Partnerships between Catholic Charities and Catholic Healthcare Organizations
Like other healthcare organizations in the United States, Catholic healthcare 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 healthcare 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 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.
Here are two more case studies. Health Progress will present others in future issues.
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.
Neighborhood Health Partnership
New Orleans
Contacts: Rebecca Lomax, PhD
Division Director
Catholic Charities, New Orleans
504-523-3755
David J. Ward
President and Chief Executive Officer
Daughters of Charity Services of New Orleans
504-522-7520
Organizational Structure
The Neighborhood Health Partnership is an alliance of the Archdiocese of New Orleans' Office of Social Apostolate, Catholic Charities, and Daughters of Charity Services of New Orleans.
Goals of Affiliation
The partnership was formed in 1995 to provide nursing intervention for at-risk older adults in eight predominantly African-American inner-city neighborhoods in New Orleans. Since then, it has expanded to provide both healthcare and health education to all in those neighborhoods who need it.
Partnership's Project
Both Catholic Charities and the archdiocese's Office of Social Apostolate have for many years provided social services in inner-city neighborhoods, among others. In recent years, as the two agencies became increasingly aware of the ways poverty, crime, lack of education, and poor health exacerbate each other, they decided to add a nursing component to their work. Thus was born the partnership they formed with the Daughters of Charity Services.
The partnership operates out of preexisting centers--neighborhood centers and homeless shelters, for example--in the neighborhoods. Each of these centers is visited at least once a week by the partnership's operations teams, which is composed of nurses, a social worker, and a health educator.
The team provides neighborhood residents with healthcare and health education. It also trains members of the center's staff to do the same.
Governance Structure
The Neighborhood Health Partnership has an evolving governance structure. Representatives of the three partner organizations meet formally once a month. Between meetings, the representatives take turns coordinating day-to-day activities. The partnership plans to hire a full-time program director, however.
Staffing and Budget
The partnership is funded by a grant from the Daughters of Charity. Its operations team is staffed by two full-time registered nurses, a full-time social worker, and a half-time health educator.
Practical Advice
- Do not get into a project like this if you are thinking of your own organization's needs alone. You have to think of the greater good.
- Be prepared to spend long hours developing relationships. Trust is always a big issue.
Partnership
Trenton, NJ
Contacts: Michael R. Allen; Barry Cole, PhD
Associate Executive Directors, Community Affairs
Catholic Charities, Trenton
609-394-5181
Sr. Anita Cattafesta, OSF
Vice President, Mission/Ministry
St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton
609-599-5791
Organizational Structure
Catholic Charities and St. Francis Medical Center have a partnership involving four programs.
Goals of Affiliation
The partnership was launched in 1994 to serve the behavioral needs of the community. It has since expanded to serve other needs as well.
Governance Structure
The partnership is based, as one of its leaders notes, "on a handshake." It has no officers or regular meetings.
Partnership's Projects
- Since 1994, the partners have collaborated in a behavioral health program for Mercer County's underserved population. Catholic Charities maintains the program's two sites; St. Francis provides the physician and nurse practitioner who staff it.
- Conceived in 1995, Reach Out to Trenton Neighborhoods is a program through which the partners take primary care into underserved neighborhoods. Its goal is to staff three "medical houses" with a primary physician, a nurse practitioner, and a social service counselor. The first medical house opened in 1996, and the other two will open soon.
- In 1996 the partners launched a program to identify and help potential victims of child abuse. The program is an informal collaborative effort between Catholic Charities' behavioral health counselors and St. Francis's pediatric and social services departments.
- Also in 1996, the partners began a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to healing at St. Francis. Catholic Charities' counselors participate in therapy groups.
Staffing and Budget
Each partner supplies such staff as the various programs require. The behavioral health program is largely funded through Medicaid. Reach Out to Trenton Neighborhoods is the recipient of a three-year, renewable $300,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Health. The child abuse program is the recipient of a renewable $49,000 Spirit of St. Francis Grant from the Franciscan Health System, Aston, PA. The holistic healing program is funded informally.
Practical Advice
- Catholic Charities agencies, being smaller and less institutional than Catholic hospitals, will normally take the lead in forming such partnerships. But the partners must treat each other as equals.
Other Collaborations
Catholic Charities USA and Catholic healthcare organizations are collaborating on a number of projects, which vary in their stages of development. Below are some of these projects, their contact persons, and phone numbers:
Albany, NY
Diocesan Community Health Alliance
James J. McCormack, 518-453-6650
Baltimore
Becky Galloway, 410-644-7100
Robert Adams, 410-368-2102
Buffalo, NY
Partnership for a PACE
Mary Jo Giambelluca, 716-856-4494
Denver
Hospice of Peace
Ann Luke, 303-575-8393
Silas Weir, 303-899-5546
Houston
Project Capable
Nydia Cortez, 713-671-3704
Kathy Bingham, 713-526-4611
Manchester, NH
New Hampshire Catholic Charities
Msgr. John P. Quinn, 603-669-3030
Massillon, OH
Catholic Community Adult Day Services
Sr. Edwardine Baznik, SJSM, 330-833-8516
Oakland, CA
Community Senior Outreach Program
Greg Kepferle, 510-834-5656
Else Marie Kiefer, 510-534-8540
| Oklahoma City
Catholic Charities
Tim O'Connor, 405-523-3000
Philadelphia
Catholic Care Options for the Elderly
Rev. Timothy Senior, 215-587-3908
Phoenix
Foundation for Senior Living
Guy Mikkelsen, 602-285-1800
Richmond, VA
Partnership for Families
Rev. Dave Bergner, 804-285-5900
St. Louis
Archbishop's Commission on Community Health
Sr. Betty Brucker, SSM, 314-531-0511
San Jose, CA
Catholic Community Initiative
Marilou Cristina, 408-944-0282
Wilkes Barre, PA
Neighborhood-based Senior Outreach
Ned Delaney, 717-822-7118
Robert Williams, 717-735-9210
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This compendium of partnerships between Catholic Charities agencies and Catholic health organizations was prepared by the Catholic Health Association as part of an initiative called New Covenant: A Health Ministry for the 21st Century. 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. New Covenant is cosponsored by the National Coalition on Catholic Health Care Ministry, CHA, and Consolidated Catholic Health Care. Catholic Charities USA is a member of the National Coalition.