Health Progress is a forum for the exchange of ideas and information vital to the Catholic health ministry and integral to promoting a just U.S. health care system. Health Progress strives to influence society's debate on health care issues and explores opportunities to strengthen and transform the Catholic health ministry.

It encourages examination of health care practices in light of Catholic values, especially human dignity, the common good, care of poor and vulnerable persons, and stewardship of resources.

Accordingly, Health Progress focuses on such topics as:

• Catholic identity, culture and values integration
• Best practices and new models in Catholic health care
• Collaborative strategies
• Ethical issues
• Leadership development
• Long-term care and the continuum of care
• Reform of the U.S. health care system
• Sponsorship options and responsibilities
• Spiritual issues in the health care setting
• Theological issues
• The relationship between Catholic Church teaching and health care delivery

The print version of the journal reaches more than 13,000 leaders in the Catholic health ministry and others interested in its work. The journal's audience includes health care executives, managers, ethicists, religious sponsors, trustees, physicians, nurses, Catholic Church officials, policymakers on Capitol Hill and others. 

Health Progress is complimentary to those who work for CHA member organizations in the United States, in libraries that subscribe and also is available online at no charge. An annual subscription for non-CHA members is $29.

With permission, articles can be posted on websites or downloaded as PDF files from the CHA website for professional use.  (Please contact copyright@chausa.org for permission.) Routine circulation through social media sites is welcome.

Health Progress authors are often recognized for their work, and the journal has won scores of awards. Authors also have the satisfaction of contributing to the essential body of professional knowledge that advances the Catholic health ministry.

Some articles, particularly overviews of selected topics, are assigned to freelance writers with expertise in health care. But in most cases, experts from a wide variety of Catholic-sponsored and other organizations write on topics with which they have firsthand experience and which relate to topical themes selected by editors in advance.

For example, a system CEO might describe her organization's governance structure, an ethicist might write on the traits of an ethical leader, an attorney on corporate compliance, or a consultant on forming integrated networks. Health Progress also interviews opinion leaders and executives to provide their insight on contemporary health care issues.

Regular columns by CHA staff are also part of the mix.

First, be sure your topic is of vital importance to at least one segment of the journal's diverse audience. Keep in mind that the article need not be written directly for chief executives, but it must provide them with useful information. Articles relate Catholic mission and values to the subject at hand.

It is helpful to search past issues to determine if your proposed topic is appropriate or has recently appeared, and it is nearly always a good idea to discuss your proposed topic and your qualifications for writing it with the Health Progress editor. The editor will be able to provide more specific guidelines.

Health Progress is published quarterly. The editor will provide a deadline for receiving your article. If a topic demands urgent attention, the editorial staff will work with you to ensure timely publication.

Professional writers are paid for their work; others employed in Catholic health care who wish to write routinely do so as part of their own jobs, and as a contribution to the ministry’s work.

Readers prefer concise articles that are substantiated by research and, when appropriate, documentation, including Chicago Manual of Style Notes when specific references or related additional information is needed.

For all other written content in Health Progress, please use AP Style. Visuals and sidebars are welcome. Provide the source of quotations, figures and tables, and secure permission to run related, accepted graphics for publication if from an outside source.

Articles may be aimed at a particular health care audience, but the publication focuses on having a readable, conversational style. 

Health Progress welcomes feedback from readers and proposals for article ideas.

In some cases, article ideas will be assigned to outside writers; in other cases, we will invite representatives of CHA member systems, hospitals or other facilities to write articles based on submitted proposals. Limited editorial support will be available to writers.

Please submit a proposal for an article. This step is preferred in advance of submitting a completed manuscript, as sometimes proposals repeat recent information or do not fit with current coverage plans for the publication.

Because we have a small staff, we may be unable to respond to all proposals, or communications requesting information about writing for Health Progress.

Health Progress articles related to the issue’s theme usually range in length from 1,500 to 3,000 words, with a common length being around 2,000 words. Each issue routinely contains feature articles and columns not directly associated with the issue’s theme. Health Progress columns usually run about 800 to 1,200 words, and guest writers for these are often invited by CHA’s content leaders in specific areas.

The preferred length depends on the topic and is discussed by the publication’s editors with writers when an article is assigned. 

Submit your manuscript by email to Betsy Taylor and clearly indicate in the subject line that this is a new manuscript submission. Emails can occasionally be misdirected or overlooked, so if you do not receive a reply indicating your article was received, follow up with a note to the editor in a week or so.

Microsoft Word documents are strongly preferred. The author(s) name and highest advanced degree or relevant professional license, contact information and an early proposed headline should appear at the top of the article, and potential subheadings may be included. At the end of the article, include a biographical line about each coauthor. Coauthors should have written about a third of the content.

If someone contributes significantly to the article, but hasn’t written at least a quarter of it, you may submit their name as a contributor. Be sure to include all authors' addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. Authors also must provide written permission to publish any tables, figures, photos, creative works, or text exceeding 100 words taken from another source.

Please do not use a large language model to author your article; if you do use artificial intelligence to help you generate an idea or a headline, or to analyze data, please indicate in your citations how it was used

After reviewing your article, the editorial staff may make suggestions to the author for manuscript revisions or reject the manuscript. After the article is revised by the author, Health Progress editors will accept the manuscript, edit it and return it to the author for a review before publication.

If your article is accepted, the editorial staff will request a transfer of copyright ownership to Health Progress.

After publication, authors receive two copies of the issue containing their article.