Cincinnati-based Catholic Health Partners has transitioned from sponsorship by its governance body called the Corporate Member made up of members of its sponsoring congregations, to a public juridic person sponsorship model.
The Vatican approved CHP's public juridic person, which is called Partners in Catholic Health Ministries, on Aug. 15. The model allows for the potential of greater lay involvement in CHP's governance, according to CHP.
The five members of the public juridic person are:
- Sr. Jean Orsuto, HM, chair. She was vice chair of CHP's prior sponsor and is executive director of the Emmanuel Community Care Center in Girard, Ohio.
- Sr. Doris Gottemoeller, RSM, vice chair. She retired this summer as CHP senior vice president for mission and values integration. She is president of the Mercy Education Collaborative of Cincinnati.
- Sr. June L. Ketterer, SGM. She is the former area coordinator of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, or the "Grey Nuns."
- Donald Rohling. He is a retired senior vice president of mission integration for CHP's Mercy Health Partners of Cincinnati.
- Sr. Patricia Vetrano, RSM. She is president of the Sisters of Mercy's Mid-Atlantic Community.
According to Sr. Orsuto, "When the Sisters of Mercy were joined by the Grey Nuns in 1995 and the Sisters of the Humility of Mary in 1996 as CHP sponsors, the eventual transition to a PJP was identified as a possibility. CHP's sponsors recognized that, in time, our communities' focus and ability to fulfill this governance responsibility might change." So the sponsors in 1996 approved a model for cosponsorship under the Corporate Member body that allowed for a transition to the PJP model. In 2002, the Corporate Member began exploring a potential transition to PJP status. In 2010, the Corporate Member, along with CHP's board and leadership, decided it was the right time to establish the PJP.
Michael Connelly, president and chief executive of CHP, said that "with the creation of a PJP, (CHP's sponsors) have now entrusted governance oversight for this precious ministry to others — women and men religious and Catholic laity.
"This change assures CHP's continued connection to the church and protects our Catholic identity in the future," he said.
CHP is made up of more than 24 hospitals and dozens of other facilities in Ohio and Kentucky.