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Access

Catholic healthcare believes healthcare shouldn’t be complicated. Yet, certain barriers and challenges seem to prevent access to care. We think you’d agree that in a perfect world, healthcare should be compassionate and accessible, and have a positive effect on the community. We’re doing our part to keep things simple; the way things should be. We believe anything is possible when healthcare really cares.

When healthcare really cares, it considers the whole person.

We treat the person — the whole person. This means, when healthcare professionals consider the whole person, the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of each patient, we achieve improved health results. And part of our approach to treating the whole person is ensuring every individual and their family feel recognized, listened to, and understood. We’re sure you’re on the same page when we say, when we treat the whole person, everyone heals.

Catholic health systems provide whole-person care, which means they:

Develop strong, authentic patient-provider relationships
Recognize patient experience is of utmost importance
Treat patients with dignity, respect, and authenticity
Take a preventative, comprehensive approach to health

Catholic hospitals employ more than 700,000 full- and part-time workers of different faiths and backgrounds.

Fine-Tuning a Regional Response to Aid Human Trafficking Survivors

There is much more to Angelíca Zuniga than what she has lived through, but she shares her story to be of service to others.

Staff at Dignity Health hospital come together to host wedding for patient with cancer

Since Tomás Hernández started treatment for what is now stage four colorectal cancer, Kassandra Salcedo has stayed by his side day and night.

When healthcare really cares,
it prioritizes the well-being
of communities.

Communities matter. We’re serious about this. And it's why we put such a strong emphasis on the health and happiness of the wider community. We recognize the positive effect that a thriving community can have on the health of each of its individual members. With Catholic healthcare, our treatment will always extend past the doors of our exam room.

Catholic health systems believe the health and well-being of the community strongly influences the health and well-being of everyone. This is why we combine healthcare with other services to provide economic stability by addressing poverty, food security, and housing stability.

In some states, more than 40 percent of the hospital beds are in Catholic hospitals.

Community center run by Providence hospital is hub of Los Angeles neighborhood

LOS ANGELES — Here in the shadows of shipping containers stacked high at the seaport and oil refinery pipes that reach into the sky...

Medical respite facility supported by Sisters of Charity prepares for aging population

Across the country, unhoused patients struggle to heal after being discharged by hospitals to shelters and the streets.

When healthcare really cares,
it ensures every person has access.

Every person deserves access to healthcare. We wanted to make that clear. We are guided by the principles of compassion, dignity, and justice in our mission to provide quality healthcare to all individuals. We will always strive to ensure every person, regardless of their background or means, has access to the care they need to maintain their health and well-being.

We support efforts to bolster U.S. healthcare legislation and insurance programs. For instance:

The preservation and strengthening of Medicaid to low-income families and the restoration of benefits to legal and undocumented immigrants
The expansion of Medicaid postpartum coverage
New Approaches to Mental Health Aim to Benefit Patients - Health Systems Rethink, Expand Services (Health Progress article)

We believe all people deserve quality healthcare and that good health is necessary to live a full and productive life. To put this belief into practice, we:

Benefit the greatest amount of people, often by partnering with non-Catholic healthcare organizations
Defend people in need and provide services and resources to people who lack access
Leave no one behind by welcoming and respecting people of all ages, races, beliefs, and traditions

Catholic healthcare provides short and long-term care across the continuum of healthcare delivery. The six categories of care are:

Acute care
Subacute care
Skilled nursing
Adult day care/assisted living/residential care
Home health
Hospice

Ascension's health equity foundation awards funds to grantees supporting postpartum mothers.

The Ascension Foundation for Health Equity has awarded more than $1 million to 14 nonprofits in 10 states to address the socioeconomic needs of mothers and their families, with a special focus on moms who are postpartum.

Health systems combat vaccine hesitancy with conversations, planning, communication

An SSM Health employee in Wisconsin who was fully immunized contracted measles on a commercial flight earlier this year, resulting in a significant exposure that involved both health care workers and community members.

Why put Catholic in healthcare?

The roots of Catholicism in healthcare can be traced back to a humble beginning. As the world evolved and flourished, so did the Catholic Church’s belief in caring for the sick and the vulnerable. With a deep commitment to serving the marginalized and the suffering, the Church established hospitals, clinics, and charitable institutions to provide solace and relief to those in need.

Through the centuries, Catholic healthcare has adapted and transformed, embracing advancements in technology and medicine. From the ancient apothecaries to the modern hospitals equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, the mission of Catholic healthcare remains steadfast — to alleviate suffering, promote healing, and uphold the dignity of every human life.

Today, Catholic healthcare stands as a beacon of hope and compassion in a world plagued by illness and uncertainty. It continues to evolve and innovate, guided by the timeless values of love, mercy, and service. As we look to the future, let us remember the origins of Catholicism in healthcare and the enduring legacy of faith-inspired healing that continues to inspire and uplift us all.

FACTS - With 665 hospitals, U.S. Catholic healthcare is the nation’s largest group of not-for-profit healthcare providers. These hospitals, plus 1,600 long-term care and other health facilities across the nation, join in the Catholic Health Association of the United States. More than one in seven patients receive care in a Catholic hospital each day.