Catholic Healthcare West is now Dignity Health [old, but did you know this??]

Dignity Health ^ | 1/23/2012

[markomalley]

San Francisco – January 23, 2012 – Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), the fifth largest health system in the nation, announced today that it has changed its name to Dignity Health as part of a governance restructure that will position the organization to succeed in a changing health care environment.

“This name and structure reflect who we are and what we stand for,” said Sr. Judy Carle, vice chair of the Dignity Health Board of Directors and a Sister of Mercy. “The value of dignity is embedded in our culture. Our mission, vision and values were all formed out of the recognition of the inherent dignity of each person. We are confident that our vision for the organization will be achieved.”

Under the new governance structure, Dignity Health is a not-for-profit organization, rooted in the Catholic tradition, but is not an official ministry of the Catholic Church. The new structure and name enable the organization to grow nationally, while preserving the identity and integrity of both its Catholic and non-Catholic hospitals. The organization’s Catholic hospitals will continue to be Catholic, directly sponsored by their founding congregations, and adhering to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. Dignity Health’s non-Catholic hospitals will continue to be non-Catholic, adhering to the Statement of Common Values.

The changes follow several years of discussions between the organization’s sponsoring congregations, board of directors, and management team about the future of health care and how to best extend its healing mission. Dignity Health’s long term strategic plan is focused on integrated care and enhanced quality that reduces costs. Growth plans anticipate expanded partnerships, which will include both Catholic and non-Catholic care centers. The system currently owns or operates 25 Catholic hospitals and 15 non-Catholic hospitals.

Lloyd H. Dean, the organization’s president/chief executive officer said that the changes would enhance the organization’s ability to work across the spectrum of health care and expand partnerships to deliver high-quality care more efficiently. “Changing our name to Dignity Health reflects our commitment to excellent care for all in need and to being a national leader in quality care,” Dean said. “The new structure supports our long-term plan to grow and coordinate care, while reinforcing our mission of service to the communities we are so privileged to serve.”

[markomalley]

I was in the process of looking some stuff up to respond to another post and stumbled upon this. I hadn't heard anything about it (and if it was discussed a couple of years ago and I missed it, my apologies)

As a matter of some background, for those who may not recall, this revolves around the case of Sister Margaret McBride, a Sisters of Mercy (RSM) sister who was the administrator of St Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix (part of what was formerly Catholic Healthcare West -- CHW). She approved an abortion for a woman. This resulted in her automatically (latae sententiae) excommunicating herself from the Church, a fact that was formally confirmed by the local diocesan bishop Thomas Olmsted. This created all manner of bruhaha. Despite the fact that the bishop confirmed that Sr McBride excommunicated herself, the RSM order and the hospital chain (CHW) rejected his declaration and continued to act as if nothing significant happened (except that mean old bishop acting as some sort of right-wing zealot).

As a side-note for non-Catholics and Catholics who aren't all that familiar with how the Church bureaucracy works, religious orders of pontifical right, like the RSM, are not directly under the control of the local diocesan bishop but operate in a diocese with the consent of that diocesan bishop. Since CHW's governance operated under the aegis of the RSM order, the bishop's influence was greatly stinted. This becomes important as you will see below

To show the extent of how this blew up, Bishop Olmsted revoked St Joseph's permission to call itself a "Catholic" hospital (source) and it got so elevated that the then San Francisco Archbishop, George Niederauer, had unsuccessful talks with the leadership of CHW, of which St Joseph's was a part, to get them to change their policies and actually support the teachings of the Church (source). [as a side note, we are not talking about the current Archbishop, Cordileone, we are talking about his somewhat feckless predecessor...that's saying something].

While I don't see the results of the discussions published anywhere (which, in of itself, is not surprising), their ultimate outcome is fairly obvious: rather than bending their policies to be in compliance with the teachings of the Church, the entire CHW chain decided to disaffiliate itself with the Church and become a secular non-profit that is "rooted in the Catholic tradition." [barf].

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So what?

This shows a couple of things:

• First, this is what happens when an apostolate becomes too tightly ingrained with government money (in this case, Medicare and Medicaid). They become utterly dependent upon government handouts rather than upon alms, and as a result, they will voluntarily compromise their beliefs in order to maintain that money flow.
• Second, this shows what happens when the corporal works of mercy performed as a charism of the religious order becomes the primary focus rather than keeping Christ as the center of the religious order (and expressing that relationship through the performance of the works of mercy).

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Obviously, this is IMHO.

And, again, if this change was discussed a couple of years ago and I missed it, I apologize.

(I thought, in light of several dioceses currently working in close collaboration with the Øbama administration facilitating the massive invasion of our country, this would still be a timely discussion)

[relictele]

position the organization to succeed in a changing health care environment.

It isn't changing. It's being eliminated and/or socialized.

'Dignity' is an especially ironic choice even if they don't realize it, as 'Dignity' is invariably used as a euphemism when discussing assisted suicide (read: state-sanctioned homicide).

[markomalley]

'Dignity' is an especially ironic choice even if they don't realize it

Oh, they recognize it. 'Dignity' is also the name of a heterodox group that is trying to affirm that homosexuals can be sodomites and good Catholics at the same time.

(Read my rather extensive comment at post #1). The religious order who sponsored this "Dignity" health is also the religious order of the infamous "Sister" Margaret Farley, who is a pro-homosexual activist and co-founder of the condemned "New Ways" ministry, a group even more radical than "Dignity."

(Oh, by the way, if you don't have the connection yet, consider that the headquarters of "Dignity Health" is San Francisco)

[markomalley]

ping

[Mrs. Don-o]

Also, "Dignity" is the name of the dissident Catholic homosexual group which various bishops forbade to use church facilities in the late 1980's. One of their founders, "Sr." Jeannine Gramick --- who was forbidden bt the CDF to write or speak on homosexual subjects --- blew that off and joined the Loretto Sisters, who still support her (with no consequences) and is also an activist with the National Coalition of American Nuns (a bogus group which actually gets money from Soros' "open Society" group) and on the Board of the Women's Ordination Conference..

Get the rhetorical context of "Dignity"?

I hate it when they steal words like "Dignity." And even moreso when they steal words like "Catholic."

What does this have to do with this new "post-Catholic" corporate health entity? Oh, nothing... and everything.

[left that other site]

I am very suspicious of the word “Dignity”. It is one of those “words” that the left has appropriated for their own use, like “gay” or “Justice”.

[Mrs. Don-o]

#5 But we shouldn't let them take over "Dignity," "Justice," "Catholic," --- or even the old, innocent, and glad-hearted word "gay."

[left that other site]

No, we should not.

That is why I NEVER use the word “gay’ to describe a homosexual person. I have to stop myself sometimes, but it is a personal thing with me.

[defconw]

When will we be free of feminist sisters? I pray there will be something left when they finally leave this earth. Satan is alive and well.

Thanks for the heads up about the word "Dignity". I will be on the look out.

[Salvation]

I try to remember to always say homosexual rather than use the word ‘gay’. I don’t think they like that.

Another word that they have taken over “rainbow”

[DPMD]

The PR release above carefully avoids any reference to abortion or including abortifacients in its provision of health care. That in itself makes me suspicious.

[BlatherNaut]

"I thought, in light of several dioceses currently working in close collaboration with the Øbama administration facilitating the massive invasion of our country, this would still be a timely discussion"

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"Boston “Catholic” Hospital Flying Rainbow Flag" Even though the hospitals are owned and operated by Steward Health Care, they are legally bound to maintain a Catholic identity. The person on Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s leadership team responsible for overseeing their maintenance of Catholic identity is Fr. Bryan Hehir, Secretary for Social Services and Health Care. Are both the Cardinal and Fr. Hehir aware of this? What have they done?

In addition, as reported at The Tenth Crusade, Carney Hospital just gave financial support to some kind of sex-themed carnival in June sponsored by a local homosexual political activism organization, DotOUT, that featured “strong men and fortune tellers"...

http://bostoncatholicinsider.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/boston-catholic-hospital-flying-rainbow-flag/