Volume 13, Number 2
A publication for the
participating congregations,
leadership, physicians
and staff of Catholic
Health Initiatives
Initiatives
(From left) Gary Campbell, Michael Rowan, Robert Lanik and Sylvia
Egan, SSM, celebrate the unveiling of one of the new signs marking
the affiliation of Saint Clare’s with Catholic Health Initiatives.
Saint Clare’s Officially Joins
Catholic Health Initiatives
Continuing Commitment
to Socially Responsible
Investing
Hospitalists Increase
Quality of Care, Patient
Satisfaction
Catholic Health Initiatives’ commit-
As medical care continues
ment to socially responsible invest-
to become more specialized,
ing includes the Direct Community
hospitalists have become the
Investment Program and share-
fastest-growing medical specialty
holder activism. Catholic Health
in the U.S. These physicians spend
Initiatives’ Social Responsibility In-
most or all of their time caring for
vestment Staff Committee recently
hospitalized patients, from admis-
approved four direct community
sion to discharge. A recent survey
investments, including a $10 million
showed that 250 hospitalists work
investment in the Calvert Foundation
in 33 Catholic Health Initiatives’
of Bethesda, Md. Catholic Health
hospitals, caring for approximately
Initiatives also co-filed shareholder
1,500 patients each day.
resolutions with several pharmaceutical and tobacco companies
Saint Clare’s Health System, Denville, N.J., officially
for the 2008 proxy season. This
transferred its sponsorship affiliation from Marian Health
marks the eighth year of Catholic
System to Catholic Health Initiatives on April 1. The change
Health Initiatives’ involvement in
in affiliation for northwest New Jersey’s largest community
shareholder resolutions, filed
in collaboration with other
health system came with the support of the Sisters of the
mission-based investors.
Sorrowful Mother, the founding order of Saint Clare’s. The
event was formally celebrated during an inclusion ritual
held in Denville on April 4.
A spirit of innovation, a legacy of care.
March/April 2008
6
8
4
Lofton, Woods Among Top Minority Executives
Kevin Lofton, president and chief executive
䡲
Demonstrated a willingness to share
expertise with others in the field.
䡲
Served as a role model or mentor to other
minority health care executives.
䡲
Assumed a leadership position in the
industry outside of his or her own
organization or company.
officer of Catholic Health Initiatives, and
Gene Woods, chief executive officer of
Saint Joseph Health System, Lexington,
Ky., are on the 2008 list of theTop 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare, published by
Modern Healthcare magazine. Catholic
Health Initiatives is the only health care
Kevin Lofton
system in the nation with more than one
Modern Healthcare noted Lofton’s leader-
executive on the list. An editorial board
ship of the nation’s second-largest Catholic
reviewed nominations for the biennial list
health care system and position as immedi-
and judged each candidate on five criteria,
ate past chair of the American Hospital
including whether the nominee:
Association; and Woods’ oversight of
䡲
䡲
Successfully served as a leader or
managed an organization or company.
Showed the ability or power to effect
change in the health care industry.
the integration of seven Catholic Health
Initiatives hospitals in Kentucky as Saint
Joseph Health System.
Gene Woods
Ninth Edition of Sacred Stories Published
Catholic Health Initiatives published the
ninth edition of Sacred Stories, its ongoing series of books that collect stories of
moments of lived spirituality at work.
“These stories are written by employees,
physicians, volunteers and others associated with Catholic Health Initiatives,”
said Patrick Gaughan, vice president of
ministry formation for Catholic Health
Initiatives. “They are powerful examples
of our ministry culture: how our employees find meaning in what they do, where
they experience the action of the Spirit
in their work lives, and what enrichment
they discover in their relationships with
others in ministry. As examples of our
core values in action, they provide rich
material for reflections, prayers and the
Initiatives | 2
daily inspiration that helps us continue
the healing ministry of Jesus.”
For the first time, the ninth edition of
Sacred Stories includes suggested questions for reflection at the end of each
story. “The intent of these questions
is to help readers reflect on a story and
consider how its message might apply
to their own lives and work,” said
Gaughan. “I hope they prove to be
useful to our leaders and staff.”
To receive copies of Sacred Stories,
contact your organization’s mission
or communications leader or
Ann-Marie Jackson, at
[email protected].
Fordyce to Lead Top
Rehabilitation Center
Rollout Begins Smoothly
The implementation of LEARN,
Catholic Health Initiatives’ new,
Web-based learning management
system, began smoothly in March.
Many education managers in the
first wave to go live on LEARN found
the preparation process to be easier
and less time-consuming than
anticipated.
“The first wave of market-based
organizations to implement LEARN
are completing their preparations
on schedule or a little ahead,” said
Kevin Preston, learning network
manager for Catholic Health
Initiatives. “The market-based
organizations in wave two, which
will implement LEARN in May,
are already ahead of schedule.”
LEARN is designed to enhance
knowledge transfer and learning
across Catholic Health Initiatives.
The initial library includes more
than 100 courses for training in
compliance, regulatory requirements,
patient safety and more. In addition,
market-based organizations will be
able to use LEARN to access courses
added to the LEARN library by other
market-based organizations and to
author their own Web-based courses.
“We’re hearing that everyone is
excited by the content already
available on LEARN, and about the
ability to develop their own courses,”
said Preston.
Centura Health of Colorado is using
LEARN’s authoring tools to develop
several courses, and has already
delivered one compliance refresher
course to employees using the new
system. “We are also very pleased
with LEARN’s ability to export reports
into Excel,” said Stephanie Jones,
learning management system
administrator for Centura Health,
which served as a pilot site. “We’re
looking forward to being able to
track course evaluations, too.”
Another pilot site, Good Samaritan
Health Systems, Kearney, Neb.,
has also authored courses using the
LEARN system. “It’s important to
have all of your courses available
via LEARN, which makes it so much
easier to track and document employees’ completion of their courses,”
said Karen Crocker, director of education at Good Samaritan. “It’s also
valuable to be able to customize our
education to our own needs.”
When implementing LEARN,
Crocker said it’s essential to articulate what the system is, how it functions and how you will use it within
your organization. “We did things
like putting up posters, sending all
employees a letter from the chief executive officer and offering learning
sessions,” she said. “Our employees
felt comfortable with LEARN by the
time we rolled it out.”
Michael Fordyce,
chief administrative
officer, announced
his resignation from
Catholic Health
Initiatives, effective
July 2, 2008. He will
become the new
president and chief
Michael Fordyce
executive officer of
Craig Hospital, Englewood, Colo. Craig Hospital is one of the top rehabilitation centers in
the world, caring exclusively for people with
spinal cord and brain injuries.
Fordyce has been Catholic Health Initiatives’
chief administrative officer since 1999, after
joining Catholic Health Initiatives in 1996 as
senior vice president of human resources.
He was the second senior management team
member hired. He joined Catholic Health
Initiatives from one of its predecessor systems,
Sisters of Charity Health Care Systems of
Cincinnati, where he was vice president of
human resources for almost 10 years.
Kevin Lofton, president and chief executive
officer of Catholic Health Initiatives, said that
Fordyce is a true servant leader: a person who
first wishes to serve the needs of others, and
only then aspires to lead. “By all counts, Mike
is a servant leader,” said Lofton. “He has
helped all of us grow. He has freely given his
talent, time and wisdom to advance this
ministry and to all of us in this ministry.
“Mike has spent his career working for justice
and the common good,” Lofton continued.
“Personally, and on behalf of Catholic Health
Initiatives, I will deeply miss his counsel,
candor, dedication and affable spirit. We know
he will be an extraordinary chief executive
officer of Craig Hospital, and we wish him
unparalleled success.”
3 | Initiatives
Hospitalists Increase Quality
of Care, Patient Satisfaction
As medical care continues to become more specialized,
hospitalists have become the fastest-growing medical
specialty in the U.S. These physicians, who currently
number about 12,000 nationwide, spend most or all
of their time caring for hospitalized patients, from
admission to discharge.
The survey also showed that most of Catholic Health
Initiatives’ hospitalist programs see at least 25 patients
per day. Eight are smaller programs that see less than 25
patients a day. In 15 of the programs, hospitalist coverage
is available 24 hours a day. Some of the programs are run
and staffed by outside firms.
There are now about 250 hospitalists at work within
Catholic Health Initiatives. “Hospitalists have an enormous
impact on patient care within Catholic Health Initiatives,”
said Cary Ward, MD, chief medical officer at Saint Elizabeth
Health Systems, Lincoln, Neb. Ward also serves as an
internal consultant for hospitalist programs throughout
Catholic Health Initiatives.
“Every hospitalist program is different and unique, because the needs of the community dictate the model used,”
said Ward. “There are many different staffing models
within Catholic Health Initiatives, and there are also wide
variations in program efficiency. Attempting to standardize some elements of the hospitalist programs across
Catholic Health Initiatives is a real challenge.”
“Because they work in the hospital, hospitalists are readily
available to respond to patient needs, talk with family
members and consult with specialists, nurses and other
caregivers,” said Ward. “They have a positive impact on
quality of care and patient satisfaction. Primary care
physicians and family practitioners report high satisfaction with hospitalists, too. The ability to temporarily turn
over care of their hospitalized patients to hospitalists can
relieve a lot of stress on their practices.”
While some of Catholic Health Initiatives’ hospitalist
programs are efficient, the unique nature of each program
makes it difficult to determine exactly why. To discuss and
capture best practices, program directors from throughout the system meet annually and stay in regular contact
via phone and email. “There is some evidence that close
relationships with outpatient home health services help
hospitalists work more efficiently,” said Ward. “We’re also
looking at developing standardized order sets and practice
guidelines. As a system, we have a great opportunity to
share information, knowledge and ideas about hospitalist
programs.”
Survey Results
According to a recent survey of hospitalist programs
within Catholic Health Initiatives, 250 hospitalists
work in 33 hospitals within the system. Hospitalists see
approximately 1,500 patients each day within Catholic
Health Initiatives; an individual hospitalist on duty sees
an average of 15 to 18 patients per day.
Initiatives | 4
Cost Savings, LOS Reductions
The presence of hospitalists often makes a difference
in a hospital’s quality measures and bottom line results.
“Studies show that hospitalists practice inpatient medicine
more efficiently than other physicians,” said Ward. “This
Quality and Risk
Management Conference
Explores Trends
may be because they can see patients more often and
monitor them more closely. They also have an in-depth
understanding of how their hospitals work. Studies show
cost savings of up to $600 per patient and reductions in
length of stay of up to one day for patients under the care
of hospitalists.”
However, the establishment of hospitalist programs can
pose challenges for smaller hospitals. “A hospitalist program can be expensive, though most hospitals find that
the quality-of-care benefits and cost savings outweigh the
expense,” said Ward. “Still, the initial costs can make it
difficult for a small hospital to get a program started.”
Smaller hospitals within Catholic Health Initiatives that
have hospitalist programs include St. Anthony Hospital,
Pendleton, Ore.; Flaget Memorial Hospital, Bardstown,
Ky.; and Mercy Regional Medical Center, Durango, Colo.
Hospitalist Specialties
Currently, most hospitalists are internal medicine specialists, with small percentages of family practice physicians
and pulmonologists. However, there is a new trend toward
specialized hospitalist programs: for example, a hospital
might have specialized pediatric hospitalists on the pediatric unit, intensivists on the intensive care unit, laborists
who work in the labor and delivery area, and nocturnists
who work only on the night shift.
Catholic Health Initiatives’ Quality and Risk Management
Conference, March 4-6 in San Antonio, Texas, explored
new ways to create a culture of safety. Keynote speakers
addressed national trends in consumerism, transparency
and regulatory requirements,
while breakout sessions presented leading practices in
advancing quality and eliminating the potential for harm.
“I would like to…thank you
for allowing risk and quality
to come together in a single
conference,” commented Tom Attendees at the Catholic Health
Initiatives Quality and Risk
Mio, RPh, vice president of
Management Conference
perused the exhibits.
health services, LakeWood
Health Center, Baudette, Minn. “It is so apparent that the
two disciplines need each other, and I applaud Catholic
Health Initiatives for the foresight to not only plan such a
conference but also to finance attendance. The lessons
learned and the networking experienced by all in attendance will allow for the rapid spread of knowledge
throughout the system.”
“For all types of hospitalists, the demand definitely exceeds
the supply,” said Ward. “Nationwide, there is about one
hospitalist for every five openings. One other interesting
thing about hospitalist programs is that it is very rare for
them to fail. Difficulties usually arise only when a program
is understaffed. Otherwise, hospitalist programs are highly
successful.”
For more information about the results of Catholic Health
Initiatives’ recent survey of hospitalist programs, visit the
Hospitalist Community on Inside CHI or contact Cary
Ward at [email protected].
Anita Baker of St. Mary’s Healthcare Center, Pierre, S.D., holds the hospital’s
Core Measure Top Performer award for the Surgical Care Improvement
Project. She is joined by Catholic Health Initiatives leaders (from left)
Kathy Sanford, chief nursing officer; John Anderson, chief medical officer;
and Mitch Melfi, chief risk officer.
5 | Initiatives
Saint Clare’s Officially
Joins Catholic Health
Initiatives
Catholic Health Initiatives now includes
76 hospitals in 20 states
Saint Clare’s Health System, Denville,
N.J., officially transferred its sponsorship affiliation from Marian Health
System to Catholic Health Initiatives
on April 1. The change in affiliation for
northwest New Jersey’s largest community health system came with the support
of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother,
the founding order of Saint Clare’s.
The transfer received all necessary
approvals from the Catholic Church
and the government. The event was
formally celebrated during an inclusion
ritual held in Denville on April 4.
Saint Clare’s Health System has served
the health care needs of northwestern
New Jersey residents since 1895. It
is the region’s premier provider of
community-based health care and
behavioral health services. Saint Clare’s
operates four hospital campuses,
located in Boonton Township, Denville,
Dover and Sussex, and numerous other
facilities throughout the region. As one
of the region’s largest employers, Saint
Clare’s has approximately 3,500 employees and a medical staff of more
than 700.
“Saint Clare’s is well-known and
respected for delivering quality,
compassionate care,” said Kevin
Lofton, president and chief executive
officer of Catholic Health Initiatives.
“We believe that our affiliation presents
many opportunities to enhance care
delivery and improve the overall health
of the people and communities Saint
Clare’s serves.”
Robert Lanik, interim president of
Saint Clare’s, praised the vision and
efforts that made the affiliation with
Catholic Health Initiatives possible.
“After intensive preparation at many
levels of the organization, we are
pleased that this ‘marriage’ with
Catholic Health Initiatives is now
complete,” he said. “With the support
and guidance of Catholic Health Initiatives and the ability to tap into a wealth
of expertise at other Catholic Health
Initiatives | 6
A group of Saint Clare’s leaders stand by a sign that
identifies Saint Clare’s Hospital, Boonton Township,
as part of Catholic Health Initiatives. From left are
Joseph Marsicovete, vice president, administrative
and regulatory services; Frances Renn, SSM; Jean
Bronock-Zaccone, chief nursing officer and vice
president, behavioral health; Catherine Marie Belongia, SSM, executive vice president, sponsorship;
and Robert Lanik, interim president.
Initiatives’ facilities, Saint Clare’s
can successfully position its facilities,
programs and services to meet the
demands of our community, both now
and in the future. The common mission
of both organizations makes this new
relationship an ideal fit for Saint Clare’s.”
The affiliation with Catholic Health
Initiatives will allow Saint Clare’s to
further strengthen its Catholic health
care mission. The main objective of the
new affiliation is for Saint Clare’s to
grow its programs and services, expand
facilities, improve technology and
strengthen leadership in the local and
regional marketplace. Catholic Health
Initiatives plans to make capital investments that will assist in the expansion,
renovation and construction of Saint
Clare’s facilities, as well as in the enhancement of technology, programs
and services.
A new president and chief executive
officer, Leslie Hirsch, has been named
and will begin his new duties in mid-May.
(From left) Official documents were signed by Gary Campbell, senior
vice president and group executive officer, Catholic Health Initiatives;
Michael Rowan, executive vice president and chief operating officer,
Catholic Health Initiatives; and Sylvia Egan, SSM, provincial for the
U.S./Caribbean Province of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother.
Until then, Lanik will continue to serve
as interim president.
Lofton thanked all those who were
directly involved in the transaction,
integration leadership and planning
efforts related to the new affiliation,
including Lanik; Gary Campbell, senior
vice president and group executive officer for Catholic Health Initiatives; and
numerous members of the Catholic
Health Initiatives transaction and integration teams. “Due to their efforts,
Saint Clare’s will hit the ground running
as our newest market-based organization,” Lofton said. “We look forward to
a mutually beneficial relationship that
will strengthen the mission and presence of Catholic health care.”
With the addition of Saint Clare’s
Health System and its four hospitals,
Catholic Health Initiatives now includes
76 hospitals; 42 long-term care, assisted
and independent living and residential
facilities; and two community-based
health organizations located in 20 states.
Members of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, the founding order of Saint
Clare’s, include (from left) Loyola Schmidt, SSM; Johnice Thone, SSM; Sylvia
Egan, SSM; Nancy Henley, SSM; Gillian Jerome, novice; Mary Joan Phillips,
SSM; and Michel Malolepsy, SSM.
Hirsch to Lead Saint Clare’s
Health System
Leslie Hirsch was named president and chief
executive officer of Saint Clare’s Health System, Denville, N.J. His appointment became
official on April 1, when Saint Clare’s joined
Catholic Health Initiatives. He will begin his
new duties in May. Hirsch has 30 years of experience in health care, including leadership
positions with providers in New Jersey and
experience in Catholic health care. He was
previously president and chief executive
officer of Touro Infirmary, a major, inner-city Leslie Hirsch
teaching hospital in New Orleans with more than 500 licensed beds and 2,000
employees. Hirsch joined Touro one week before Hurricane Katrina, then led the
evacuation of more than 200 patients during the storm. He also led the reopening
of Touro, which was the first hospital in New Orleans to reopen, and restored operations to near full capacity within one year. Hirsch has also served as president
and chief executive officer of Exempla St. Joseph Hospital, Denver, Colo., and
Cooper Health System, Camden, N.J. He holds a master’s degree in public health
from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Rutherford, N.J., and a bachelor’s degree in
political science from William Paterson University, Wayne, N.J. He is a Fellow of
the American College of Healthcare Executives.
7 | Initiatives
Catholic Health Initiatives Continues
Commitment to Socially Responsible Investing
Catholic Health Initiatives’ commitment to socially responsible investing includes
the Direct Community Investment Program and shareholder activism.
Direct Community
Investment Program
Northern California
Community Loan Fund
The Direct Community Investment
Program seeks to achieve the goal of
lending two percent of the total Operating Investment Program assets to organizations that promote access to health
care, housing and jobs for underserved
populations. Catholic Health Initiatives’
Social Responsibility Investment Staff
Committee recently approved four
direct community investments:
San Francisco, Calif.
Calvert Foundation
Bethesda, Md.
Investment amount: $10 million
The Calvert Foundation offers Calvert
Community Investment Notes to individuals and institutions to channel
resources to direct investments in
community development financial
organizations. The Foundation invests
in nonprofit organizations with proven
track records that demonstrate strong
management, effective operations,
good financial performance and sound
capitalization. With a record of only
.02 percent in loan losses, the Calvert
Foundation demonstrates that community development investments can yield
both consistent financial performance
and social returns. The investment in
Calvert Community Investment Notes
allows CHI to be an active participant
in the distribution of the loan funds.
Initiatives | 8
Loan amount: $1 million ($500,000
loan renewal, $500,000 new loan)
The primary purpose of the Northern
California Community Loan Fund
(NCCLF) is to revitalize low-income
communities through lending and
technical assistance to nonprofit organizations. NCCLF seeks to strengthen the
economic base of low-income communities by lending to nonprofit organizations that typically have limited access to
financing from traditional lenders. This
is the third investment made by Catholic
Health Initiatives in NCCLF. This new
investment will allow NCCLF to expand
its capacity to make direct loans to
organizations that meet the needs of
low-income communities throughout
Northern California.
Financing Ozarks Rural
Growth & Economy
Huntsville, Ark.
Loan amount: $500,000 (renewal)
Financing Ozarks Rural Growth & Economy (FORGE) is a revolving loan fund
that provides loans to farmers, small
businesses, home-based business and
recent immigrants. The mission of
FORGE is to promote and enhance the
quality of life and economic sustainability
of agricultural communities by linking
investors to borrowers, urban communities to rural communities, consumers
to producers and low-income groups
with basic affordable credit. FORGE’s
primary service area is the Ozark region,
where poverty in rural counties ranges
from 14 to 27 percent of the population.
This loan renewal will be used to assist
FORGE in expanding its lending into
rural housing and small business loans.
Northcountry Cooperative
Development Fund
Minneapolis, Minn.
Loan amount: $500,000 (renewal)
The Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund (NCDF) is a member-owned
financial intermediary that provides
loans to cooperative enterprises. Its
mission is to promote economic equity
and community stability through loans
to producer, worker, housing and consumer cooperatives in the upper Midwest. Loans are targeted to low-income
communities and used for expansions,
relocations, equipment, improvements,
start-ups, real estate, home ownership
and working capital needs. The loan
provided by Catholic Health Initiatives
will support the lending activities of
NCDF.
Shareholder Activism
Catholic Health Initiatives also co-filed
shareholder resolutions with several
pharmaceutical and tobacco companies
for the 2008 proxy season. This marks
the eighth year of Catholic Health Initiatives’ involvement in shareholder resolutions, which are filed in collaboration
with other mission-based investors.
The resolutions filed with pharmaceutical
firms address Catholic Health Initiatives’
deep concern about the current state of
the national health care system and the
need for reform. These resolutions were
filed with Abbott Laboratories, BristolMyers Squibb Co., Johnson & Johnson,
Merck & Co., Pfizer, Inc., ScheringPlough Corp., and Wyeth. A resolution
filed with Eli Lilly asks that company to
establish a policy that separates the roles
of chief executive officer and chair. The
separation of these roles would help facilitate an independent board structure
that could improve the board’s ability to
address complex issues, such as access
to pharmaceuticals for disadvantaged
populations.
The resolutions filed with tobacco
companies focus on four issues:
䡲
Stopping youth-oriented ad campaigns.
This resolution was filed with Altria
Group, Inc. Catholic Health Initiatives
believes that tobacco companies have
not sufficiently reviewed advertising
campaigns to assure they effectively
discourage smoking, which the
companies claim is the intent. The
resolution requests the company’s
board to stop these advertising efforts
unless they are proven to be effective
in reducing teen smoking.
䡲
䡲
䡲
Discontinuing marketing that targets
African-American communities.
This resolution was filed with Loews
Corporation. Research has shown
significantly higher tobacco use in
this population.
Reducing the nicotine in cigarettes.
This resolution was filed with
Reynolds American, Inc. The production and sale of nicotine-reduced or
nicotine-free cigarettes for smokers
could ultimately reduce smoking
health hazards.
Endorsing health care principles.
This resolution was filed with UST,
Inc., which manufactures and markets
smokeless tobacco products. Catholic
Health Initiatives asked the company
to assume the responsibility to advocate for health care reform, given that
tobacco products, including “smokeless” products, contribute to individual health hazards.
The proxy voting for these resolutions
will take place in April and May. During
the coming months, Catholic Health
Initiatives advocacy staff will continue to
dialogue with the companies to discuss
the issues outlined in the resolutions.
2 0 0 8 N AT I O N A L
LEADERSHIP
CONFERENCE
Focus on
the Future
Our Commitment to
Transform Health Care
SAVE THE DATE
October 8–11, 2008
Phoenix, Arizona
JW Marriott Desert Ridge
Who Should Attend: The National
Leadership Conference is for
market-based board, executive
and physician leaders and
national leadership.
Watch for conference details
and registration information
in the coming months!
9 | Initiatives
Immersion Experience in
Belize Reveals Wealth of Spirit
Among the poor of Belize, the Sisters of
Charity of Nazareth and organizations with
which they collaborate are working to build
healthy communities. Diane Jones, vice
president of healthy communities for
Catholic Health Initiatives and executive
director of Global Health Initiatives, accompanied members of the Sisters of Charity
of Nazareth on a recent immersion trip to
the Central American country.
in Hand Ministries, a Christian ministry
based in Louisville, Ky., that works to provide
child care, education and homes for the poor
of Belize City. In fact, the immersion group’s
main task during their week in Belize was
the building of a home.
“This experience gave me a much better
understanding of the global ministry of
building healthy communities and the type
of work our market-based organizations and
participating congregations are doing
abroad,” said Jones. “We spent time in
Belize City and in Las Flores, a village
outside the capital city of Belmopan. It was
truly inspiring to see the work being done
and meet the people doing it.”
Jones was part of a group of 14 who traveled
to Belize, led by Luke Boiarski, SCN, and
Nancy Gerth, SCN. They gathered at the
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth’s Motherhouse
in Nazareth, Ky., on January 19 for a weekend
orientation to the immersion experience.
“The group included people from different
backgrounds – including farmers, a teacher,
a priest, a nurse who had served in Vietnam
and a grandmother,” said Jones. “The
missioning service held in the chapel at
the Motherhouse was a very powerful
experience for all of us.”
When the group arrived in Belize on January
21, they were struck by the “stunning contrast
of beauty and stark need,” as Sisters Luke
and Nancy wrote in a blog that chronicled
the experience. The group stayed at the
Starfish Center, which is operated by Hand
Initiatives | 10
The group also visited several other ministry
programs. “We visited a day care center run
by Hand in Hand Ministries, where the
nurse is a Sister of Charity of Nazareth who
cares for children affected by HIV/AIDS,”
said Jones. “We also visited Lucky Strike, a
small town north of Belize City, where Hand
in Hand Ministries supports a school and
provides a lunch that is the only meal many
of the children have each day.”
After Sandra’s house was finished, the group
spent a day in Las Flores. “Most people in
Las Flores are refugees from violence
in Honduras and Guatemala,” said Jones.
“The community is very rural and like a
large, extended family, where most are
poor, but everyone is welcome. It was a
contrast to Belize City, which is more urban
and challenged by crime and overcrowding.”
Dorothy Thomas, SCN, (left) embraces new
homeowner Sandra Reid.
While the house is simple, with no plumbing
or electrical wiring, it is very precious to
Sandra Reid and her family. “Those people
who do the practical work to build the house
are the sweetest brothers and sisters I have
ever met,” Sandra wrote in a letter of thanks.
“They work in unity which is strength, in the
rain and sun. This is the most beautiful gift
I ever received, a home that is built with
love, laughter and hard work.”
More than half of the population of Las
Flores is under the age of 15, and three
sisters who live there work to meet their
educational needs. They also teach cooking
and sewing skills to the women of the community. “The women make rosary beads to
help raise funds to build a modest library,”
said Jones. “One of the women gave us a gift
of five sets of rosary beads that she had
made. That is just one example of how
generous and faith-filled the people of
Las Flores are.”
The spirit of the people she met is Jones’
most vivid impression of all that she saw in
Belize. “The immersion experience was very
humbling, and just as rewarding.” she said
“It will help us as we work to find new ways
to help sustain the global ministries of
Catholic Health Initiatives, our facilities
and our participating congregations.”
Catholic Health Initiatives Partners
with Practice Greenhealth
Catholic Health Initiatives is partnering with Practice Greenhealth, a nonprofit organization, to identify, implement, track
and recognize improved environmental performance within
its facilities.
“A commitment to the environment demonstrates Catholic
Health Initiatives’ commitment to healthy communities,”
said Dennis Smith, assistant director of facility services and
chair of Catholic Health Initiatives’ Environmental and Energy
Task Force. “Our partnership with Practice Greenhealth will
support our facilities in their work toward environmental
sustainability.”
Environmental improvement initiatives are already underway
throughout Catholic Health Initiatives. For example, Franciscan Health System, Tacoma, Wash., has been recognized with
Environmental Excellence Awards from Practice Greenhealth.
The system’s environmental improvement initiatives include
mercury elimination, recycling and reduction of regulated
medical waste.
St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma, saved $10,000 on solid
waste disposal during 2007 as a result of recycling, transitioning
to reusable sharps containers and implementing a system for
fluid management in operating rooms. Some of the materials
the hospital recycles are cardboard, fluorescent light bulbs,
used cooking oil, batteries, paper and construction debris.
The transition to reusable sharps containers reduced plastic
waste by 50,000 pounds per year. The installation of the fluid
management system means that fluids previously collected in
suction canisters and removed as regulated medical waste now
go directly to the sewer, eliminating the need for more than
38,000 suction canisters per year. Reprocessing of single use
devices diverted eight tons of materials from landfills,
for annual savings of $191,501.
In addition, St. Joseph switched to more environmentally
friendly general purpose cleaners, resulting in improved air
quality. The laboratory eliminated the use of xylene for tissue
processing, and now recycles formalin for reuse.
St. Joseph’s current environmental goals are to further increase
its recycling rate and implement food waste composting. The
medical center also plans to host a community farmers market
and establish a roof garden for growing herbs and tomatoes to
use in the cafeteria. “It’s amazing how much we can accomplish
when we work together,” said Rozi Arends, value analysis manager for Franciscan Health System. “It’s our ethical obligation
to improve the environmental impact of providing quality care.”
Arends said that three of Franciscan’s hospitals have received
positive local press through their environmental achievements.
St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma; St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood; and St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way, have all received
the Partner for Change Award by reducing waste at least 10
percent and implementing programs for the elimination
of mercury.
“A commitment to the environment
demonstrates Catholic Health Initiatives’
commitment to healthy communities.”
The partnership with Practice Greenhealth is designed to help
more Catholic Health Initiatives facilities achieve their
environmental improvement goals and receive recognition for
those achievements. Practice Greenhealth holds monthly
educational Webinars on a variety of green building and
greener operations topics. Each Catholic Health Initiatives
facility has an identification number to participate in these
calls: for more information, contact Julie Taylor at
[email protected] or 603-795-9966.
Catholic Health Initiatives’ employees can also join an
interactive list serve on health care environmental issues
at http://cms.h2e-online.org/listserv/.
Practice Greenhealth and Catholic Health Initiatives will also
be working together to develop a plan for data collection, goal
setting, program administration, tracking and recognition.
To learn more about the partnership, contact Dennis Smith
at [email protected] or 785-320-7457.
11 | Initiatives
Strategic Initiatives
People
Catholic Health Initiatives
Has Three of Kentucky’s
Best Places to Work
Catholic Health Initiatives’ Northern Kentucky
office, Erlanger; Saint Joseph HealthCare,
Lexington; and Our Lady of the Way Hospital
(now known as Saint Joseph Martin), Martin,
were included in the list of The Best Places to
Work in Kentucky for 2008. The fourth annual
competition was sponsored by Humana, Inc.
and the Kentucky Society for Human Resource
Management, in conjunction with the Kentucky
Chamber of Commerce. A total of 50 employers
received awards. The selections were based
on an assessment of each company’s employee policies and procedures, as well as
the results of an internal employee survey.
Memorial Named One of
Tennessee’s Best Employers
Saint Elizabeth Exceeds
Flu Vaccination Goal
Soldier in Iraq Witnesses Birth of
Son at Good Samaritan in Kearney
Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center,
Lincoln, Neb., achieved a 94 percent influenza
vaccination rate among associates with a
football-themed campaign called “Game On!”
The campaign began with a “Breakfast of
Champions” presentation and vaccinations
for Saint Elizabeth’s leaders. As departments
throughout Saint Elizabeth organized to reach
vaccination rates of 90 to 100 percent, a large
football field poster displayed the campaign’s
progress in terms of “yards gained.” The final
vaccination rate among Saint Elizabeth’s associates exceeded the goal of 90 percent. For
more information, contact Jo Miller of Saint
Elizabeth at [email protected].
Kyle Gilliland, a lance corporal serving in Iraq
with the U.S. Marine Reserves, was able to
watch the birth of his son in Kearney, Neb.,
on March 10, thanks to telemedicine equipment
at Good Samaritan Hospital and the work of
a nonprofit organization called Freedom Calls.
Freedom Calls provides free video conference
calls to soldiers serving in Iraq for important
life events. The Gilliland family’s call was
connected through Good Samaritan’s
telemedicine equipment and a satellite uplink.
Gilliland’s wife, Patty Gilliland, gave birth to
Kyson Wayne Gilliland with her husband
present via a 20-inch monitor. For more
information, contact Marsha Wilkerson
of Good Samaritan at
[email protected].
Memorial Health Care System, Chattanooga,
Tenn., was named one of the Best Employers
in Tennessee by Business Tennessee magazine. “We are honored to be recognized for
the fourth time,” said Deb Moore, Memorial’s
interim president and chief executive officer.
“Recognition is one of the many blessings
that result from a dedication to providing exceptional care with a compassionate spirit.”
The award program was created by
Business Tennessee in partnership with the
Society for Human Resource ManagementTennessee State Council, the Tennessee
Chamber of Commerce and Industry and
Best Companies Group.
Telemedicine equipment at Good Samaritan Hospital, Kearney, Neb., allowed Kyle Gilliland, a Marine
lance corporal serving in Iraq, to witness the birth of his first child.
Initiatives | 12
Quality
Four Catholic Health
Initiatives Hospitals on
100 Top Hospitals List
Thomson Healthcare’s list of the nation’s 100
Top Hospitals for 2007 includes four Catholic
Health Initiatives hospitals:
From left to right are Fran Scheuring, PBDS coordinator, St. Vincent; Jill Aplin and Denise Smith
of Catholic Health Initiatives’ National Clinical Competency Program; Susi Pultz, clinical educator,
St. Vincent; Sherry West, clinical educator, Memorial; and Linda Orr, surgery educator, St. Vincent.
Leading Practices in Clinical
Competency Development
Shared Across System
America’s 50 Best Hospitals
Include Three from Catholic
Health Initiatives
The staff of Catholic Health Initiatives’ National Clinical Competency Program recently
facilitated a meeting of clinical educators
from two market-based organizations for the
purpose of sharing leading practices related
to the development of critical thinking skills.
During the meeting, staff from St. Vincent
Health System, Little Rock, Ark., shared their
enhancements to the development of clinical
competencies through Catholic Health Initiatives’ Performance Based Development
System with representatives of Memorial
Health Care System, Chattanooga, Tenn.
St. Vincent’s enhancements were later
shared with more market-based organizations
through a system-wide conference call. “We
have created a community of clinical educators across Catholic Health Initiatives who
are eager to share their leading practices,”
said Debbi Honey, vice president of clinical
operations for Catholic Health Initiatives.
“That’s part of the power of being a system.
We can use our resources more effectively
when we work together.”
Three of Catholic Health Initiatives’
organizations are on the list of America’s
50 Best Hospitals recently released by
HealthGrades:
䡲
Jewish Hospital, including Sts. Mary
& Elizabeth Hospital, Louisville, Ky.
䡲
Memorial Health Care System
Chattanooga,Tenn.
䡲
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services
Colorado Springs, Colo.
To identify the 50 best hospitals, HealthGrades analyzed approximately 100 million
hospitalization records from the years 1999 to
2006. To be listed among the 50 best, facilities
had to demonstrate clinical outcomes among
the top five percent in the nation across 27
different procedures and diagnoses for all of
the years studied. These hospitals were
found to have an average 27 percent lower
mortality rate than all other U.S. hospitals.
䡲
Flaget Memorial Hospital
Bardstown, Ky.
䡲
Good Samaritan Hospital
Cincinnati, Ohio
䡲
Memorial Health Care System
Chattanooga,Tenn.
䡲
St. Joseph East, Lexington, Ky.
Hospitals named to the 100 Top Hospitals:
Benchmarks for Success list are raising the
bar for health care nationwide, according
to Thomson. Thomson estimates that if all
Medicare patients received the same level
of care as those in the 100 Top Hospitals,
more than 120,000 additional patients would
survive each year. In addition, expenses
would decline by $6.2 billion a year and the
average patient stay would decrease by
more than half a day.
Catholic Health Initiatives
has Distinguished Hospitals
for Clinical Excellence
Several Catholic Health Initiatives hospitals
were named Distinguished Hospitals for
Clinical Excellence for 2008 as a result of
HealthGrades’ latest Hospital Quality and
Clinical Excellence study. The study identifies
hospitals in the top five percent nationally in
terms of mortality and complication rates for
27 procedures and diagnoses. To name the
hospitals that are in the top five percent for
clinical excellence, HealthGrades analyzed
nearly 41 million hospitalizations that occurred
during 2004, 2005 and 2006 at all 4,971 of the
nation’s nonfederal hospitals. Catholic Health
13 | Initiatives
Strategic Initiatives
Initiatives hospitals that received the Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence
designation include:
䡲
Good Samaritan Hospital
Cincinnati, Ohio
䡲
Good Samaritan Hospital
Dayton, Ohio
䡲
Memorial Health Care System
Chattanooga,Tenn.
䡲
Mercy Medical Center
Des Moines, Iowa
䡲
Mercy Medical Center, Roseburg, Ore.
䡲
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services
Colorado Springs, Colo.
䡲
䡲
St. Joseph Medical Center
Towson, Md.
Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital
Louisville, Ky.
Most Highly Integrated Health
Care Networks Include Three
from Catholic Health Initiatives
Three organizations within Catholic Health
Initiatives were included in the 2008 IHN 100®,
the annual list of the most highly integrated
health networks (IHNs) compiled by Verispan.
Verispan evaluates IHNs on their performance
and degree of integration. All three of the
Catholic Health Initiatives organizations on
the list were in the top 25 percent. Franciscan
Health System, Tacoma, Wash., ranked sixth;
Alegent Health, Omaha, Neb., ranked ninth;
and TriHealth, Cincinnati, Ohio, ranked 25th.
Verispan evaluated each IHNs ability to
operate as a unified organization in eight
categories, including integration, integrated
technology, contractual capabilities, outpatient utilization, financial stability, services
and access, hospital utilization and physicians.
Initiatives | 14
Continuing Care Hospital Presents
Clinical Improvements
Mercy-Des Moines Receives
AHA From the Heart Award
Continuing Care Hospital, located within
Saint Joseph East, Lexington, Ky., achieved
excellent outcomes with two clinical initiatives. Continuing Care Hospital is a long-term
acute care hospital with an average length
of stay of 25 days. The hospital’s first goal
was to reduce the rate of hospital-acquired
pressure ulcers days by 50 percent. Steps
taken included hiring a full-time wound care
nurse and educating the entire nursing staff.
As a result, the hospital exceeded its goal
and had no incidence of pressure ulcers for
eight consecutive months during 2007.
Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines, Iowa,
received the From the Heart Award from
the American Heart Association at the 15th
Annual Greater Des Moines Heart Ball on
February 16. The award, recognized Mercy’s
Level 1 Heart Attack Protocol. The protocol
has helped establish an average time to
primary coronary intervention for Mercy’s
patients of just 55 minutes, among the best
in the nation. For more information, contact
Gregg Lagan of Mercy-Des Moines at
[email protected].
The hospital’s second goal was to reduce
the monthly rate of hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
infections by 50 percent. Steps taken included
educating the nursing staff and ancillary staff
on hand hygiene guidelines, using “secret
shoppers” to monitor hand hygiene compliance, and holding staff accountable for compliance with hand hygiene guidelines. As a
result, the MRSA rate decreased more than
50 percent and there was no incidence of
hospital-acquired MRSA infection for four
consecutive months during 2007.
Continuing Care Hospital shared these results
through poster presentations at the 2008
Catholic Health Initiatives Quality and Risk
Management Conference and at the Institute
for Healthcare Improvement’s 2007 National
Quality Conference. For more information,
contact Megan Walker of
Continuing Care Hospital
at [email protected].
St. Anthony Home Health
Program Among Elite 100
Petit Jean Home Health, the home care
program of St. Anthony’s Medical Center,
Morrilton, Ark., was named to the 2007
HomeCare Elite Top 100. The HomeCare Elite
index is a compilation of the most successful
Medicare-certified home health providers
in the U.S. The review is conducted by OCS,
a health care informatics firm. Petit Jean
Home Health also received a National Best
Practice Agency commendation and
a BestWorks Award of Distinction.
The Petit Jean Home Health team at
St. Anthony’s Medical Center, Morrilton,
Ark., was recognized as providing one of
the nation’s top 100 home health services.
Growth
Stewardship
Announcements
Avon Foundation Awards Grant
to Memorial Health Care System
St. Catherine Provides
Free Smoke Detectors
Swagger Named CEO
at St. Thomas More
The Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund
awarded a $50,000 grant to Memorial Health
Care System, Chattanooga, Tenn. The oneyear grant supports Memorial’s work to
increase awareness of the life-saving
benefits of early detection of breast cancer.
This is the seventh year that Memorial has
received funding from the Avon Foundation.
The MaryEllen Locher Breast Center at
Memorial will continue outreach efforts
through its Mobile Mammography program,
which provides breast health education and
screenings in 23 counties. Memorial will
also use the funds to continue promotion
of the Tennessee Breast and Cervical Care
Program, a service available to uninsured
and underserved women. For more information, contact Kathy Dittmar of the MaryEllen
Locher Breast Center at Memorial at
[email protected].
St. Catherine Hospital, Garden City, Kan.,
received a grant through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to
provide free smoke detectors to eligible
families. The hospital received 300 smoke
detectors to distribute to low-income families
and senior citizens. The Garden City Fire
Department has agreed to install the smoke
detectors. “Three hundred smoke detectors
may not seem like enough, but if it saves
one person’s life, it’s worth it,” said Scott
Taylor, president and chief executive officer
of St. Catherine. “Helping promote health
and safety in the community is part of the
hospital’s mission.” For more information,
contact Janie Wimmer of St. Catherine
at [email protected].
Diane Swagger is the new chief executive
officer of St. Thomas More Hospital, Canon
City, Colo. Swagger has more than 20 years
of experience in health care. She previously
served as interim chief executive officer and
vice president of patient care at St. Thomas
More. She joined St. Thomas More from
Hammond Henry Hospital, Genesco, Ill.,
where she served as vice president of patient
care services. She holds a bachelor’s degree
in nursing from the University of Illinois and
a master’s degree in health services administration from the University of St. Francis,
Joliet, Ill.
Good Samaritan to Acquire
Dayton Heart Hospital
Good Samaritan Hospital, Dayton, Ohio,
will acquire the assets of Dayton Heart
Hospital for $55 million. Good Samaritan
will begin responsibility for operation of the
heart hospital on May 17. Dayton Heart Hospital will become known as Dayton Heart
and Vascular Hospital, sponsored by Good
Samaritan Hospital. It will remain in its current location until it becomes part of a $31
million heart and vascular facility currently
under construction on the Good Samaritan
campus. That facility is anticipated to open
in August 2009.
(Left to right) Scott Taylor, president and chief
executive officer of St. Catherine Hospital, Garden City, Kan., and Allan Shelton, chief of the
local fire department, show some of the smoke
detectors provided through a grant from the
Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Pancoast Promoted To President
of Premier Health Partners
James Pancoast, president and chief
executive officer of Good Samaritan Hospital,
Dayton, Ohio, was promoted to president of
Premier Health Partners, Dayton. Premier
Health Partners, a joint operating agreement
between Catholic Health Initiatives and
MedAmerica Health Systems Corporation,
includes Good Samaritan Hospital. Tom
Breitenbach, previously president and chief
executive officer of Premier, will remain CEO.
Pancoast will continue to serve as CEO of
Good Samaritan until a successor is named.
Rucker Named Interim
Vice President, Finance
Craig Rucker was named interim vice
president of finance for Catholic Health
Initiatives. He will work with the operations
group led by Beth O’Brien, senior vice
president and group executive officer.
Rucker has 17 years of experience in health
care. Most recently, he served as senior vice
president and chief financial officer for
Covenant Health System of Texas. He is
based in the Northern Kentucky office.
15 | Initiatives
Initiatives
Exton Central Business Office Dedicated and Blessed
Catholic Health Initiatives’ Central Business Office in Exton, Pa., held a dedication and blessing
ceremony on January 25 in its new location at 367 Eagleview Boulevard, Exton. Michael Fordyce,
chief administrative officer for Catholic Health Initiatives, provided the welcome, and Reverend
Joseph Logrip led the blessing ceremony. Pictured from left to right are (front row) Ann Birney,
Terry Hansell, Cheryl McGovern, Colleen Blye (back row) Michael Fordyce, Joseph Scargle,
Peter Savini, Susan Allmond, Betty Malloy and Joyce Klawansky.
Initiatives is published by Catholic Health
Initiatives. Please direct submissions for
articles, questions, comments or mailing
list changes in writing to:
Initiatives
Communications Office
Catholic Health Initiatives
1999 Broadway, Suite 4000
Denver, CO 80202
fax: 303/298-9690
e-mail: [email protected]
Submission Guidelines
Please send photos, news releases or
brief announcements on successful
healthy community initiatives, unique
clinical and service advancements,
new partnership activities, awards
and recognitions and appointments
of executives. Submissions should include contact information.
www.catholichealthinitiatives.org
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