CHA will offer its popular leadership formation course called Foundations of Catholic Health Care Leadership online only, except for limited engagements. The next offering will be in February and March 2016. The association is suspending the in-person format of the formation course it has offered for decades and is seeking comments from members as to whether there continues to be a need for the in-person format.
In addition to the online program, CHA staff will teach the foundations course on-site at CHA member facilities that enroll groups of 25 or more participants. Dates will be mutually agreed upon by the member organization and CHA staff.
CHA already has taught the in-person foundations course to several Catholic health systems and is scheduled for additional presentations at ministry sites this summer and fall.
For more than 20 years, CHA has been offering the foundations curriculum to ministry board members, executive leaders, middle managers and others, to introduce them to the underpinnings of the Catholic Church's health care ministry. Foundations covers the theological basis for the ministry's work, the ethical principles and directives that guide the ministry, Catholic health care's identity, the ministry's community benefit focus and its international outreach. CHA experts in ethics, theology, mission, sponsorship, community benefit, international outreach and other subject areas present the course. Thousands of ministry leaders have taken part in foundations.
In response to CHA member appeals to save travel-related costs and time, the association launched an online version of the program five years ago. That annual course includes six, two-hour Internet-based sessions as well as opportunities for online chats, calls and other interaction among course participants. CHA encourages small groups within systems or facilities to take part in the online course, so they can supplement the online content with live, small group discussions. Feedback and evaluations from the program have been very favorable.
CHA will continue to evaluate methods for delivering this content and welcomes input from the ministry.