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What if we had a set of interventions that could reduce rates of depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heavy drinking and unemployment? They might already exist. Many clinical researchers argue that these tools are already being developed and used, and that some answers to these conditions lie in the prevention and treatment of trauma in our patients, workplaces and communities.

As a Catholic health ministry, we are called to the sacred work of caring for those who are acutely sick, seriously injured or facing a significant life transition. These realities challenge, shape and potentially transform the spirituality of those receiving and providing care.

When the patient arrived for her first palliative care appointment to address her chronic pain, she was hurting, angry and guarded, a mood that lingered through the first part of her session.

The U.S. has a problem with maternal mortality, and it is not getting better. The trend has been even more alarming in recent years. According to CDC data, in 2021, the maternal mortality rate was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, which was up from 23.8 in 2020 and 20.1 in 2019.

I felt a profound sense of awe wash over me as I stood on the prime meridian at the Royal Observatory in the London borough of Greenwich while on a college trip for my daughter, Jane.

Health care systems in the United States have leadership structures comprised of boards and management. Most Catholic health care systems are unique in that they include another layer of leadership called a "public juridic person" or, in common parlance, the "sponsors."

When is a person dead? This question has significance in the Catholic understanding of organ transplants from donors, both living and dead, and to recipients, because it frames our Catholic approach to how to best care for all involved.

The National Institutes of Health describes whole-person health as looking at the whole person "not just separate organs or body systems — and considering multiple factors that promote either health or disease."

Buried beneath the hum of external notifications lies an internal nagging, an innate obligation to perform, produce and have something to show for our work. Necessary in one sense, it keeps us rooted in what is needed to accomplish a task or goal.

Summertime evokes playfulness and refreshment, distinct from the other seasons. And with it comes outdoor activities, dining alfresco and donning shorts and sandals, which sparks a sense of glee.

The well-being of mothers, infants and children is important to a thriving community and can determine the health of future generations and impact future public health challenges.

Our nation has a unique opportunity to reimagine long-term care, particularly related to the direct care workforce. Direct care workers — such as certified nursing assistants, home health aides and personal care aides — are the backbone of the long-term care system, delivering hands-on care to older adults and individuals with disabilities.

Nestled in the heart of Trento, Italy, against the scenic and peaceful backdrop of the Dolomite Mountains, lies a former chapel at the entrance to research institute Foundation Bruno Kessler.

Seventeen health systems across the country — including Bon Secours Mercy Health, CHRISTUS Health, CommonSpirit Health and Providence — signed an "Impact Workforce Commitment" last year to build healthy and equitable local economies through their hiring and workforce development programs and policies.

In November 2013, Pope Francis released the Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). This document outlines Francis' vision of the Church as discussed in the Synod of Bishops in 2012.

In 2021, the Catholic Church began a three-year process called the Synod on Synodality to "provide an opportunity for the entire People of God to discern together how to move forward on the path toward being a more synodal Church in the long-term."

Because those who are vowed religious tend not to adopt a "hey, look at me" attitude toward their accomplishments, it may go largely unnoticed and unremarked upon in contemporary society that U.S. Catholic health care has an extraordinary legacy of leadership.

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; I wait for you, O Lord. (PSALMS 25:21)