees must purchase a home in Clark or Champaign counties. Douglas notes that there is a variety of housing stock in both counties, but there are affordability and availability challenges in the local housing market. She says the benefit should help with affordability. A housing initiative

When Mercy Health — Lima recently became eligible to receive funding from the city, it decided to “give back” to the community by applying the funds to a down payment assistance benefit for employees.

Mercy Health — Lima is receiving $30,000 per year for five years that it is using to offer down payment assistance of up to $10,000. It began offering the benefit in November. As of January, no employees had yet signed up.

In the census tract targeted for stabilization, Keehn notes, rent and mortgage payments are about the same. Keehn says helping employees buy a home “can help them eliminate the rental burden and also to build generational wealth.”

In 2019, the CEO of that group, Crystal Pichon, asked Marino if the organization could also use the building for office space. Marino and Our Lady of the Lake Health leaders agreed. The Safety Place’s work continued through the pandemic, since the nonprofit could conduct car seat checks outdoors.

“It’s such an honor to see this community coterie dream come to life,” said Pichon. “The Safety Place and Our Lady of the Lake are longtime partners that continue to thrive in our community servicebased nature ... together. It’s such a blessing to consider their organization our lifetime community family.”

Not long after The Safety Place moved to the center, Marino learned of another nonprofit, Dialogue on Race, that needed a home. Our Lady of the Lake welcomed them into the center as well.

Maxine Crump is president and CEO of Dialogue on Race, which offers educational programs and dialogue series to support people in open and honest conversations about race. She said that being a part of the impact center puts the group in great company with other organizations that also

have vision and focus. “It means we have peer organizations working together for the good of society. … It provides for great networking and other meaningful exchanges,” Crump said.

Growth and possibilities

The remaining nonprofits moved into the space last summer and fall, and others that aren’t tenants sometimes use the space to host meetings and trainings for their teams and constituents.

Nonprofit organizations inquiring about space are vetted by the mission team leadership, to make sure there is mission alignment and that they’ll be a good fit. Marino hasn’t turned anyone down. The only ask of organizations is to be present and collaborative, and to share resources, not only with Our Lady of the Lake but with each other.

“There’s a lot of borrowing and sharing beyond just the people who work there,” Marino said.

Community members generally don’t frequent the space, but one nonprofit, OneBReath Project, operates a boutique to provide families in need with baby and toddler clothing, diapers and formula. This is done

Ultimately, through well-being gains, leaders hope to increase the employees’ commitment to Mercy Health and people living in surrounding communities. “And this will improve the health and well-being of our patients,” she says. jminda@chausa.org

Providence makes changes to executive leadership team

Providence St. Joseph Health has made changes to its executive leadership structure. The seven-state health system has made the changes “to better support its hospitals, advance strategic priorities and realize the vision of Health for a Better World,” it said in a press release. Top goals are “to sharpen focus on care delivery, expedite decision-making, accelerate our path to transformation and increase subsidiarity at

Peer conversations

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constructive way, while promoting the wellbeing of everyone involved.

“This work shows we care about protecting patients from harm and about having safe workspaces for co-workers,” says Nelson, Mercy chief quality officer.

the local level,” according to the release. This leadership structure went into effect Feb. 1:

Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, chief operating officer

Greg Hoffman, chief financial officer

Dr. Susan Huang, chief physician executive, Providence, and chief executive, Providence Clinical Network

Dougal Hewitt, chief mission officer

Cup-of-coffee conversations

Prub “PK” Khurana, chief strategy and growth officer

Anna Newsom, chief legal officer

Ali Santore, chief communication and external affairs officer

Greg Till, chief people officer

Sara Vaezy, chief transformation officer

Ivette de Rubens, interim chief information officer

Smith, chief medical officer at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City and a system-level physician leader, adds, “It all conforms with our mission statement and core values. We’re seeking to improve everyone’s experience, we’re seeking to understand the situations that are going on, we’re focusing on right relationships. We’re affording providers an opportunity to learn and grow and be enriched” in the process of addressing problematic behavior.

Two reporting channels

The SAFE reporting system allows Mercy to receive reports on, track and seek to resolve tens of thousands of safety events — including falls, medication mishaps and care coordination missteps — each year across its eight-state footprint. The Vanderbilt Health Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy helped Mercy design two programs within the SAFE reporting system for receiving and processing potential safety events involving doctors and advanced practice providers: the Patient Advocacy Reporting System, or PARS; and the Coworker Observation Reporting Systems, or CORS. Mercy has more than 5,000 physicians and advanced practice providers across Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas.

Smith says there are multiple ways the Vanderbilt center helps Mercy use the information in the patient and co-worker reporting systems. Mercy and Vanderbilt continuously monitor incoming reports, and in cases in which a report in PARS or CORS is on an imminent or serious threat to patient or co-worker safety, Vanderbilt immediately alerts Mercy, and Mercy leaders work to resolve the issue at the root level.

Vanderbilt and Mercy also use the data to analyze trends and identify systemic issues that need to be addressed to improve quality and safety at Mercy.

Smith and Nelson say some top goals of these reporting systems are to create a positive culture of patient safety, validate and investigate problems as they arise, maintain transparency in safety reporting and in the resolution of problems, and ensure patients and employees feel heard.

Cup of coffee

As the Vanderbilt center is culling through reports coming through the CORS system, it flags those that have to do with physician or advance practice provider unprofessional behavior, such as inappropriate language or actions toward coworkers. Once the Vanderbilt center staff deems behavior unprofessional, they send the relevant report plus additional information about whether the provider has been

The Vanderbilt Health Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy reviews safety reports for Mercy and flags reports on unprofessional behavior.

A three-member panel evaluates those reports. The panel determines which behavior warrants intervention.

For behavior prompting intervention, the panel arranges for a colleague of the physician to have a cup-of-coffee conversation with that clinician.

In the rare case when there are multiple incidents, a “Level One” conversation is set up in which a colleague of the physician shares statistics about how many incidents the physician has had and how that compares with the physician’s peers.

Repeated incidents could prompt higher-level conversations such as on whether the physician is a good fit at Mercy.

flagged before to a three-member committee that includes Smith. That committee evaluates the report and if committee members agree that the behavior is unprofessional, they arrange for a peer to have a “cup-of-coffee” conversation with the provider. Peers are trained in advance on how to have a collegial, nonjudgmental, brief conversation with the provider to make that person aware of the report.

“This work shows we care about protecting patients from harm and about having safe workspaces for co-workers.”

— Kathryn Nelson

In the cup of coffee conversations, the provider does not have to defend himself or herself, nor is it a contentious exchange. The practice of meeting over a cup of coffee harkens back to a convention of Mercy’s foundresses, the Sisters of Mercy. They would talk about important — and potentially difficult to discuss — topics over a cup of tea.

Smith says the peer intervention normally resolves the concern and it is rare for the provider to be reported again.

Level One

In the unusual case that a provider is reported again, Smith says, a similar process repeats itself except that the peer receives additional data to give to the provider. In this “Level One” conversation, the peer gives the provider analysis showing how the physician ranks against his or her colleagues when it comes to reports of unprofessionalism. Smith explains that Mercy takes this step in the process because many physicians have a competitive spirit, and the desire to rank better can drive them to change.

According to Smith, there have been about 2,000 cups of coffee conversations and about 200 Level One conversations over the past nearly two years.

In the very rare case that reports of unprofessionalism continue after the Level One conversation, the committee Smith is on then engages physician leadership to have more substantive conversations with the provider. These could be conversations about whether Mercy and its values are really a fit for the physician. Or they could be conversations about what is prompting the poor behavior — is there a physician wellness issue, is it a workload issue, does the physician need some type of behavioral intervention?

Smith says Mercy has many employee assistance programs available to physicians who are experiencing burnout, behavioral health concerns and other stressors.

Return on investment

Nelson mentions that Mercy is very clear to its employees, including in onboarding and ongoing communications, that unprofessional behavior will not be tolerated, and that co-worker safety has top priority.

Mercy has been equally clear that the process it uses to address such behavior is rooted in Mercy values and is aimed at the growth and the protection of the well-being of the colleagues involved.

Nelson notes that a key benefit of the system is the ability to track physician behavior, monitor progress and benchmark results. The whole system is aimed at reducing harm.

Since launching PARS and CORS about eight years ago, Mercy has seen improved patient outcomes and a decrease in the number of malpractice lawsuits brought against the system.

Smith says that Mercy is taking on harm reduction and addressing unprofessionalism in a consistent, intentional way.

“To have a robust approach to patient safety, we have to understand that people are human and will make mistakes,” he adds. “Our job is to have enough fail safes in place so when problems do occur there are no negative effects on patients.

“And we can do these types of programs in a way that also upholds our Catholic tradition.” jminda@chausa.org

PRESIDENTS/CEOS

Organizations within Trinity Health have made these changes:

Dr. Robert Roose to president of community hospitals for Trinity Health Of New England in Hartford, Connecticut, from president of Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, Connecticut. He will lead strategic execution and operational direction across the organization’s acute care hospitals: Mercy Medical Center; Johnson Memorial Hospital; and Saint Mary’s Hospital, Waterbury, Connecticut. Nat’e Guyton to president of Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center of Boise, Idaho, part of Saint Alphonsus Health System, from chief operating officer at CommonSpirit Health — California Hospital Medical Center of Los Angeles.

Marie Moore to president of Mercy Washington and Lincoln communities of Missouri, effective March 3. She was chief nursing officer in Mercy’s southwestern Missouri region.

Laurie Labarca to president of Ascension Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita, Kansas, from president of Ascension Via Christi St. Teresa and Ascension Via Christi Rehabilitation Hospital, both of Wichita.

ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

Shannon Sock will transition from chief strategist and operating officer of Chesterfield, Missouri-based Mercy to focus on Mercy’s growing work in joint ventures and collaborations.

Dr. Douglas Barton to Southern Illinois Market chief medical officer of Hospital Sisters Health System of Springfield, Illinois.

Melanie Bull to chief advocacy officer for Ascension Saint Thomas of Nashville, Tennessee, effective June 1. Dr. Jared Friedman to chief medical officer for the Avera McKennan region of Avera Health. That region is based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Dr. Michael Kelley to chief medical officer for the Bon Secours St. Francis Greenville, South Carolina, market, part of Bon Secours Mercy Health.

Teresa Rasmussen to chief nursing officer and vice president at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, part of Trinity Health.

Dr. Kathleen Tong to chief medical officer of Dignity Health Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, California, part of CommonSpirit Health.

ANNIVERSARY

Dignity Health — St. John’s Hospital Camarillo in California, part of CommonSpirit Health, 50 years.

Nelson Smith

Roose Labarca Friedman

Moore Barton Rasmussen Guyton Sock Kelley

Therapeutic riding

Therapy Program.

“You’re using the horse as your equipment,” Stohl explains. “The horse and the human body are a natural match in their movement.”

‘He just melted’

Participants in the Kodiak program include children with autism, developmental delays, learning or sensory processing difficulties and motor coordination challenges. Each session begins with grooming the horse in order to help participants become comfortable and develop motor, cognitive and language skills.

Stohl, who’s also the program’s co-coordinator, recalls a boy with autism. He had limited communication and was nervous about interacting with his horse — a fear he expressed through loud vocalizations. She spent 45 minutes trying to get him to warm up.

“And when he did get on the horse, it was like he just melted,” Stohl says. “It’s a magical connection they build with the horse — it’s like they become one.”

As he relaxed, his vocalizations transformed into a humming sound. “He ended up not wanting to get off,” Stohl recalls.

While hippotherapy involves a therapist using a horse’s movement in service of therapeutic goals, therapeutic riding involves certified riding instructors teaching people with disabilities how to adapt to a horse. Equine-assisted therapy is an umbrella term which encompasses both specialties.

Barbara Zimmerman, a certified riding instructor and co-coordinator of the Kodiak program, recalls a participant with cerebral palsy. Riding relaxed his tight leg muscles so much that they remained loosened for several days. Like many children, he formed a deep relationship with his pony.

“After his last session, we brought the pony over to tell him goodbye,” Zimmerman says. “And that pony put her head on his lap and he gave her a hug.”

Tested and trained horses

Therapy horses and ponies are thoroughly trained and tested. They must be gentle and able to withstand the noises and tools that accompany hippotherapy, Zimmerman says. These include tambourines, bouncing balls and bubbles, which are used for a variety of therapeutic reasons.

It’s not unusual for a child to be fearful at first. They may be afraid of the horse itself or have other concerns, such as a fear of heights.

“When they’re done riding, they tell the horse ‘Thank you,’ and ‘I’ll see you next week.’ I don’t think we’ve had a child who doesn’t absolutely love it.”

— Barbara Zimmerman

“We started one girl out with a very small pony but by the end of our program, she was riding one of the biggest horses,” Zimmerman says.

Many children have ongoing conversations with their horses.

“When they’re done riding, they tell the horse ‘Thank you,’ and ‘I’ll see you next week,’” Zimmerman says. “I don’t think we’ve had a child who doesn’t absolutely love it.”

Parents see real changes in their children after participating, Stohl says. At the end of each session, families take home a book of pictures of their children riding and interacting with the horses.

“It’s very emotional for them to see how much their child can accomplish and how much joy it brings,” Stohl says.

Rewarded with smiles

The monthlong program serves around

20 children each summer. Providence’s support includes providing an occupational therapist along with regular funding. Since the program’s onset two decades ago, the hospital system has frequently contributed $1,000 a year. In 2023, Providence

approved a $10,000 grant request. Some of that will be used to train a new therapeutic riding instructor.

Zimmerman has mixed feelings about eventually turning over the reins. But at 75, she also knows the time is not far away. Zimmerman and Stohl, who is nearing retirement, want to see the program thrive and even expand long after their involvement. “That’s the dream,” Zimmerman says.

“I love working with the children, the horses and the volunteers,” Zimmerman says. “I love seeing the smiles on everybody’s faces.”

Many volunteers are with Kodiak’s 4-H youth development program.

Madison Welch began volunteering when she was in grade school. She helped set up the arena, create interactive games, and assist kids in grooming horses. Welch loved it even though the work was far from glamorous. “One of the jobs was picking up horse droppings,” Welch says.

Welch volunteered all through high school. Working with the children was so inspiring that she decided to help people as a career. In 2021, she completed her training to become a physical therapist.

“It was really special seeing the children make so much progress in such a short time,” Welch says. “And the happiness it brought their parents and siblings.”

Slow and Simple CONTEMPLATIONS FOR THE LENT AND EASTER SEASON

This 14-week series offers reflective images, audio meditations, prayers and discussion questions designed for personal or team use.

Stohl

Volunteer handler Lisa Palmer helps Adilyn Paulson lead Gus. Palmer is a volunteer with the equineassisted therapy program, which gets support from Providence St. Joseph Health.

Welch