Podcasts about catholic health association

Join me for an inspiring conversation with Dr. Jill Kruse, a physician, pilot, entrepreneur, and lifelong learner. From blending medicine with aviation to mastering historical sewing and aerial arts, Dr. Kruse embodies the power of curiosity and reinvention. Dr. Jill Kruse is a family medicine physician with a diverse background and a passion for blending medicine, education, and entrepreneurship. She earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency through the University of Wisconsin - Baraboo Rural Training Track in family medicine. Her academic journey also includes an undergraduate degree from Augustana College and a Master of Science in Microbiology from South Dakota State University.As the CEO of Flight Time Medical, she specializes in providing aviation medical services, combining her expertise as a pilot and physician. When not at Flight Time Medical, she is a hospitalist and also serves as the host of On Call with the Prairie Doc, a public television program dedicated to improving medical literacy.Known for her versatility, she has been featured on the local CBS affiliate show Keloland Living for her popular “Jill of All Trades” segments, showcasing her wide-ranging skills in historical sewing, making chainmail, aerial arts, theatrical costuming, and set design. Her passion for learning and teaching is evident in every endeavor she pursues.She is the recipient of the Tomorrow's Leaders Award from the Catholic Health Association and the Inspirational Physician Award from the AMA Women's Section.Beyond medicine, her creativity shines in the arts. She won Best Set Design twice from Broadway World South Dakota for her work on Murder on the Orient Express and Matilda the Musical. She also took home "Best in Show" at Brookings Habitat for Humanity's "Nail the Runway" fashion show—a competition inspired by Project Runway's unconventional materials challenge, where at least 50% of the dress must be crafted from construction materials.Additionally, Dr. Kruse has contributed to academic and literary works, with chapters in Transforming the Heart of Practice (edited by McCallister & Hamilton) and Perspectives From the Prairie, a collection of Prairie Doc newspaper essays.Connect with Dr. KruseFlight Time Medical Facebook Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/share/15isW26riv/?mibextid=wwXIfrDr. Jill Kruse's LinkedIn Profilehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-kruse-d-o-42b9b988Prairie Doc Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/theprairiedocPrairie Doc YouTube Channelhttps://youtube.com/@theprairiedoc

Preaching for the Feast of the Holy Family. Ellen Romer Niemiec offers a reflection on mutuality: "In a time when it may seem safest to preserve ourselves as individuals and avoid the risk of vulnerability, may we heed God's radical invitation to love one another deeply and courageously. May we choose to trust that when we act out of love for one another, that love will be shared in return and enkindle in us the desire to only love more deeply." Ellen Romer Niemiec currently serves in enrollment management at Catholic Theological Union, where she is also pursing a Doctor of Ministry. She has pastoral experience in retreats, international immersions, non-violence work in correctional facilities, program development, and spiritual direction. She has written prayers and other spiritual reflections for Wisdom's Dwelling, Catholic Health Association, GIA publications, FemCatholic, and America Media. Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/12292024 to learn more about Ellen, to read her preaching text, and for more preaching from Catholic women.

Delivering healthcare is a 24/7 job. But what happens when the electricity supply – necessary for so many critical procedures and equipment, medications, and operating facilities – is unreliable? Hear how HSBC India partnered with WRI India to finance solar power and battery energy storage solutions for rural healthcare facilities across three Indian states of Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Assam. Creating a consistent electrification plan has improved service for more than 400,000 patients. Ensuring reliable, renewable energy means that health facilities can focus on what they do best; serving their patients safely. Shivani Shah, Senior Communications Manager, talks about the successes and challenges of scaling solar-based healthcare to thousands of facilities across the country, with multiple WRI and non-WRI experts. Guests for the episode include: - Dr. Rajni Gupta – Program Manager, Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI) - Romit Sen – Senior Vice President, Corporate Sustainability, HSBC India - Lanvin Concessao – Program Manager, WRI India Energy Program - Rishikesh Mishra – Senior Program Associate, WRI India Energy Program

As Catholic health providers navigate an increasingly complex world, the value of clinical ethics cannot be understated. But the world of ethics is complicated itself: How do we give equal time to both clinical care and consultation as well as academic research, peer review and church relationships?Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, President and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, and Dan Daly, the founding Executive Director of the brand new Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health, join Health Calls to discuss the new center being launched in Summer 2024. Sr. Mary explains the work that went into The Center's development, Dan gives his background in ethics and Catholic health care, and both share their vision for how The Center could operate as a go-to resource for Catholic health providers in the near future.ResourcesRead Catholic Health World's story on Dan Daly's appointment as The Center's founding Executive DirectorRead Boston College's release on Dan Daly's appointment 

To say the least, bioethics is controversial. Many in the mainstream movement reject the sanctity and equal dignity of human life around issues such as abortion, assisted suicide, and biotechnology. But there is a robust pushback against such approaches—a human dignity bioethics, if you will—that promotes medical ethics and public health policies that align with the “do no harm” ethic of the Hippocratic Oath. The differences in these approaches impact our very understanding about the meaning and importance of human life. How do these distinctions play are among the most important and contentious controversies of the day. To get a handle on the current bioethics landscape, Wesley interviewed one of the most impressive and energetic defenders of human exceptionalism in bioethics today. Charles C. Camosy, Ph.D, is a Professor of Medical Humanities at the Creighton University School of Medicine and holds the Monsignor Curran Fellowship in Moral Theology at St. Joseph Seminary in New York. Before that, he spent 14 years in Fordham University's theology department. Among other places, his articles have appeared in the American Journal of Bioethics, Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, Journal of the Catholic Health Association, New York Times, Washington Post, New York Daily News and America magazine. He has monthly columns with Religion News Service and Angelus, writes a bimonthly feature piece for The Pillar, and does regular Q&As for OSV News. He is the author of eight books with two on the way. Peter Singer and Christian Ethics (Cambridge) was named a 2012 “best book” with ABC Religion and Ethics; Beyond the Abortion Wars (Eerdmans), was a 2015 award-winner with the Catholic Media Association; Resisting Throwaway Culture (New City) was named 2020 “Resource of the Year” by the Catholic Publishers Association. He also penned Losing Our Dignity: How Secularized Medicine is Undermining Fundamental Human Equality. Dr. Camosy is also the founding editor of a new book series with New City Press called The Magenta Project. In addition to advising the pro-life commission of the Archdiocese of New York and receiving the 2018 St. Jerome Award for scholarly excellence from the Catholic Library Association. Camosy is a proud knight of the St. Peter Claver Society. He and his wife Paulyn have four children, three of whom they adopted from a Filipino orphanage in June of 2016. Losing Our Dignity: How Secularized Medicine is Undermining Fundamental Human Equality One Church: How to Rekindle Trust, Negotiate Difference, and Reclaim Catholic Unity: Camosy, Charles C.: 9781646801527: Amazon.com: Books For Love of Animals: Christian Ethics, Consistent Action: Camosy, Charles C.: 9781616366629: Amazon.com: Books https://www.newsweek.com/vulnerable-groups-deserve-protectionthat-includes-embryos-opinion-1873531 https://www.newsweek.com/pro-life-movement-needs-fundamentally-new-approach-opinion-1859885 https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/brain-death-at-a-crossroads

The road to health equity is long, and many hospitals and healthcare facilities are on different parts of the journey. How do we gauge best practices and strategies for different parties? Several guests join this episode of Health Calls to discuss ongoing efforts to help hospitals across the United States: Kathy Curran, Senior Director of Public Policy for the Catholic Health Association; Joy Lewis, Senior Vice President for Health Equity Strategies for the American Hospital Association, and Executive Director of the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity; and Leon Caldwell, Senior Director of Health Equity Strategies at the American Hospital Association. They discuss the history of the AHA's efforts and how the two associations have collaborated in the work of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

Season Four of Health Calls, the podcast of the Catholic Health Association, kicks off on June 27! Subscribe now!

In 2022, the Catholic Health Association's Board of Directors called for a new vision statement for the organization and Catholic health care as a whole, a significant step in the organization's 108-year history.Sr. Mary Haddad, President and CEO of CHA, and Laura Kaiser, FACHE, President and CEO of SSM Health and Chairperson of the CHA Board, join the show to discuss the motivation behind the visioning process, how they foresee alignment with CHA's core values and mission and how the new vision statement could be used by CHA and its members in the future.

The Catholic Health Association is committed to partnering with the Laudato Si Action Platform and is pleased to offer a series of guided audio meditations in this season. Each brief reflection will invite those who serve or are served by the ministry of Catholic health care to listen to the voice of creation through fire, water, earth and air and to prayerfully consider “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”

The Catholic Health Association is committed to partnering with the Laudato Si Action Platform and is pleased to offer a series of guided audio meditations in this season. Each brief reflection will invite those who serve or are served by the ministry of Catholic health care to listen to the voice of creation through fire, water, earth and air and to prayerfully consider “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” FireA reflection with Brother Fire. Crafted by Sr. Beatrice Hernandez, OSF, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Coordinator for the Wheaton Franciscans based in Wheaton, IL. Written in the style of St. Francis' Canticle of Creation.Find all of CHA's reflections and resources for the Season of Creation at: https://www.chausa.org/environment/season-of-creation.

The Catholic Health Association is committed to partnering with the Laudato Si Action Platform and is pleased to offer a series of guided audio meditations in this season. Each brief reflection will invite those who serve or are served by the ministry of Catholic health care to listen to the voice of creation through fire, water, earth and air and to prayerfully consider “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” WaterA reflection with Sister Water. Crafted by Sr. Beatrice Hernandez, OSF, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Coordinator for the Wheaton Franciscans based in Wheaton, IL. Written in the style of St. Francis' Canticle of Creation.Find all of CHA's reflections and resources for the Season of Creation at: https://www.chausa.org/environment/season-of-creation.

The Catholic Health Association is committed to partnering with the Laudato Si Action Platform and is pleased to offer a series of guided audio meditations in this season. Each brief reflection will invite those who serve or are served by the ministry of Catholic health care to listen to the voice of creation through fire, water, earth and air and to prayerfully consider “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” AirA reflection with Father Air. Crafted by Sr. Beatrice Hernandez, OSF, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Coordinator for the Wheaton Franciscans based in Wheaton, IL. Written in the style of St. Francis' Canticle of Creation.Find all of CHA's reflections and resources for the Season of Creation at: https://www.chausa.org/environment/season-of-creation.

The Catholic Health Association is committed to partnering with the Laudato Si Action Platform and is pleased to offer a series of guided audio meditations in this season. Each brief reflection will invite those who serve or are served by the ministry of Catholic health care to listen to the voice of creation through fire, water, earth and air and to prayerfully consider “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” EarthA reflection with Mother Earth. Crafted by Sr. Beatrice Hernandez, OSF, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Coordinator for the Wheaton Franciscans based in Wheaton, IL. Written in the style of St. Francis' Canticle of Creation.Find all of CHA's reflections and resources for the Season of Creation at: https://www.chausa.org/environment/season-of-creation.

The Catholic Health Association is committed to partnering with the Laudato Si Action Platform and is pleased to offer a series of guided audio meditations in this season. Each brief reflection will invite those who serve or are served by the ministry of Catholic health care to listen to the voice of creation through fire, water, earth and air and to prayerfully consider “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” SilenceA reflection on the wonders of God's creation. Crafted by Sr. Beatrice Hernandez, OSF, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Coordinator for the Wheaton Franciscans based in Wheaton, IL. Written in the style of St. Francis' Canticle of Creation.Find all of CHA's reflections and resources for the Season of Creation at: https://www.chausa.org/environment/season-of-creation. 

Fr Mathew Abraham C.Ss.R, the Director General of Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI) writes about his call, and the role of the Church in healthcare. Read Online : https://eng.kairos.global/?p=11926 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe at : http://www.jykairosmedia.org Read Kairos Global Online : http://eng.kairos.global Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ReadKairosglobal Twitter : twitter.com/readkairos Instagram : www.instagram.com/jy_kairos YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/c/KairosStudio1 Apple Podcasts : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kairos-global-audio-magazine/id1501126301 Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/4IbehFD4Zfa0ZpS6o0Bjk3 Google Podcasts : https://tinyurl.com/c94688mu

In this podcast, CWCIT's Karen Kraft speaks with Sr. Dr. Maria Vasantha about her life as both a religious sister and medical doctor who is skilled in both Western and traditional Indian medicine. Sr. Dr. Vasantha discusses her involvement with the Sister Doctors Forum of India, her medical work in the impoverished Tamil Nadu state, and the Catholic Church in India's support and promotion of traditional Indian medicine, through the Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI), for example. Drawing on her own personal experience as well as what she has seen in her patients, she also describes specific instances in which Indian traditional medicine has succeeded where Western medicine has not. Sr. Maria Vasantha, MD (or Sr. Dr. Maria Vasantha)belongs to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod, popularly known as the Holy Cross Sisters, and holds numerous positions at Leonard Hospital in the town of Batlagundu in India's Tamil Nadu State including that of director, consultant, and surgeon within the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Proficient in the practice of contemplative and Zen meditation, she is also certified in Bach flower medicine, reflexology, and yoga. She follows an integrative approach to women's health, using a balance of Western science and alternative and spiritual therapies of Eastern science. Her passion is to bring the healing touch of Christ to everyone she meets, particularly the indigenous poor.

Trained in psychology, therapy, and divinity, Chaplin Hess is the Director, Supportive Care at The Catholic Health Association of the United States. She has clinical experience with palliative care. She serves as faculty within the Master's program at University of Maryland.

"Health Care Denied" was the headline of a report issued by the American Civil Liberties Union on how Catholic hospitals threaten the health and lives of women. It is a common accusation leveled by civil rights groups on issues of women's reproductive health and crisis pregnancies. Catholic hospitals follow guidelines based on beliefs about the human person and the common good which prevent medical staff from providing a range of reproductive health services, including contraception, abortion and sterilization. Are Catholic hospitals denying women care, turning them away and by doing so threatening their lives? That is absolutely not true, says Fr. Charles Bouchard, O.P., a moral theologian and the Senior Director of Theology and Ethics at the Catholic Health Association. Fr. Charlie speaks to Gloria about why groups like the ACLU and others are targeting Catholic hospitals, despite the high quality of care offered and many shared advocacy priorities around the common good, immigration, voting rights, criminal justice and more. At some point in the conversation around reproductive health, says Fr. Charlie, belief in human dignity and the common good morphed into a radical autonomy; free choice became an end in itself. Ultimately, this debate is about fundamental moral principles–is a dialogue possible? Support The Gloria Purvis Podcast by getting a digital subscription to America! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vice President of Affordable Housing Curtis Johnson speaks with Sr. Mary Haddad, the President & CEO of the Catholic Health Association about Affordable Housing.

PeaceHealth Director of Infection Prevention Catherine Kroll has been named a national recipient of the Catholic Health Association's Tomorrow's Leaders award for 2021. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/health/peacehealth-infection-prevention-leader-earns-national-recognition/

In this podcast, the Australia India Institute’s Professor Ashok Muthupandian, Professor Nathan Grills and Dr Haripriya (Priya) Rangan discuss the current COVID-19 crisis devastating India and how the Institute and University of Melbourne are lending support. Professor Ashok Muthupandian is the AII’s Acting Director and the Assistant Deputy Vice-Chancellor International at the University of Melbourne. Professor Nathan Grills is an AII Senior Researcher Adviser and Global Health Professor at the School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne. Dr Haripriya Rangan is an AII Academic Fellow and Principal Fellow of the School of Geography at the University of Melbourne. Frontline charitable organisations that University of Melbourne partners with: • CMC Vellore: 500 Covid19 beds. Requesting support for vaccines, COVID19 tests, oxygen concentrators. • Emmanuel Hospital Association : 20 hospitals in rural India serving the poor. Requesting support for PPE, medications, oxygen cylinders/concentrators. • The Catholic Health Association of India : responding to Covid19 across 3500 health facilities. Melbourne University is conducting training to equip their response to Covid19.

Age-Friendly Ecosystems "It's a blessing to be an older adult." -Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FGSA, FAAN For decades, advocates have called for communities, neighborhoods, and organizations like hospitals to become more "age-friendly." Although the idea of an age-friendly society has been promoted both locally and internationally, adoption remains more aspirational than an organized practice.  In this week's episode of This Is Getting Old, Dr. Terry Fulmer and Amy Berman walk us through an overview of what it means to have created an Age-Friendly Ecosystem.  Part One of 'The Age-friendly Ecosystems'. The John A. Hartford Foundation has been working with the Age-Friendly Foundation to convene leaders of these age-friendly movements. The goal is to help make the "age-friendly" moniker clear to all stakeholders in terms of what it means.  At the George Washington University’s Center for Aging, Health and Humanities, we have adapted the Age-Friendly Ecosystem to include Arts & Creativity.’ What Exactly Is an Age-friendly Ecosystem?  An Age-Friendly Ecosystem refers to the collective of all efforts to adapt society to meet older adults' needs. In simpler terms, Age-Friendly Ecosystems are the comprehensive, collectively built, and ever-expanding platform whose goal is to improve older adults' quality of life through enhanced, collective impact.  Moreover, understanding the Age-Friendly Ecosystem draws on the social-ecological model that acknowledges the connections and interplay between older adults and their environments or contexts. Proponents of the Age-friendly Ecosystem Movement The Age-Friendly Ecosystem is a movement to create age-friendly cities and communities started by the World Health Organization and carried forward by AARP (American Association of Retired Persons).  The John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF) launched the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in 2017 to ensure the specific needs of older adults are met in health care. JAHF in 2018 then collaborated with the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) to involve public health agencies to expand the implementation of the age-friendly guidelines to the public health domain, acknowledging that these programs, notwithstanding their goals, have remained constrained and siloed. Many other organizations are advancing initiatives to make universities and businesses age-friendly.  The Goals and Objectives of Age-Friendly Ecosystems The goal of Age-Friendly Ecosystems has been to help make the "age-friendly" moniker clear to all stakeholders regarding what it means and how it should be adapted.   The work is leading to developing a common language and shared metrics so that anyone can recognize it and know what should be expected when we say "age-friendly." By working together across silos, different age-friendly initiatives can maximize their collective impact.  "An Age-Friendly Ecosystem refers to the collective efforts to adapt society to meet older adults' needs worldwide." -Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN Guiding Principles and Frameworks of Age-friendly Ecosystems Each of the age-friendly initiatives has its guiding principles and frameworks. A big part of our effort is to help us understand those frameworks and what the shared characteristics are across them. The 4Ms Framework  An Age-Friendly Health System reliably delivers evidence-based care that reduces harm and focuses on What Matters most to older adults and their families. It is based on what we call the 4Ms Framework – essential elements of care that need to be addressed for all older adults – What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. The 5Cs Framework The Age-Friendly Public Health Systems movement uses the 5Cs Framework:  Connecting and convening sectors and professions  Coordinating existing supports and services  Collecting data to assess community health status  Conducting, communicating, and disseminating research findings and best practices  Complementing and supplementing existing supports and services,  These frameworks are specific to the sector, clinical or public health in these examples but undergirding all of these frameworks are commonalities that lead us to the characteristics of an Age-Friendly Ecosystem. Part Two of 'The Age-friendly Ecosystems'. Characteristics of Age-friendly Ecosystems The convenings of leaders in the Age-Friendly Ecosystem, in addition to surveys of older adults, literature reviews, and expert interviews, have led to an understanding that several characteristics represent an age-friendly ecosystem. Understanding these characteristics helps us get to common language and metrics.  A forthcoming journal article will explain these characteristics and their definitions.  Age-Friendly Ecosystems: Current Standing in Terms of the Needed Common Language and Metrics  Since the fall of 2020, the Age-Friendly Foundation has been drafting a measurement taxonomy. They did that by identifying six outcome measurement domains that represent dimensions of age-friendliness. The domains are groups of similar outcomes, while the outcomes are explanatory concepts that can be inferred from measured or observed data. The Foundation is also looking at indicators or ways of measuring desired outcomes. They've looked at all the different frameworks outcomes and indicators – the Age-Friendly Health Systems, the Age-Friendly Public Health, WHO Age-Friendly Cities, AARP Livable Communities, Age-Friendly CAFÉ (Employers), and Age-Friendly Universities Principles— to supplement work in the health and public health frameworks.  Furthermore, the Foundation reviewed CDCs Healthy People 2030 indicators for Healthy Aging and Access to Care and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Policy Statement on Aging to expand and quantify outcomes related to health well-being. They've started with specific outcomes, such as Mobility, Walkability, Access to Jobs, and Labor Force Engagement. For each outcome, they identified indicators (or measures) recommended by IHI, CDC, WHO, and so on.  In some cases, they've added indicators where there were gaps based on a review of the literature. All of these are still in draft stages, and there is more to come. "Everyone has a role to play in eradicating ageism." -Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN. How To Do Your Part In Building The Age-friendly Ecosystem? Everyone is encouraged to implement age-friendly programs, which will also  help us counter ageism and help all of us age with dignity and respect. In whatever sector you are in, reach out across to other partners. Start by checking out the blog on MelissaBPhD.com. You can find linked additional resources for age-friendly initiatives such as the Age-friendly Health Systems, Age-friendly Universities, and many more.   You can also join in the existing age-friendly initiatives, for example, the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement, by going to ihi.org/agefriendly. Or visit Trust for America's Health or our johnahartford.org website for more information on how to join the Age-Friendly Public Health Systems initiative, which has a new website: https://afphs.org/. "We've seen great success in this with public health working with aging services, working with health systems. This all connects to a crucial issue and call to action - everyone has a role in eradicating ageism, which is discrimination based on age. This means calling it out when you see and hear it. It requires you to make sure you aren't contributing to ageist perceptions of older adults." says Dr. Terry Fulmer, a nationally and internationally recognized leading expert in geriatrics.  “Older adults rightfully want and deserve dignity and respect.” Amy Berman, RN, LHD, FAAN About Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN: Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, is the President of The John A. Hartford Foundation in New York City, a foundation dedicated to improving older adults' care. She serves as the chief strategist for the Foundation, and her vision for better care of older adults is catalyzing the Age-Friendly Health Systems social movement. Dr. Fulmer is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and recently served on the independent Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes to advise the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. She completed a Brookdale National Fellowship, and she is the first nurse to have served on the American Geriatrics Society board. The first nurse to have served as President of the Gerontological Society of America, which awarded her the 2019 Donald P. Kent Award for exemplifying the highest standards for professional leadership in the field of aging. About Amy Berman, RN, LHD, FAAN: Amy Berman is a Senior Program Officer with The John A. Hartford Foundation. She works on the Foundation's development and dissemination of innovative, cost-effective care models that improve health outcomes for older adults. Among these efforts, Dr. Berman is responsible for the Foundation's work to advance Age-Friendly Health Systems, led by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association.  She also leads many of the Foundation's efforts focused on Serious Illness and End of Life, including efforts to support Diane Meier's palliative care and the Center to Advance Palliative Care.    

Please note this episode contains descriptions of child trafficking, prostitution, labor trafficking, trauma bonding, and molestation. Listener discretion is advised. Holly Austin Gibbs is the Director of CommonSpirit Health’s Violence and Human Trafficking Response Program. In this role, Holly oversees efforts to implement policies, procedures, and education that will assist physicians and staff in a) identifying patients who may be experiencing abuse, neglect, or violence, including human trafficking, and b) offering victim assistance to patients in a trauma-informed manner. In 2014, Holly published an academic book titled Walking Prey: How America's Youth are Vulnerable to Sex Slavery; and in 2019, she received the Sister Concilia Moran Award from the Catholic Health Association. As a survivor of child sex trafficking, Holly has testified before Congress and consulted for numerous organizations, including the U.S. Office for Victims of Crime, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and the AMBER Alert program. Connect with Holly: www.instagram.com/holly_a_smith Resources: Trafficking Task Force: https://traffickinginamericataskforce.org/ Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888 or text BeFree (233733) National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: https://www.ncmectx.org/ Cyber Tip Line: https://report.cybertip.org/

My guest today is Patrick Cacchione. He's been working at the intersection of politics, religion, and health policy for the past three decades, and he's one of my favorite people to speak with on these topics. Patrick has been a teacher, a writer, and has worked on Capitol Hill, but his main role for the past 30 years has been with the Catholic Health Association, an organisation that advocates and educates for health policy rooted in Catholic ethics and teaching. I wanted to have this conversation for several reasons. First, I'm interested in what happens when religious freedoms and other civil liberties come into tension, and how we deal with that as a state and as a society. I'm also attracted to concepts and ideas that scramble our usual assumptions of polarisation, and Catholic health is one area that does that, with policy positions that don't fall neatly along party lines. Finally, I'm fascinated by the moral foundations and ethical frameworks that orient people towards different policy positions, and how, even when we disagree, trying to drill down to those moral motivations might help us understand others' positions a little bit better.Book recommendation:Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

Topics Discussed:Texas’ “Snowmageddon” and the failings of "green energy" Hellen Keller was fake??? The history teacher’s TIkTok video that is going viral Biden’s Nomination for HHS Secretary, Xavier Becerra Becerra’s voting record and stance on issues Over 75 members of congress express “grave concerns” about BecerraWhen you vote pro-choice, you are pro-choice  Links Mentioned:“Biden's HHS Pick Praised By Catholic Health Association, Not By Some Pro-Lifers” - National Catholic Reporter“Attorney General Becerra Leads Coalition of 21 Attorneys General Asking FDA to Increase Access to Reproductive Telehealth Care During COVID-19 Pandemic” - Press ReleasePro-Life America Podcast Episode 3: Abortion Industry Shows It's True Colors During Coronavirus PandemicVote Record of H.R. 748 - The Child Interstate Abortion Notification ActPro-Life America Podcast Episode 19: The Abortion Industry Harbors Pedophiles and Sex TraffickersChildPredators.comOur Reports & ProjectsRate & Review Our Podcast Have a topic you want to see discussed on the show? [Submit it here.]To learn more about what Life Dynamics does, visit: https://lifedynamics.com/about-us/Support Our Work Be Sure To Follow Life Dynamics:Our WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramYouTube 

Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) is a collaborative cross-disciplinary nonprofit biomedical research organization based in Seattle. ISB and Town Hall proudly present ISB President Jim Heath in conversation with Rod Hochman, President and CEO of Providence. Join them for a discussion exploring what the future of healthcare might look like in a post-pandemic world. Dr. Jim Heath is a chemist and the president and professor of Institute of Systems Biology. He also has the position of Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at UCLA, and he has directed the National Cancer Institute-funded NSB Cancer Center since 2005. Dr. Rod Hochman is the president and CEO of Providence St. Joseph Health, a Catholic not-for-profit health system. He is the chair elect designate for the American Hospital Association (AHA), chair of AHA’s Regional Policy Board 9, and past chair of the board of trustees for the Catholic Health Association. Presented by Town Hall Seattle & Institute for Systems Biology. To become a Town Hall Seattle member or make a donation click here. 

Age-Friendly Health Systems: History and Overview "Age-friendly Health Systems create a system of care where there's good communication, good leadership, and information systems that track across (care settings)."— Alice Bonner, PhD, RN With nine years to go before the last Baby Boomers reach age 65, our nation is on a short timeline to develop the infrastructure needed to provide quality care for older adults in our hospitals and health care systems.  With that vision in mind, a system of "age-friendly environments" is emerging from the collaborative efforts between the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in partnership with the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA). The first podcast interview for This is Getting Old: Moving Towards an Age-Friendly World was with Dr. Terry Fulmer who has led development of the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative (Episode 3). Building on that interview, in this episode, Dr. Alice Bonner shares the history and an overview of the Age-Friendly Health Systems. The goal of the age-friendly health system is to guide development of an infastructure required for hospitals and health systems to deliver evidence-based care for all - not just for older adults. Discover how the system empowers all health care settings to implement the 4M’s Framework to facilitate care for older adults. Part One of 'Age-Friendly Health Systems: Evidence-Based Care for All Older Adults'  Age-Friendly Health Systems: A History And Overview The Age-Friendly Health Systems: Evidence-Based Care for All Older Adults offers healthcare systems opportunities to help older adults residing within them. The model further emphasizes that societies must strive to counter age-based stigma, referred to as ageism, towards elderlies. This is to encourage independence for older people and to implement strategies that promote healthy aging. The idea came about from several organizations and individuals who look at the current health system, the current system of communities and public health, and how healthcare facilities are run.  They brought together expert clinicians, researchers, and people who spent their lives working with older adults. They started doing a big review of the literature and combed through several references. They've found that there are 90 elements of care guided explicitly toward older people's best care. They did lots of brainstorming, had meetings, and repeatedly went over the literature until they got down from 90 elements to 13 elements. Then everybody said, "13 things are just too many things to ask nurses and doctors and social workers to do". So they got together in a room and didn't come out until they had called it down to four elements, and those four elements all start with the letter M. What Matters? Medications, Mobility, and Mentation. "Age-friendly health systems allow people to customize; it promotes leadership; it requires leadership. And not just a medical director, but nursing leadership, social work, leadership, pharmacy leadership. It's about the interprofessional team."- Alice Bonner, PhD, RN  Age-Friendly Care – 4Ms Framework The 4M's are the core practices that clinicians believed to make a difference in administering care. Alice emphasized that health systems should implement these 4Ms accurately. According to her, "By addressing these 4Ms, we're talking about assessing people and then acting on those assessments. It isn't enough to do an assessment and put a piece of paper in the chart. What you want to do is say, "Okay, how can we act on this?" The Age-Friendly Care Systems 4Ms frameworks evolve on the following concepts:   What Matters   Know and align care with each older adult's specific health outcome goals and care preferences, including end-of-life care and across settings of care.    Medication   If medication is necessary, use age-friendly medication that does not interfere with What Matters to the older adult, mobility, or mentation across the setting of care.   Mentation   Prevent, identify, treat, and manage dementia, depression, and delirium across care settings.   Mobility   Ensure that older adults move safely every day to maintain function and do What Matters. Part Two of ''Age-Friendly Health Systems: Evidence-Based Care for All Older Adults’  The Principles Behind Age-Friendly Health System   Alice further stressed that most people are not thinking about ageism and includes stereotyped beliefs that discriminate against older adults. It’s not widely recognized, until it happens to you or someone you love.  Age-friendly systems look at how workers at health systems speak, the language they use, the references they make, and how they handle ageism and get rid of it. The Frameworks Institute has several resources and reports to help you learn more about how to effectively counter ageism. That is the primary reason why the forerunners of the 4Ms framework of the age-friendly systems anchored the system on the following principles. The 4Ms are set to be integrated into care for every adult ages 65 and older during every inpatient stay for over a year in a primary care setting.   Age-Friendly Health Systems and the 4Ms are a framework to organize the efficient, reliable delivery of effective care with older adults.  The framework is intended to be an infrastructure that builds on the care you provide today.  Age-Friendly Health Systems are designed to close the gap between the evidence-based care that we know works and the reliable practice of that care with every older adult in every interaction. "We started with five health systems. We're now at over a thousand health systems across the country, which is pretty miraculous for a three or four-year project. And the goal is to make it not just a project but to make it sustainable in the way we deliver care everywhere, all the time, every day." — Alice Bonner, PhD, RN Why Should Health Systems Implement The 4Ms Framework? As of December 2020, over 1,000 hospitals, outpatient practices, retail-clinics, and post-acute long-term care communities have been recognized as working to become Age-Friendly Health Systems. Having described a detailed 4Ms approach in their setting, 178 of these have been identified as Committed to Care Excellence as exemplar sites working toward the 4Ms reliable practice. What Are Participants Saying? There's always measurement involved in being recognized as an age-friendly health system. You or your organization can participate by signing up and joining an active community.  Here are what some of the participants are saying about 4M's Framework of the Age-friendly System.  "My hospital joined the movement and was recognized as an Age-Friendly Health System Participant after sharing with IHI how we are putting the 4Ms into practice. I'm going to encourage my doctor's office to join, too. " "IHI recognized us as leaders in the movement, and as an Age-Friendly Health System Committed to Care Excellence when we shared three months of data on the number of older adults, we cared for with the 4Ms." About Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP, FAAN: I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing ('96'96) and Master of Science in Nursing ('00'00) as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) School of Nursing (SON). I genuinely enjoy working with the complex medical needs of older adults. I worked full-time for five years as FNP in geriatric primary care across many long-term care settings (skilled nursing homes, assisted living, home, and office visits), then transitioned into academic nursing in 2005, joining the faculty at UNCW SON as a lecturer. I obtained my PhD in Nursing and a post master's Certificate in Nursing Education from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing ('11'11) and then joined the Duke University School of Nursing faculty as an Assistant Professor. My family moved to northern Virginia in 2015 and led to me joining the faculty at George Washington University (GW) School of Nursing in 2018 as a (tenured) Associate Professor. I am also the Director of the GW Center for Aging, Health, and Humanities. Find out more about her work at https://melissabphd.com/.

Sacred Stories | Messages Placed in My Path “He rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!' Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.” - Mark 4:39 On a Tuesday evening, I received a call that my dad would be airlifted from his town's small emergency department to a larger facility that could better treat his heart condition. There, doctors determined he was not a candidate for a stent and he was transported to a third facility for quadruple bypass surgery.  The surgery was scheduled for Friday, but due to the amount of blood thinner he had received, Dad needed to wait until his blood thickened to an acceptable pre-surgery level. He was sent home to wait; it took two weeks, which seemed like an eternity.  I was thousands of miles away, unable to be present during his surgery or recovery due to COVID-19 precautions. Feeling nervous and helpless, I threw myself into work and school. I reached out to colleagues, women religious and friends for prayers.  I told Dad about those who were holding him in their prayers and lighting candles for him. He was humbled by the kindness of strangers. His surgery would take place at a Catholic health care facility, and he told me there was “something different” about his pre-op experience there. He said that from now on, he wants to receive care only from a Catholic facility.  While we awaited Dad's surgery, I attended a Zoom meeting hosted by the Catholic Health Association, where I facilitated a breakout session. The first person to enter my virtual breakout room introduced herself as a mission leader for another Catholic health ministry, whose scope included the facility where Dad would have his surgery! She reassured me with the clear message that he was in the best place he could be, and that the facility was nationally recognized for cardiac surgery expertise.  Then, just two days before Dad's surgery, my first meeting of the day involved a review of two Sacred Stories scheduled to be published the following week. The first story, “God's Perfect Timing,” was written by a nurse who unexpectedly found herself in the right place, at the right time, to help a total stranger who had chest pain. As I reviewed the story, a blanket of warmth enveloped me and I received another clear, but this time inaudible, message: “Be not afraid.”  As I reflected on these experiences, I realized God had provided a message through the attendee in my virtual breakout room, and another through the Sacred Story I reviewed. These messages were placed in my path to provide the comfort I needed. Through them, I felt God's healing presence.  As a result of this experience, I have a new appreciation for CommonSpirit employees who accompany vulnerable individuals during difficult times, and a better understanding of how they can find a deep sense of meaning in those experiences.  I'm happy to report that my dad's surgery was successful, and I'm so grateful he had access to the collective healing ministry of the Catholic Church.  Submitted by a Member of the CommonSpirit Health Mission Team  Questions for Reflection When have “messages” of comfort and encouragement been placed in your path? In the storms of life, these sorts of messages can bring great peace. How has God been present to calm a storm in your life? Share this Story Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare by Mail Listen to more Sacred Stories The Gift of CitizenshipJuly 1, 2020/by adminOur Famous PatientJuly 1, 2020/by adminFulfilling a Last RequestAugust 1, 2020/by adminThe Power of Being PresentAugust 1, 2020/by adminA Celebrated FarewellSeptember 1, 2020/by adminGod's Perfect TimingSeptember 1, 2020/by adminGod's Presence in GriefSeptember 28, 2020/by adminCompassion in ActionSeptember 28, 2020/by adminEncourage One AnotherOctober 26, 2020/by adminThe Door is OpenOctober 26, 2020/by adminRestoring the SoulNovember 16, 2020/by adminSacred Stories, Sacred GroundNovember 16,

The Rev. Denise Hess of the Supportive Care Coalition (now part of the Catholic Health Association) joins host Seán Collins in a reflection on the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation and the ways it has inspired centuries of health care. They talk about the example of Jesus-as-healer, the crucial role women religious have had in promoting health care ministries, and the place suffering plays in our understanding of care for the whole person. They are accompanied throughout the hour by three musicians who perform original arrangements of traditional carols: Gabe Miller, violin & arranger; Elijah Cole, guitar; and Nathan Pence, bass.

 MERRY CHRISTMAS!The Rev. Denise Hess of the Supportive Care Coalition  (now part of the Catholic Health Association) joins host Seán Collins in a reflection on the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation and the ways it has inspired centuries of healthcare. They talk about the example of Jesus-as-healer, the crucial role women have served in promoting healthcare ministries, and the place suffering plays in our understanding of caring for the whole person.They are accompanied throughout the hour by three musicians who perform original arrangements of traditional carols: Gabe Miller, violin and arranger; Elijah Cole, guitar; and Nathan Pence, bass.  "Good is the Flesh"by Brian Wren Good is the flesh that the Word has become,    good is the birthing, the milk in the breast,    good is the feeding, caressing and rest,    good is the body for knowing the world,Good is the flesh that the Word has become. Good is the body for knowing the world,    sensing the sunlight, the tug of the ground,    feeling, perceiving, within and around,    good is the body, from cradle to grave,Good is the flesh that the Word has become. Good is the body, from cradle to grave,    growing and aging, arousing, impaired,    happy in clothing, or lovingly bared,    good is the pleasure of God in our flesh,Good is the flesh that the Word has become. Good is the pleasure of God in our flesh,    longing in all, as in Jesus, to dwell,    glad of embracing, and tasting, and smell,    good is the body, for good and for God,Good is the flesh that the Word has become.  Samaritanus bonus (excerpt)by Pope Francis "At work here is a contemplative gaze that beholds in one's own existence and that of others a unique and unrepeatable wonder, received and welcomed as a gift. This is the gaze of the one who does not pretend to take possession of the reality of life but welcomes it as it is, with its difficulties and sufferings, and, guided by faith, finds in illness the readiness to abandon oneself to the Lord of life who is manifest therein."  "A Blessing for the New Baby"by Luci Shaw Lightly as a falling star, immense, may youdrop into the body of the pure young girl like a seedinto its furrow, entering your narrow home under the shadowof Gabriel's feathers. May your flesh shape itself within her,swelling her with shame and glory. May her belly growround as a small planet, a bowl of golden fruit. When you suck in your first breath, and your loud criesecho through the cave (blessings on you, little howler!),may Mary adorn you with tears and caresses like ribbons,her face glowing, a moon among stars. At her breasts,may you drink the milk of mortality that transforms you,even more, into one of your own creatures. And now, as the night of this world folds you inits brutal frost (the barnyard smell strong as sin),and as Joseph, weary with unwelcome and relief, his handsbloody from your birth, spreads his thin cloakaround you both, we doubly bless you, Baby,as you are acquainted, for the first time, with our grief.  "Journey of the Magi"by T.S. Eliot “A cold coming we had of it,Just the worst time of the yearFor a journey, and such a long journey:The ways deep and the weather sharp,The very dead of winter.”And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,Lying down in the melting snow.There were times we regrettedThe summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,And the silken girls bringing sherbet.Then the camel men cursing and grumblingAnd running away, and wanting their liquor and women,And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendlyAnd the villages dirty and charging high prices:A hard time we had of it.At the end we preferred to travel all night,Sleeping in snatches,With the voices singing in our ears, sayingThat this was all folly. Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,And three trees on the low sky,And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.But there was no information, and so we continuedAnd arrived at evening, not a moment too soonFinding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory. All this was a long time ago, I remember,And I would do it again, but set downThis set downThis: were we led all that way forBirth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,But had thought they were different; this Birth wasHard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,With an alien people clutching their gods.I should be glad of another death.   Rev. Denise Hess, MDiv, BCC-PCHACSupportive Care Coalition Catholic Health Association of the United States for further reading:Incarnate Grace: Perspectives on the Ministry of Catholic Health Careed. Fr. Charles Bouchard, OP, STD Listen to the playlist from today's episode on SoundCloud.    Seán Collins is the host and a producer of the Hear Me Now Podcast, a production of the Providence Institute for Human Caring. He is a veteran public radio producer, having spent more than 20 years at NPR where he led a team that produced the network's flagship newsmagazine, All Things Considered. Collins is a former Benedictine monk. Contact us at HumanCaring@providence.org

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the American healthcare system. How can Catholics vote to ensure that no one is denied access to care? Guest links: Sr. Mary Haddad is the president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association.  Dr. Rhonda Meadows is the president of Population Health at Providence and CEO of Ayin Health Solutions.  US Bishops teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics: "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship" Stay up-to-date with America Media's coverage of the 2020 election: www.americamagazine.org/newsletters You can support this media ministry at www.americamagazine.org/donate

Holly Austin Gibbs is the Director of CommonSpirit Health’s Violence and Human Trafficking Response Program. In this role, Holly oversees efforts to implement policies, procedures, and education that will assist physicians and staff in a) identifying patients who may be experiencing abuse, neglect, or violence, including human trafficking, and b) offering victim assistance to patients in a trauma-informed manner. In 2014, Holly published an academic book titled Walking Prey: How America's Youth are Vulnerable to Sex Slavery; and in 2019, she received the Sister Concilia Moran Award from the Catholic Health Association. As a survivor of child sex trafficking, Holly has testified before Congress and consulted for numerous organizations, including the U.S. Office for Victims of Crime, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and the AMBER Alert program. Connect with Holly: www.instagram.com/holly_a_smith   Connect with Cheryl: https://www.instagram.com/traffickedseries/ https://www.instagram.com/huntercheryl/ https://www.facebook.com/TraffickedSeries/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel&eid=ARD4O_8qCO19r9Lt5Z5gYB89sXXPLwGALf84nomY8hDE8kFmsS9rlnzE01cRe1cFG8YtzpuFzSD3ST1O https://www.facebook.com/cherylhunter/    

In this week’s episode of the Growth Edge podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Leslie Kuhnel, Division Vice President of Ethics for CHI Health / CommonSpirit Health. Leslie is a long time friend and colleague, who stewards the important work of collaborating with clinicians and leaders to guide ethical decision making. We discuss:   - complexities of healthcare and humanity,  - nurturing trust,   - providing a safe space for patients, families, providers, and leaders to grapple with tough questions,  - caring for the needs of the most vulnerable,  - addressing ethical dilemmas,  - navigating uncertainty,  - the importance of active listening and empathy, Resources: American Society for Bioethics and Humanities - https://asbh.org  American Hospital Association - www.aha.org  Catholic Health Association of the United States - www.chausa.org  

Brian and Mary Ann review the 2019 CHA Assembly. Highlights include a panel discussion on the clergy abuse scandal, a bi-partisan discussion about Medicare for All, comments from CHA’s incoming and outgoing chairpersons, remarks by the award recipients and a final thank you from Sr. Carol Keehan, DC.

Charlie Camosy is associate professor of Theological and Social Ethics at Fordham University, where he has taught since finishing his Ph.D. in theology at Notre Dame in 2008. Among other places, his published articles have appeared in the American Journal of Bioethics, the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, the Journal of the Catholic Health Association, ...

From natural elements and religious art, to meaningful encounters with staff, the environment where health care services are provided plays an vital role in the healing process. In this episode Philip Boyle, senior vice president, mission and ethics, Trinity Health, and Zeni Fox, a member of the Ascension Sponsor and professor emerita, Seton Hall University, share their insights and experiences in helping create healing spaces.

This podcast is a recording of an April 29 teleconference with CHA members following the announcement of Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, as the new president and CEO of CHA. During the first part of the teleconference, Sr. Mary talks about her background and then joins Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, CHA’s current president and CEO, to discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead for Catholic health care and the transition in leadership.

We celebrate this Easter that no matter what, we are beloved of God – not even death can separate us, and in spite of all that may point to the contrary, we belong to one another. Where we had been broken, Christ mends us. Where we had been scattered, Christ binds us together. Where we had fallen, Christ lifts us up again. Where we had been dead, Christ brings new life. Take a moment now to celebrate Easter and reflect on its truths.

During Holy Week, when we walk with Jesus in his Passion and ultimate death on the Cross, we are offered the chance to enter God’s suffering in the way that God enters ours. While we know that our show of care does not change Jesus’ ending, or make the suffering go away, we are reminded that—as ‘God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name’—we, too, are strong and will be okay. Take a moment. Still yourself amidst your hectic day and listen to CHA's Reflection for Holy Week.

Genetic engineering holds the promise of curing and preventing disease. But as this technology advances and is more widely adopted, there are a variety of moral and ethical issues to consider. In this episode, Dr. Paul Scherz, PhD, from The Catholic University of America, and Fr. Kevin FitzGerald, SJ, PhD, from Creighton University, discuss the ethics of biomedical research and medical genomics.

Every human needs food and water to live. But are these basic elements for life equitably available and is Catholic health care giving them adequate attention and reverence? To discuss those and other questions, we brought together three authors who contributed to the March-April 2019 issue of Health Progress: Francine Blinten, a clinical nutritionist with the Connecticut Mental Health Center, Jon Magnuson, director of Cedar Tree Institute, and Camille Grippon, system director, global ministries, Bon Secours Mercy Health.

CHA has launched the “Medicaid Makes It Possible” campaign to help ensure Medicaid remains viable. A panel of experts discuss why Medicaid is vital to our nation’s health care delivery system and some of the policy challenges facing the program. Guests include Cindy Mann, former deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP at CMS, currently a partner with the Manatt Health Team; Joan Alker, Executive Director, Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University; Angela Botticella, chief of staff, CHA; and Rhonda Medows, MD, President, Population Health Management at Providence St. Joseph Health. Learn more at www.chausa.org/medicaid

The Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking consists of national and international agencies working to eliminate the scourge of human trafficking. Two coalition members - Anne Victory, HM, RN, MSN, Director of Education Collaborative to End Human Trafficking, and Hilary Chester, PhD, Associate Director for Anti-Trafficking Programs, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops - discuss what is being done to identify and help victims. For a list of resources and groups addressing human trafficking visit: CHA's Human Trafficking website

In 2004, Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa founded New Wave Feminists, a pro-life feminist organization dedicated to changing the divisive language surrounding the abortion debate. New Wave works to give women the support and resources needed to make motherhood a feasible option. Destiny was inspired to form the pro-life feminist organization by her own experience as a young mother. Destiny is one of the few people who has attended the Women’s March and the March for Life in the same weekend in good faith. (Two years ago, Destiny and New Wave made headlines after they were removed as sponsors of the Women’s March because they were pro-life, but Destiny and her colleagues marched there anyway.) This week, Destiny will be at the Women’s March and the March for Life yet again. We talk to Destiny about her advocacy and how to create dialogue within and outside the pro-life feminist movement. In Signs of the Times, the president and the Catholic Church battle over La Lomita Chapel on the U.S.-Mexico border. In sex abuse news, the Northeast Province of the Jesuits release the names of all clergy accused of sexual abuse since 1950. A new Gallup survey says the crisis has led Catholics to lose faith in church leaders. We remember the life of Bishop Joseph Howze, the first black bishop to lead a U.S. diocese, who died at the age of 95 on Jan. 9. In international news, a new art exhibit featuring a crucified Ronald McDonald angers Christians in Israel. Finally, the Vatican officially launches a new track team, which includes nuns, priests and migrants. Feel free to send us your questions, concerns or cocktail recipes to jesuitical@americamedia.rog, or join us for discussion on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a member of our Patreon community. Next week, we will be in Australia and you can follow along on Patreon and social media! A special thanks this week to “Catholic Health USA,” the podcast of the Catholic Health Association. Make sure to listen and download! Links from the show: Trump, Catholic Church Battle Over Chapel in Way of Border Wall USA Northeast Province releases names of Jesuits credibly accused of sexual abuse Catholics are losing faith in clergy and church after sexual abuse scandal, Gallup survey says Bishop Howze, founding bishop of Diocese of Biloxi, Miss., dies at 95 Haifa Catholic Church Leader Blasts 'McJesus' Sculpture: 'What's Suitable for Europe Isn't Suitable for Us' The Vatican’s New Track Team Includes Priests, Nuns and a Scholar   What’s on tap? Lemon ginger tea

CHA President and CEO Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, talks about challenges to the ACA and Medicaid, education around palliative care, the clergy sex abuse scandal and the process for selecting her successor.

Rod Hochman, M.D., is the president and CEO of Providence St. Joseph Health, a faith-based not-for-profit health and social services system comprised of over 111,000 caregivers serving patients and communities in 50 hospitals, 829 clinics and hundreds of programs and services across Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington. Rod has been selected multiple times as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare and 50 Most Influential Physician Executives by Modern Healthcare. He is a board member for the American Hospital Association (AHA), chair of AHA's Regional Policy Board 9 and vice chair of the board of trustees for the Catholic Health Association. Rod served as a clinical fellow in internal medicine at Harvard Medical School and Dartmouth Medical School. In addition, he is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology. [fl_builder_insert_layout id="3603"] Show Notes: Health ecosystem leaders are working with partners and recruiting talent from new places, all contributing to where healthcare is going. Engaging with the ecosystem involves continued learning, comfort with change, and thinking about what's possible. Collaboration is indispensable as a technique to solving the tough problems facing population health today such as the mental health national crisis, affordability, and availability of pharmacy and specialty drugs. Embodying mission, vision, and values based on a global concept of health and a better world is about actively living those values when approaching daily work. Health ecosystem leadership must reflect the communities we serve and be centered around the individual with a focus on team-based, whole-person centered care.

What is palliative and hospice care and what does Catholic social teaching say about it? What conversations do clinicians need to have with their patients and each other about end of life issues? These and other questions are discussed by a panel of experts from CHA, the Archdiocese of Boston, Washington University, Mercy and St. Louis University.

This episode looks at how Catholic health care collaborates with others to extend care in the community. Coletta Barrett, Vice-President of Mission, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Chair of the Board, Mayor's Healthy City Initiative in Baton Rouge, LA, and Julie Trochio, Senior Director, Community Benefit and Continuing Care for CHA are the featured guests.

Highlights from a two-day conference on how Catholic health care can best respond to domestic and international disasters is the focus of this episode. Guests include Lance Mendiola from CHRISTUS Health, Karen Reich from Bon Secours, Dr. Alex Garza from SSM Health, and Kim Burgo from Catholic Charities USA. The episode was taped on-site at CHRISTUS Health in Irving Texas. Note: CHA’s publication “Disaster Response: Considerations for Catholic Health Care” can be ordered and downloaded at www.chausa.org/disaster.

This episode features an interview with David Addiss, MD, MPH, the director of the Focus Area for Compassion and Ethics at the Task Force for Global Health, and adjunct professor at Emory and Notre Dame. Dr. Addiss provides additional insight into his recent Health Progress article about how global health must draw on compassion, solidarity and justice. Bruce Compton, Senior Director of International Outreach for CHA, joins the discussion on how Catholic health care can best work to alleviate suffering in the U.S. and around the world.

The first episode of "Catholic Health USA," focuses on the opioid epidemic and features two segments with Dr. Fred Rottnek, a professor and director of community medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Host Brian Reardon, CHA's vice president of communications and marketing, is joined by Mary Ann Steiner, the editor of Health Progress, and Clay O’Dell, the director of CHA member advocacy, in talking with Dr. Rottnek. In the third segment, Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, CHA's president and chief executive officer, and Dr. Rod Hochman, president and chief executive of Providence St. Joseph Health and chair of CHA's Board of Trustees, discuss health care disrupters.

January 23, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1zzCOg6. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. The Catholic Health Association has recently completed the reconstruction the St. Francis de Sales Hospital in Haiti, restoring and improving health services for the poor there. Sister Carol Keehan, President and CEO of the Catholic Health Association or CHA, explains, “Members of the Catholic Health Association donated more than $10.1 million to the reconstruction of St. Francis de Sales Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, destroy in the 2010 earthquake.” “St. Francis de Sales Hospital, founded in 1881, has been the principal health care provider for the poorest and most vulnerable people of the Haitian capital,” she adds. “The new hospital is a vitally important part of rebuilding the community of Port-au-Prince and ensuring that its people can receive the medical care and attention they need,” she concludes. Please consider whether a friend or colleague might benefit from this piece and, if so, share it.

The focus of the 2007 Young Social Justice Institute Summer Conference was "Health Care for All" featuring keynote speakers Sr. Carol Keehan, Catholic Health Association and Deacon Clarke Cochran of Texas Tech. The conference will examine life issues , Catholic hospitals in the 21st Century, health care for all, new covenant experience in Catholic health care, preventive health care, end of life ethics and politics, health care clinics and parish social ministry. The lecture is named in honor of President Emeritus Rev. William J. Young.

Today's topics: Latest Bioethics News: Three-Parent IVF; HHS Mandate Update; Transplant Denied Based on Character Summary of today's show: M.C. Sullivan returns to discuss the latest issues in Catholic bioethics, including a controversial proposal in Britain to allow “three-parent” in vitro fertilization; differing responses by the Catholic Health Association and the US bishops to the latest US Health and Human Services mandate related to the Affordable Care Act; an attempt to change the public policy on who may make a blood donation, particularly with regard to homosexuals; and an initial denial of a heart transplant to a Georgia teen based on his character and behaviors. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry Today's guest(s): M.C. Sullivan Links from today's show:

Summary of today's show: The HHS mandate of the Affordable Care Act is an unprecedented infringement on religious liberty, according to a wide cross-section of religious leaders and political observers. Scot Landry talks to Kim Daniels, an attorney who specializes in religious liberty issues and coordinator for Catholic Voices USA, about the HHS mandate and other attempts to infringe on religious liberty during this Fortnight for Freedom called by the US bishops. Daniels will be one of the panelists on the Fortnight for Freedom town hall airing on CatholicTV and WQOM tonight at 8pm. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry Today's guest(s): Kim Daniels, Coordinator for Catholic Voices USA Links from today's show: Today's topics: Religious Liberty and the HHS Mandate 1st segment: Scot said tonight Cardinal Sean will be hosting on the live town hall meeting at CatholicTV at 8pm on the topic of religious liberty. On of the presenters joining is Kim Daniels, an attorney working on religious liberty issues and is a coordinator for Catholic Voices USA and lives in Maryland. Scot said he met Kim when he attended a meeting in Washington, DC, of Catholic Voices USA. Kim said the group is lay Catholics who stand up and talk about our faith and why we love it, making the Church's presence felt in the public square. They don't speak on behalf of the bishops, but do speak authoritatively because they know their faith well. It's an outgrowth of a similar successful group in England last year that began before the Pope's visit. Scot said Catholic Voices is launched while we're fighting to defend our religious freedom. Kim said they saw a need for lay Catholics to be out there on this issue.They want as many lay Catholics talking about it as possible because it's important we tell everyone how it's under siege today. Scot asked Kim to provide background on the HHS mandate. She said it's part of the Affordable Care Act. Last August, the Dept. of health and Human Services put out a regulation that all employers provide insurance for contraceptive services under the ACA or face a fine. The only exemption was for a narrow definition of churches. Church-related organizations were not exempted. In January this year the president affirmed that this was going to be the rule and then later proposed an “accommodation” which was only an accounting trick. For the first time, religious believers would be forced to provide a good or service that violates their faith. Kim said the problems with the “accommodation” includes the idea that insurers would be forced to provide the coverage rather than the employers, but of course the costs would be passed along to employers. The employers would still be forced to participate. Also, many church organizations are self-insurers. Kim said religious liberty is our first freedom. One of the central reasons people came to this country was to escape religious persecution and that's what the first amendment was about. For Catholics especially, it's important, because it it's the glue that holds civil society together. Catholics found civil society institutions that stand between individual and government and provide the glue for society. Scot asked what makes the HHS mandate so bad. Kim said the mandate has an extremely narrow definition of what counts as a religion. You're a religious organization if you primarily employ people of your faith and promotes your faith. If reduces religion to freedom of worship within the four walls of the house of worship, not freedom of religion. Mother Teresa would not qualify for the exemption. Scot said we don't serve other because they're Catholic. We serve others because we're Catholic. That's what defines us as Catholic. Free exercise isn't freedom of worship, but freedom of religion, which is prayer, belief, and action, and more. Kim said look at the list of the Catholic organizations that have signed on to lawsuits against the HHS mandate: publishers, colleges, nursing homes. For every corporal work of mercy, you can find an organization that has signed on. Scot said some people believe Catholics have been targeted specifically. Cardinal George of Chicago said this is an unprecedented requirement that we be forced to act contrary to what we believe. This has never happened in the US. Kim said we know there's been plenty of religious bigotry in history. It's important to remember here that what's going on is that people are being forced to pay for something that violates their deeply held religious beliefs. Once this precedent is set, you can violate beliefs in other places as well. A good example is conscientious objection to serving in war. That could be threatened. Scot said when there are laws passed, there's usually a robust set of exemptions for different groups. Scot said the Affordable Care Act has many exemptions, but the exemption for Catholics was so narrow it violates our religious liberty. Scot asked Kim how exemptions work in laws like these? Kim said we have a longstanding bipartisan census in favor of religious liberty and exemptions for religious conscience. President Clinton signed int o law the religious freedom restoration act. Ted Kennedy had written to Pope Benedict that he was in favor of strong exemptions for Catholics. But what happened here is the Obama administration has set all that aside. Scot said the troubling part of this is that the Secretary of HHS came out with a list of preventative care that's covered under the law that included contraception and abortifacients, when real preventative care wasn't included. Kim said wouldn't it be great to have free health club memberships or blood pressure medicine or the like? But instead contraception, sterilization and abortifacients are. That shows they are presenting pregnancy as a disease to be prevented. Kim noted that the Amish got an exemption from the Affordable Care Act as did millions of people who were grandfathered. 2nd segment: Scot said on this issue, Catholics of all stripes were all united that this was a massive violation of religious freedom. Kim said when the mandate first came down, she heard people talking about in her parish in a way that you don't see normally. They saw it as an attack on them and it's created a solidarity. The lawsuits show a wide array of groups participating from small to large and across the viewpoint spectrum. An important development last week saw the Catholic Health Association, which had supported the Affordable Care Act, came out against the HSS mandate and the supposed accommodation. Kim said the institutions that will not provide the objectionable goods and services will be subject to fines of $100 per day per employee. For large organizations and small ones that is significant. It will lead some to shut their doors. Others will reduce their services. It will have a big impact on our network of schools and social service providers. Scot has asked if there's a precedent for fines that are so crippling? Kim said this is what's unprecedented: That the government is forcing us to make that choice between our religious beliefs and paying these crippling fines. Because we are an institutional church, we work through groups we form, not just through individuals, it affects us uniquely. It's not just a Catholic issue, but it particularly affects us. Scot said there are about 200 Catholic universities in the US, about 7,000 secondary and elementary schools, 1,400 long-term healthcare centers, and hundreds of hospitals. The most important thing for the common good is not the the number of institutions, but the people who are served here. Kim said the key issue to remember is that at the end of the day this will harm the poor, kids in schools, those served by Catholic services. Kim said when the government says to some that they are not meeting the narrow exemption, it involves the government coming in and defining whether they are religious. The government becomes entangled in the practice of our religious faith. Scot said this violates the separation of church and state. Kim said it goes to the Establishment clause. It's setting up a regulation that determines what it means to be religious. Scot asked Kim to respond to the claim that the Church is trying to impose its views on others, including employees who don't agree. Kim said the Church only seeks to retain the constitutional right to propose it's views as a full participant in public life. It's the government is coming in to tell the Church what it should believe about contraception and abortion.Kim said contraception is cheap and widely available and the government could take many steps to provide it easily without forcing religious believers to violate their beliefs. People coming to work for the Church know or can easily know what the Church believes coming in the door. Kim said when the Catholic Health Association came out against the mandate, they made this argument. Scot said he's also heard that the Catholic Church is trying to hurt Obama's re-election campaign. Kim said the plaintiffs in the lawsuits have all different political views. If anyone is trying to politicize this issue, it's the Obama administration. Scot said that's another slogan he's heard, that this is a War on Women. Kim said it's clear that it's a manufactured war. It's patronizing for the administration to claim that religious freedom isn't as important to women. 30,000 women have signed up for an inititiative to say this. Kim and her neighbor Helen Alvare, who is a prominent pro-life Catholic, started this initiative on the grassroots level, sending it out to their friends without a big budget or infrastructure. She's heard of women taking up the initiative on their own to stand up for their religious liberty. Scot read the open letter from the website called “Don't Claim to Speak for All Women”: We are women who support the competing voice offered by Catholic institutions on matters of sex, marriage and family life. Most of us are Catholic, but some are not. We are Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Many, at some point in our careers, have worked for a Catholic institution. We are proud to have been part of the religious mission of that school, or hospital, or social service organization. We are proud to have been associated not only with the work Catholic institutions perform in the community – particularly for the most vulnerable — but also with the shared sense of purpose found among colleagues who chose their job because, in a religious institution, a job is always also a vocation. Those currently invoking “women's health” in an attempt to shout down anyone who disagrees with forcing religious institutions or individuals to violate deeply held beliefs are more than a little mistaken, and more than a little dishonest. Even setting aside their simplistic equation of “costless” birth control with “equality,” note that they have never responded to the large body of scholarly research indicating that many forms of contraception have serious side effects, or that some forms act at some times to destroy embryos, or that government contraceptive programs inevitably change the sex, dating and marriage markets in ways that lead to more empty sex, more non-marital births and more abortions. It is women who suffer disproportionately when these things happen. No one speaks for all women on these issues. Those who purport to do so are simply attempting to deflect attention from the serious religious liberty issues currently at stake. Each of us, Catholic or not, is proud to stand with the Catholic Church and its rich, life-affirming teachings on sex, marriage and family life. We call on President Obama and our Representatives in Congress to allow religious institutions and individuals to continue to witness to their faiths in all their fullness. Scot said it's a beautiful letter. He's said the issue can turn in this country if women stand up and say that NARAL and NOW don't speak for them. Women aren't one-issue voters who only care about abortion and contraception. Kim said it's patronizing for the Obama administration to call this a women's issue because it involves contraception, abortion, and sterilization. Scot said 43 Catholic institutions filed a lawsuit on one day in late May, adding to 11 previous lawsuits. Kim said it was an unprecedented coordination of lawsuits among Catholic groups. As a civil rights matter it's striking to see organizations come together to file suit across the country to show that it matters to all of us. It's also important it was filed then because the Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act is imminent. Plus the clock is ticking: Catholic organizations need to purchase insurance. Scot said some in Boston thought the Archdiocese of Boston should have filed a lawsuit too. There are 195 dioceses and parches in the US. He asked what about groups that didn't file a lawsuit? Kim said the suits are directed against just the mandate. There are lots of reasons while you would have some plaintiffs sign on and others not sign on and why you would file in the some places and not in others. It's mainly a tactical question. Scot asked how long it will take to see this resolved. Kim said it depends on what happens in the next few weeks and months on these issues. You could see them happening in the next year. Scot asked how the 43 lawsuits might be affected by the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act itself. If the Court rules the law constitutional or only part of it is unconstitutional, the lawsuits will move forward. If the court rules against the whole Act, then it's an immediate win for the plaintiffs and we return to the status quo of strong religious freedom protections. Scot asked what the likelihood for that is. Kim said her sense is the Court will strike down part of the Act and these cases will move forward in court and they will win. Scot asked Kim what she hopes to come from the Fortnight for Freedom. She wants her own kids to see Catholic standing together on an important issue. It's also a wakeup call about what's going on with religious liberty. Even if it seems like it's removed in Washington, the Fortnight can bring this home to parishes. Scot said he's been thinking about those who gave their lives in our history for the sake of religious freedom. What message would Kim have to the listeners on why we should educate ourselves and do something about this now? Kim said religious liberty isn't always attacked in a grand way, like bombing of churches and Christians being murdered. What we have here is the slow whittling away of our religious liberty. But this will really affect all os u. It will set the precedent in the law that religion is what happens within the four walls of a house of worship.

Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today's guest(s): Fr. Roger Landry, executive editor of The Anchor, the newspaper of the Fall River diocese; and Antonio Enrique, editor of The Pilot, the newspaper of the Boston archdiocese Links from today's show: Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot's and The Anchor's websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today's topics: Chancellor steps down; HHS ruling and religious freedom; Proposed pastoral clusters; Mass. Citizens for Life on assisted suicide Summary of today's show: Scot Landry and Susan Abbott are joined by Fr. Roger Landry and Antonio Enrique this week to discuss the headlines in The Pilot and The Anchor, including the resignation of Jim McDonough, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Boston for the past six years; the release of the proposed list of parish clusters as part of the continuing pastoral planning process; the US bishops react to the unprecedented attack on religious freedom via the Health and Human Services regulations related to Obamacare; the Mass. Citizens for Life annual assembly addressing assisted suicide proposals; and the retirement of a popular priest from our largest parish. 1st segment: Scot Landry and Susan Abbott discussed the birth of her eighth grandchild, Louise Sinead Cavanaugh, 8lbs 8oz. this past week. Scot said Rico and Ashley Ciricola had their first child, Isaac, this week. Rico works in the Pastoral Center and this is their first child. Scot said today is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and for many years it was ordination day in the Archdiocese so for many priests ordained in the 50s and 60s, this is their anniversary. 2nd segment: Scot and Susan now welcome Antonio Enrique and Fr. Roger Landry. Scot said the top story is the resignation of Jim McDonough as chancellor for the archdiocese and John Straub will be succeeding Jim as interim chancellor. Antonio said Jim became chancellor six years ago. Last year, he renewed his five year commitment, but told the Pilot that it was not a good idea to leave his office vacant at the same time as the vicar general was changing. Six months after Msgr. Deeley came as vicar general, now is the right time. Scot said that even though John is interim chancellor, Msgr. Deeley said he expects John will be named permanent chancellor. They hope to use this interim status as a time for John to listen to the voices of the constituencies and perhaps in six months the title of interim will be dropped. Susan said the announcement was a surprise in the Pastoral Center. She said she loved how he said that at 61 years old he thinks he has another game in him and if he waits too long it will be cribbage. She was also touched by his interview with the Pilot. Scot said the chancellor is one of the top three leaders in the Archdiocese with the cardinal and the vicar general. The chancellor is the chief financial officer. During his tenure, he addressed the clergy pension funding and recommended the creation of an independent board to oversee its implementation. He also oversaw the move of the archdiocese's central administration from the former Brighton campus to the Pastoral Center in Braintree in 2008. He also was able to balance the central ministries' budget. John Straub said his focus will be on helping parishes realize the sorts of savings as they have found for central ministries as well as help with pastoral planning in parishes. Fr. Roger said in Fall River, the chancellor is a priest who is also a pastor as well as dealing with financial matters and canonical requests. Scot said Boston has had lay chancellors for about the past 25 years and John Straub, if he's appointed, will become the sixth lay chancellor. 3rd segment: Scot said over the past two weeks the Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Commission has been charing throughout the archdiocese proposed groupings of two, three, or four parishes that would share one pastoral service team and one pastor. Scot said the aim is to get feedback on the groupings. Antonio said Msgr. Fay told the Pilot that this is the third phase of the consultation process and they emphasize that this is just a proposal, not a decision and it is definitely not mergers. In the next phase they will meet with all vicariates, parish staff, pastoral councils and finance councils. “The key point of all of this is what we are looking at is really managing the life of the parishes in very constructive ways to be able to strengthen evangelization in the diocese and to build up the Church mightily, and strongly for the future,” Msgr. Fay said. “The first phase was to lay out a proposal—and that is all it is— from the APCC,” Msgr. Fay said. He said the second phase took place in January as the APCC presented more detailed proposals on pastoral collaborative groupings at regional meetings through the archdiocese. “The purpose of phase two was to say, ‘Now that you understand the proposal, here is what we suggest the collaboratives might look like,” Msgr. Fay said. Scot and Susan emphasized that people shouldn't listen to anyone else about what the proposals are, but should read it for themselves (at the link above). 4th segment: Scot said there has been much coverage in the media about the actions taken by the Dept of Health and Human Services that would curtail Catholics' religious freedom and the reaction of the US bishops. Fr. Roger's editorial this week was dedicated to this topic. He said this is all part of the Obamacare bill that was passed last year that mandates that contraception and abortifacient morning-after pills and sterilization would have to be covered under mandatory preventative care by every private health care plan. The new regulations do not allow for a religious exemption for institutions that hire or serve people who are not part of their religious belief system. Most Catholic institutions would be forced to pay for these in violation of our conscience. Fr. Roger said this rule violates the law passed by Congress that put a condition on such regulations in that it had to prove a compelling need to violate consciences. Nearly every US bishop has voiced his disapproval. The reaction of Catholic leaders to the trampling of conscience has been swift and strong, not only by Catholic bishops but also by people like Sister Carol Keehan. president of the Catholic Health Association, and Father John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame, both of whom have defended President Obama and his initiatives in the past. Perhaps the most powerful response of all, however, come from Pope Benedict himself in a very strong January 19 address to a group of U.S. bishops making their ad limina visits in Rome. Just four years after citing President Washington and praising America on the White House Lawn for our country's promotion and defense of freedom, he lamented that “powerful new cultural currents”, opposed to core moral teachings of the Judeo-Christian tradition and increasingly hostile to Christianity as such” were eroding our nation's respect for liberty. This culture is based on a “radical secularism,” an “extreme individualism” that is seeking to promote “notions of freedom detached from moral truth.” Of particular concern, he declared, are “certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished of American freedoms, the freedom of religion. … to deny the right of conscientious objection on the part of Catholic individuals and institutions with regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices. … to reduce religious freedom to mere freedom of worship without guarantees of respect for freedom of conscience.” Antonio said there are some very liberal voices at work in the administration that want to reshape how we believe as Catholics. We need to defend our religious rights and conscience rights. Scot said many believe that this is about the push to redefine marriage and normalize same-sex relationships, pushing religion out of the public square in order to advance this message. Scot said Cardinal Seán has read a letter to the faithful of this Archdiocese and read it on the air. (See the link above.) Fr. Roger said Cardinal Seán repeats that this letter forces our conscience. That is unprecedented in our nation. Fr. Roger said the agenda is to copy what the Church has done with school and social services and the like, then to force the Church out of the work unless she is going to compromise herself. This has already happened with adoption services. Scot said once you lose your rights, you don't get them back. Now is the time for all Catholics to stand up for their rights. Susan quoted Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan's column in the Pilot: The Amish do not carry health insurance. The government respects their principles. Christian Scientists want to heal by prayer alone, and the new health-care reform law respects that. Quakers and others object to killing even in wartime, and the government respects that principle for conscientious objectors. By its decision, the Obama administration has failed to show the same respect for the consciences of Catholics and others who object to treating pregnancy as a disease. 5th segment: Scot said the Massachusetts Citizens for Life annual assembly strongly condemned physician-assisted suicide as proposed in Massachusetts. Wayne Cockfield was a guest on The Good Catholic Life last Friday before his address to the assembly. HE was quoted as saying: “Once people get used to killing, the pool of death always expands.” Antonio said we have examples of this from other countries, like the Netherlands, where the killing has grown beyond the original group. The law is supposed to teach and when it becomes deformed, the society forgets. In the Netherlands, it is now legal to kill children with deformities after birth. This would have been unthinkable before legalized euthanasia. Antonio notes that in Oregon where assisted suicide is now legal studies have shown that people are killing themselves, not because they are suffering unbearable pain, but to not be a burden on others. Scot said there is also a column in the Pilot by Drs. David and Angela Franks called “Love never abandons the suffering.” They ask whether we should be trying to eliminate suffering or the sufferer. Susan said there was a presentation at the Pastoral Center on assisted suicide by Fr. Michael Sheehan and Peter Cataldo this week and it was wonderful. Scot said an edited video of the workshop will be placed on very soon.