Understanding the Mission and Ministry of Catholic Health Care

Are you interested in working in a Catholic health care facility? As many of you know, Catholic health care is one of the world's largest private deliverers' of health services. Today we find many health care institutions evaluating the role of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as it relates to their services and their mission.

Since chiropractic is the leader in alternative care, we are primed to enter into a dialogue with Catholic-sponsored health care facilities. To enter this arena, a provider (you don't have to be Catholic to be employed or contracted) must agree with the mission ideals of such facilities.

The mission content of Catholic health care has a ministry as its foundation, with values that establish its vision and set its direction. The goal of Catholic health care leaders is to see a community-based, integrated delivery network become a reality through its mission values.

The Ministry's Values in Catholic Health Care

1. Human Dignity: to have respect for all, at every stage of life - from womb to natural death.

    

2. Common Good: to look beyond one's own interests for collaborative care and for clinical and cost effectiveness

    

3. Care for the Poor: to address the needs of the vulnerable and the underserved populations.

    

4. Stewardship: working together for the allocation of resources.

    

5. Subsidiarity: to allow health care organizations, communities and providers (and not the regulators) to determine allocation of resources.

These timeless and universal values cross all religious and ethnic boundaries. Those in chiropractic who desire to offer their services to such facilities will find a welcoming, since chiropractic's ultimate mission is to serve the common good.

Reference

A Workbook for Building Relationships with Physicians. Catholic Health Association, St. Louis, Missouri.

Karen Shields-Wright, MS,DC
President, Association for
Catholic Chiropractors
Greenwich,Connecticut