The Catholic Health Association and the Catholic health care ministry are committed to the importance of diversity — both in the workforce and in meeting the needs of diverse patients.
We recognize the importance of fostering diversity throughout the health care system, from the board room and C-suite throughout the entire workforce, both because of the demands of justice and in order to promote the health needs of the many diverse populations we serve. Our commitment to encouraging diversity and ending health disparities is rooted in the spiritual mission of Catholic health care, and CHA is dedicated to promoting this mission in order to improve care for all patients. CHA's Special Committee on Diversity and Health Disparities advises the board and association staff on issues related to leadership diversity, workforce diversity and health disparities, with particular focus on traditionally underrepresented groups.
CHA realizes the need to educate and advocate for traditionally underrepresented groups in order to increase their presence within leadership positions. Additionally, CHA encourages efforts to improve cultural competency within organizations so that we can effectively serve our patients from the many diverse populations in our communities. CHA is a co-founder of the Institute for Diversity in Health Management and continues to work closely on its initiatives. And, CHA advocates for public policy that moves towards elimination of health disparities. With this commitment, CHA continues the mission of Catholic health care in the responsibility to provide care that reflects the needs of those being served.
Roots in Catholic Teachings
The principles of Catholic social teaching, including the inherent dignity of each person; the common good; and concern for poor and vulnerable, provide a moral and ethical basis for the Catholic health care ministry. These values call us to ensure that traditionally underrepresented groups have meaningful opportunities for leadership positions, and to refuse to accept the existence of racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes, access to care and receipt of quality health care which stand in direct opposition to the mission of Catholic health care and the Catholic social tradition. Directive three and seven of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, which are guidelines for how we carry out our ministry, reflect our responsibilities in these areas.
Care for the Poor
As part of its faithfulness to the teachings of the Catholic Church, Catholic health care embraces the church's social justice teachings. Key among those commitments is what the church calls, "the preferential option for the poor." That option is expressed in the U.S. Catholic Bishops 1986 pastoral letter on Catholic social teaching and the U.S. economy. Entitled "Economic Justice for All," it states:
"As individuals and as a nation. . . we are called to make a fundamental "option for the poor. The obligation to evaluate social and economic activity from the viewpoint of the poor and the powerless arises from the radical command to love one's neighbor as one's self. Those who are marginalized and whose rights are denied have privileged claims if society is to provide justice for all. This obligation is deeply rooted in Christian belief."
The bishops also outline Catholic health care's obligations to model Jesus' love for the poor in the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. The introduction to "Part One" of the document cites specific expectations around care of the poor, noting:
"The biblical mandate to care for the poor requires us to express this in concrete action at all levels of Catholic health care. This mandate prompts us to work to ensure that our country's health care delivery system provides adequate health care for the poor. In Catholic institutions, particular attention should be given to the health care needs of the poor, the uninsured, and the underinsured.
And Directive 3 states:
"In accord with its mission, Catholic health care should distinguish itself by service to and advocacy for those people whose social condition puts them at the margins of our society and makes them particularly vulnerable to discrimination: the poor; the uninsured and the underinsured; children and the unborn; single parents; the elderly; those with incurable diseases and chemical dependencies; racial minorities; immigrants and refugees. In particular, the person with mental or physical disabilities, regardless of the cause or severity, must be treated as a unique person of incomparable worth, with the same right to life and to adequate health care as all other persons."
Poverty is not just the absence of wealth. It feeds prejudice, discrimination, and injustice. Additionally, although "uninsured" and "poor" are not synonyms — one doesn't have to be poor to lack health care coverage — there are distinct relationships between being uninsured and poverty.