We Are Called Staff

Kathleen A. Curran is senior director of public policy at the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA). Ms. Curran coordinates the development of public policy positions for the association and works with other CHA staff to interact with Congress and the Executive Branch to promote CHA's advocacy agenda. Previously, Ms. Curran was with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops where she served as interim director of the Office of Domestic Social Development and as a policy advisor on health and welfare issues. She has also worked at the U.S. Department of Labor and on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education and Pensions. Prior to coming to Washington, DC, she practiced law in Boston, following a year serving with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Ms. Curran received her law degree from the University of Virginia and her undergraduate degree from Yale University.Contact

Dennis Gonzales, Ph.D., is senior director of mission innovation and integration at the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA). Based in CHA’s St. Louis office, Dr. Gonzales oversees the design and production of numerous CHA programs, meetings and member convenings in addition to the development of formation and mission resources for use across the Catholic health ministry.Most recently, he served as the regional vice president for mission integration at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System and The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. Initially joining CHRISTUS Health in 2008 as a quality and performance improvement facilitator, he soon moved to director of the organizational development department, and then vice president for mission and spirituality at CHRISTUS St. Vincent Health System in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dr. Gonzales is a graduate of the prestigious CHRISTUS Leadership & Ethics Academy, which recognizes and prepares promising leaders for the future of the Catholic health ministry.Prior to joining CHRISTUS Health, he served as associate dean for academics at a small, private university where courses in health care administration, computer technology, business and general education were offered. He has also served as a regional director and senior consultant for a multi-site medical case management company based in Southern California. A former De La Salle Christian Brother, he was a high school instructor of ethics, theology, church history, Christian and Hebrew Scriptures, government and economics.At CHA he authors bi-monthly columns for CHA’s journal, Health Progress, and is responsible for oversite of CHA’s Mission Leader Advisory Committee, as well as a variety of task forces, seminars and forums sponsored by CHA.He holds a doctoral degree in organizational development from the University of New Mexico; a master’s degree, earned Magna Cum Laude, from San Diego State University’s Department of Educational Technology, with an emphasis in organizational development; and a bachelor’s degree in political science and education, earned Magna Cum Laude, from Loyola University in New Orleans, with a minor in Spanish. Dr. Gonzales is certified in Conflict Management and Workplace Mediation and is fluent in Spanish.Contact