New York City — Annual Mass for the Health Professions
August 12th, 2008 by Fr. Pius, OP
THE DOMINICAN FRIARS HEALTH CARE MINISTRY OF NEW YORK
of
SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA CHURCH AND PRIORY
cordially invite you to participate in the
Annual Mass for the Health Professions
Monday, October 20, 2008
12:00 Noon ~ Church of St. Catherine of Siena
and the
Third Annual Lecture in Catholic Health Care Ethics
HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA: WHO DO WE REALLY CARE ABOUT?
presented by
SISTER CAROL KEEHAN, D.C., R.N., M.S.
President and Chief Executive Officer
The Catholic Health Association of the United States
St. Louis, Missouri
1:30 p.m. ~ Church of St. Catherine of Siena
411 East 68th Street, (between First and York Avenues)
New York, New York
The Annual Mass for the Health Professions and Lecture are open to all interested persons.
DOMINICAN FRIARS HEALTH CARE MINISTRY OF NEW YORK
ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA CHURCH AND PRIORY
411 E. 68th Street (between 1st and York Avenues), New York, New York 10021
Tel: 212-988-8300 • FAX: 212-988-6918
THIRD ANNUAL LECTURE IN CATHOLIC HEALTH CARE ETHICS
MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2008 – 1:30 P.M.
ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA CHURCH, 411 E. 68TH ST. NEW YORK, NY 10021
HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA: WHO DO WE REALLY CARE ABOUT?
SISTER CAROL KEEHAN, D.C., R.N., M.S.
PRESIDENT, THE CATHOLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES
It is inconceivable to many other countries that the United States would have 47 million people who are uninsured, but that is the documented case and, given our current economic crisis, it appears that that number will only continue to grow larger. At the same time, many millions of Americans are barely holding on to their insurance. Many other millions have health insurance coverage that is structured in such a way that the significant co-pays and deductibles have become an absolute barrier to accessing health care except in emergencies. These are the insured among us whose out-of-pocket expenses are so significant that they forego recommended preventive care—such as mammograms and colonoscopies—and defer following up on early warning signs. Still more Americans—millions in fact—complain about being locked into a job and having no ability to grow in their careers because they or a family member will not be able to get insurance in a new job. On the other hand, if they do get insurance, they will have a major illness not covered by that policy because it is a pre-existing condition.
As stated in the Catholic Health Association’s Vision for U.S Health Care and grounded in the core values of human dignity, the common good, concern for the poor and vulnerable, stewardship, justice and pluralism, health care must be available and accessible to everyone. It must be health and prevention-oriented and needs to be sufficiently and fairly financed. Health care must be transparent and consensus-driven in the allocation of resources and organized for cost effective care and administration. It must be patient-centered and designed to address health needs of all stages of life from conception to natural death and, finally, designed to deliver the greatest possible quality. These principles are simple and straightforward and would serve our nation well if the health care system reflected them.
– Sr. Carol Keehan
Sister Carol Keehan, DC, the ninth president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) will address the plight of millions of persons in the United States who are uninsured or underinsured, especially vulnerable persons: children, the unemployed, the working poor, single parents, the elderly, disenfranchised, immigrants and undocumented persons. She will also identify how the moral and ethical issues ought to be framed and then offer solutions to this grave American tragedy. The topic for her presentation “Health Care In America: Who Do We Really Care About” is particularly timely in this year of national elections.
Deemed one of the primary frontier centers in the world by the Dominican Order, the mission of the health care ministry of the Dominican Friars of St. Catherine of Siena Church and Priory in New York is to promote the dignity of the human person and the healing ministry of Jesus Christ among parishioners, health care professionals, patients, and their families through pastoral care, education, research, and ethics consultations in the Hospital for Special Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center, and Rockefeller University Hospital. The Mission is fulfilled through four critical and inter-related ministries or pillars, Church of St. Catherine of Siena; the Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus; pastoral care to health care professionals, support staff, patients and their families; and health care ethics programs and consultations.
