Welcome to Inside Out—a new podcast series from the Catholic Health Association of the United States, hosted by Darren Henson, Ph.D., senior director of ministry formation. This series explores the inner life and spirituality of leaders in Catholic health care. While we often recognize each other’s professional accomplishments and contributions to Catholic health care, we rarely have the opportunity to understand what truly animates another’s service to the ministry. Inside Out invites deeper conversations about the faith and purpose that sustain our calling.
CHA Member Resources Include:
- Video podcast
- Discussion guide
- Catholic Health World Article
Finding a Spiritual Home
Damond W. Boatwright, MHA, MHS, FACHE finds a profound connection with the Creator, who shapes his sense of purpose in essence. He recounts stories of his devout grandmother who initiated him into the world of the Scriptures. She taught him about the prophet Jeremiah, who speaks God’s word saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,” and gave you a divine purpose (Jer. 1:5). Boatwright shares details of his vocation into health care and executive leadership at the prompting of a mentor. He encourages young leaders to spend time in prayer and reflection, so they understand their true selves, and to seek mentors to guide them on their journey.
Correction Wards and Hospital Beds
How does a new executive leader bridge the chasm between her office and 41,000 caregivers in her region? Laureen Driscoll, MBA, MSN describes how she discovered a spiritual depth and the practice of blogging to authentically and personally share her joys, hardships, and spiritual reflections with the thousands of caregivers in Southern California. Her early years in health care as a bedside nurse fostered great empathy and connection, characteristics she brings into her executive role. She reflects on how her father sowed the seeds of these virtues when he had her, as a young girl, accompany him to visits at a youth corrections facility. He frequently said, “Everybody is worthy.” She engages in practices of deep listening both to other individuals and to the Holy Spirit, so she can remain grounded amidst the demands of leadership.
Love and Clinical Quality
In this episode, Dr. Mohamad Fakih elaborates on his view that the organization has a soul and a unique identity. This perspective enables him to connect clinical quality and spirituality and thus experience spiritual fulfillment in his work. Dr. Fakih shares how his experience of an executive formation program at a Catholic health ministry enriched his spirituality that comes from outside a Catholic context. His Muslim upbringing in Lebanon instilled strong moral foundations that grew into an inclusive and expansive view of spirituality. Listening has become a spiritual practice for Dr. Fakih. Just as listening is crucial for accurate patient diagnosis and healing the spirit, it is also necessary for strong relationships and authentic understanding.
A Theologian's Spirituality
Ron Hamel, Ph.D. begins by identifying spirituality as a way of life that responds to something transcendent, namely God. He shares insights from a theological mentor and an influential moral theologian whose writings articulated an inextricable connection between intellectual theological discourse and a spirituality rooted in the Scriptures and prayer. Those who have known Hamel for years from his many talks and programs glean insights into his own daily prayer habits, which include meditating on the Word of God, time in nature, and a nighttime examen.
Exploring Landscapes and Images
Mary L. Hill, BSN, MA, JD explores a spirituality of geography, from the expansiveness and freedom she discovered at a young age in Midwest landscapes to desert beauty. Hill shares how her experiences of retreats, including one focused on icons, opened up a spirituality of iconography. This was aided by a spiritual reawakening she experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hill weaves spiritual exercises and physical exercises into an integrated perspective of her whole and fullest self. She shares her desire for spiritual maturity throughout her retirement from an executive role.
Leadership, Service, and a Piano
Years before she pursued a degree in pharmacy, Ronda Lehman, Pharm.D., M.B.A., FACHE sat behind the piano at Sunday school and led the hymns. The poetry and texts of those songs resonate in her heart to this day. With more than three decades at a Bon Secours Mercy Health ministry, Lehman also finds inspiration in the system’s Irish foundress, Catherine McAuley, and the sisters she led. The stories of the sisters’ endurance in times of great hardship give strength to Ronda when the workloads mount. Amidst the difficulties, she holds firm to the abundance she sees in the people and resources around her. Among the abundance is God’s faithfulness. Lehman shares such goodness with others in prayer, whether at the bedside, with loved ones, or in team meetings. Her daily prayer feeds her, and yet today, she still leads music for ministry celebrations.
Uplifted by Music - Body and Soul
Kimberly King Webb, JD, SPHR recounts how she relied on spirituality amidst the immense challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. She found solace and strength in prayer and intimate conversations with God. A love for God began at a young age when she witnessed her dad opening and closing, literally and figurately, the doors of the church. The church community gave Webb her first experience of public speaking, as she delivered the church announcements, which were broadcast on radio. Today she begins her day with gospel music. It awakens her soul and inspires her whole day. Webb’s spiritual wishlist includes retreats and making a pilgrimage to the Jordan River.
Experiencing a Light Bulb Moment
Tom Bushlack, Ph.D. describes "light bulb moments" when he observes leaders in ministry formation programs recognizing the impact of their inner spirituality on their leadership and team dynamics. Bushlack draws on Fr. Ronald Rolheiser's explanation of spirituality as the direction of one's life energy. Bushlack reflects on his own spiritual growth that sprung from being raised in a Polish Catholic family in the upper Midwest. For Bushlack, a light bulb moment emerges during the conversation with the realization that “everything belongs,” meaning that even the struggles and challenges of life have a place and can be a ground for grace to emerge. In this light, spirituality fosters a sense of harmony and integration for the individual.
