Although we had not planned a special section for this issue of Health
Progress, several articles, each dealing with an aspect of work in the health
ministry, have come together in a kind of rough theme.
In "Living Our Mission" (p. 17), Beth Perry, RN, PhD, describes the profound
mutual healing often experienced by nurses who work in acute care. On p. 20,
Rosemary Hume, RN, MSN; Sr. Sharon Richardt, DC, PhD; and Beth Applegate, RN,
MSN, outline a program whereby spirituality and work can be integrated in the
health care workplace. In "Becoming a Health Care Administrator" (p. 26), Cynthia
Carter Haddock, PhD; Robert A. McLean, PhD; and Robert C. Chapman report on
the results of a study exploring the various ways people come into leadership
roles. And, in "Transforming the Workplace" (p. 30), Robert L. Veninga, PhD,
lists 10 steps health care facilities can take to boost employee satisfaction.
On another note, Mark G. Tozzio, Gary L. Rowe, Robert R. Cook, and John R.
Griffith describe, in "Strategic Planning for a Turnaround" (p. 35), the measures
taken by a Missouri-based Catholic organization to recapture its leadership
role in the local health care market.
Clarification
An article in the January-February 2003 issue of Health Progress—"The
Challenge and Heart of Chaplaincy" by Michele Le Doux Sakurai—summarized for
Catholic health care the salient points of a work entitled Professional Chaplaincy:
Its Role and Importance in Health Care, Larry VandeCreek and Laurel Burton,
editors. The five certifying organizations named on p. 27 of the article are
those that contributed to the development of the Professional Chaplaincy
work. Neither Ms. Sakurai nor the editors of Health Progress intended
to suggest that there are not other certifying organizations in North America
that collaborate to uphold professionalism and accountability in chaplaincy.
Happy 110th!
This is the 110th issue of Health Progress to be put together by Les
Stock, our graphic designer. The editors, who are indebted to Les not only for
his artistic and technological skills but also for his unfailing good cheer,
would like to take the opportunity to say, "Thanks!"