Partnerships between Catholic Health Care Organizations, Catholic Charities, and Other Groups
Like other health care organizations in the United States, Catholic health care facilities are developing new relationships with a wide array of partners to extend their ministry and to improve efficiency, coordination, and quality of care.
In forming these partnerships, Catholic-sponsored organizations may have an advantage over others. Through Catholic Charities and other social service programs, the Catholic Church in the United States is the largest provider of human services (see Profile of a Community Partner: Building Networks with Catholic Charities, Catholic Health Association [CHA], 1996. In addition, the church's network of almost 20,000 parishes enables health care organizations to reach into communities where little infrastructure exists. The current movement toward integration of community-based health and social services creates opportunities for church-sponsored organizations to work together as never before.
In its January-February 1997 issue, Health Progress began offering a series of case studies of such partnerships, hoping they might serve as models for those creating integrated systems of care. These case studies of Catholic Charities agencies and Catholic health organizations were prepared by the Catholic Health Association as part of New Covenant: A Health Ministry for the 21st Century, an initiative cosponsored by the National Coalition on Catholic Health Care Ministry, the Catholic Health Association, and Consolidated Catholic Healthcare. The New Covenant process is designed to strengthen and promote the organized expression of the Catholic health ministry through strategies and actions at the national and regional levels.
Here is another case study. Health Progress will present others in future issues.
St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii and Catholic Charities
Honolulu
Organizational Structure
St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Honolulu began discussing possible ways to collaborate in 1996. In November 1997 the diocesan director of Catholic Charities and the chief executive officer (CEO) of St. Francis Healthcare System signed a statement describing the purposes and goals of their collaboration. The steering committee for their collaborative efforts consists of key staff from each organization, including the director and the CEO. It meets quarterly to identify and develop projects.
Goals of Affiliation
Through collaboration, Catholic Charities and St. Francis Healthcare System hope to enhance each other's services and optimize their resources by avoiding duplication. They plan to provide healthcare and social services and to build a community network to facilitate their collaborative and individual organizational goals.
Current Projects
- Community Workshops. In 1998 Catholic Charities and St. Francis Healthcare System presented "Healing Our Lives: Reclaiming Our Wisdom," a workshop series for women, at five parishes. The workshops, developed in response to a high incidence of family violence, were open to the public and publicized by the St. Francis and Catholic Charities marketing and public relations staff. The workshops focused on drug addiction, domestic violence, and child abuse. St. Francis Healthcare System already had an established parish presence through its parish nurse program, and these workshops helped increase Catholic Charities' parish presence as well. In 1999 there will be follow-up workshops in the original five parishes and initial workshops in another five parishes.
- Transportation for the Frail Elderly. St. Francis Healthcare System now provides referrals to Catholic Charities' transportation program that gives elderly people access to healthcare. Catholic Charities parks its transportation vans at the St. Francis Medical Center-West, saving money, gaining increased security, and making it easier to serve the western side of the island. Catholic Charities is also now an approved Medicaid provider and is eligible to receive reimbursements for this service.
- Housing. St. Francis Healthcare System, which has a board presence on an area HUD housing project, recognized the need for social services as well as medical services for the residents, a large number of whom are elderly Asian immigrants. Catholic Charities and St. Francis are developing ways to provide transportation, financial management services, and healthcare services for the residents.
Governance Structure
There is no separate governance structure for the collaborative projects. Each organization works on the projects with its own executives and service lines. However, a Catholic Charities' liaison assists with coordination and integration of services.
Contact:
Sr. Beatrice Tom, OSF
Chief Executive Officer
St. Francis Health System of Hawaii
Honolulu
808-547-6400
Practical Advice
When all personnel understand the organizations' missions and realize they share common values, ideas for collaboration emerge naturally and collaborative projects proceed smoothly.
If your healthcare organization is collaborating with a Catholic Charities agency in your area, we would like to know about it. Please contact Julie Trocchio by phone at 202-296-3993.