48
For people of faith, the concept of transformation is not new. Believers in every generation have
strived to be faithful “transformers.” History is filled with stories of powerful leaders and humble servants
who, thanks to their sense of mission and purpose, changed their world for the better.
For hundreds of years, our Sponsors have carried on Jesus’ healing work in the world. In essence, our
Sponsors planted the seed of a ministry that has grown steadily, providing shelter, comfort and care to
people in need. Over the years, these dedicated women and their collaborators – associates and physicians
in communities all over the United States – have helped transform the lives of millions of people by
providing care to meet patients’ physical and spiritual needs.
“Be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2
Letter to Associates, Colleagues and Friends
Today, Ascension Health is called to carry on this transfor-
mational work. Rooted in faith, and growing together, we
are building on the remarkable progress we have made as
a healing ministry.
We are blessed with an opportunity to transform the way
healthcare is delivered in the United States, made manifest
by the implementation of our Strategic Direction as we
commit to providing Healthcare That Works, Healthcare That
Is Safe, and Healthcare That Leaves No One Behind, for Life.
This work is made possible by our enabling inner strengths of
inspired people, trusted partnerships, empowering knowledge,
and vital presence in the communities we serve.
Through our Strategic Direction, we are in essence deepening
our roots and extending our branches, ensuring that the
lives of those we serve are sustained and strengthened by
the care we provide. This Annual Report highlights the work
of associates and clinicians who are providing that Mission-
centered care every day and moving us to the realization of
our Vision. For the good work and service of these caregivers,
we are proud and grateful beyond words.
This year, Ascension Health made significant progress in a
number of areas, including work begun on implementing our
Strategic Direction.
You will read how the Healthcare That Works team is
focusing its efforts on delivering a consistent, exceptional
Ascension Health Experience to persons we serve.
You will see that our Healthcare That Is Safe team is
exceeding its goals on our path toward clinically excellent care
with zero preventable injuries and deaths in our hospitals
by July 2008.
And you will learn about our Healthcare That Leaves
No One Behind emphasis on creating a new model of access
leadership that will help us accelerate our goal of achieving
100 percent access to care.
You will also read about the unique Enabling Strengths that
are helping us accomplish our Mission in a manner consistent
with our Values.
We are building a model community of Inspired People
by addressing the individual spiritual, physical, social and
professional needs of those who serve with us.
We are creating Trusted Partnerships with other
organizations that share our values.
We are developing Empowering Knowledge by using
technology to transform the care we provide.
We are working within the communities we serve to
ensure that we have Vital Presence and are where we are
needed, how we are needed to be there.
There is energy and enthusiasm around our Strategic
Direction as we continue to see the value in working together
as a system.
We have also made significant achievements in the areas
of Mission Integration and Leadership Formation across
Ascension Health. Our commitment to forming and nurturing
lay leadership is continuing, as leaders throughout the system
actively participate in the Formation for Catholic Healthcare
Ministry Leadership program and the Ongoing Executive
Formation program. We are committed to developing our
future leaders and fostering workplace spirituality so that our
ministry may be sustained for centuries to come.
Letter to Associates, Colleagues and Friends
To further our Mission, this year the Sponsors Council and the
Board developed a strategic approach to strengthening the
Catholic health ministry, including a framework for considering
collaboration with other Catholic health systems.
We have been blessed with another strong year operationally,
enabling us to increase our commitment to charity care.
Together, we provided nearly $704 million in Care of Persons
Who Are Poor and Community Benefit in fiscal year 2006,
representing the seventh consecutive year we have been
able to increase the level of charity care our ministry provides.
This commitment is central to our Mission and one we share
with Catholic healthcare organizations across the country.
Ascension Health recently joined other Catholic systems in
adopting guidelines by the Catholic Health Association for
planning, measuring and documenting community benefits.
This effort will help us better tell the story of our service to
those in need, increasing understanding of our role in the
healthcare safety net for the uninsured and underserved.
Hundreds of years ago, our Sponsors began this ministry
of faith. Today, Ascension Health continues their legacy,
extending this healing Mission through the work of more
than 100,000 associates. We share a sacred obligation on
behalf of those we serve. It is a responsibility we accept
humbly; a call to ministry that demands the best of each of
us, every day. Together, with God’s help, we will accomplish
marvelous things.
Jack Mudd, JD, JSD
Chair, Board of Trustees
Sr. Barbara A. Moore, CSJ, PhD
Chair, Sponsors Council
Anthony R. Tersigni, EdD, FACHE
President and CEO
The physician and nursing staffs at
Saint Thomas Health Services are
committed to bringing new therapeutic
and informatics technologies
to the patient care process
that will transform the
patient’s experience in
receiving care.John Pirolo, MDChief Medical Information OfficerSaint Thomas Health ServicesNashville, Tennessee
I try to make everyone
feel comfortable and treat
them the way I would
want to be treated if
I was a patient.Angela BakerPatient Care TechnicianCarondelet HealthKansas City, Missouri
2020: Our Vision Realized
Envisioning a Transformed Healthcare System
Through the evolution of our Call to Action, it
commits us to provide 100 percent access to safe,
effective care in ways that satisfy patients, associates
and physicians.
We will fulfill our promise to those we serve by
delivering Healthcare That Works, Healthcare That
Is Safe and Healthcare That Leaves No One Behind,
for Life. This will be made possible by our enabling
strengths of inspired people, trusted partnerships,
empowering knowledge and vital presence in the
communities we serve.
We made significant progress this year both in
continuing our efforts on behalf of our Call to Action
and in developing the infrastructure and establishing
priorities for the work represented in our Enabling
Strengths. In partnership with our Health Ministries,
we are collaborating to define new ways to deliver
care, identify best practices and learn from one another.
We recently reached the end of our first year in
achieving the Strategic Direction we set forth last
fall – a 15-year guide to realizing our Vision as
a Catholic health ministry. Our Strategic Direction
defines the preferred future state of Ascension
Health and challenges us to extend our line of
sight to the year 2020.
I enjoy working at
Lourdes because
there is a real family
atmosphere and a
level of camaraderie
between employees
that is different from
other hospitals in our
community.Kevin A. Heintzelman, DOLourdes Riverside Medical AssociatesOur Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital Binghamton, New York
St. Vincent’s Hospital
offers a unique sense of
one-on-one interaction
between associates
and patients. Once you
enter the facility, you
can feel the compassion
throughout the campus.Synoricery CrenshawPharmacy Technician IISt. Vincent’s HospitalBirmingham, Alabama
Healthcare That Works
Leading the Way to the Ascension Health Experience
She expected to receive quality medical treatment.
What she didn’t expect, and what was a pleasant
surprise, was the respect and compassion shown by
her nurses and other caregivers. They introduced
themselves, explained what they were going to do at
each step of her care, and listened to her questions
and concerns. It was the emphasis on meeting not only
Danielle’s physical needs, but her emotional needs as
well, that made the biggest impression on her.
When Danielle shared her experience with members of
the Healthcare That Works team of Ascension Health,
she contributed to the definition of the Ascension Health
Experience. Her story helped to illustrate how emotional
support, communication and empowerment impact a
patient’s hospital experience.
Our Strategic Direction calls Ascension Health to
define and deliver a consistent, exceptional Ascension
Health Experience to all we serve. This work is the
primary focus of Healthcare That Works, and it frames
many of our initiatives.
Danielle Anderson* didn’t have any particular
expectations about hospital care before her first
inpatient stay. She had recently been diagnosed with
asthma, and receiving the diagnosis was somewhat of
a relief because it helped explain the symptoms she had
been dealing with for years. When a particularly bad
bout of asthma sent her to the hospital for tests and
breathing treatments, it was a new experience for her.
* Although the essential elements of this story are real, the patient’s name and some details have been changed to protect privacy.
It’s About the ExperienceUnder the leadership of a Steering Committee that draws
talented members from several of our Health Ministries,
the Research & Development group of Ascension Health
researched customer satisfaction both within and outside
the healthcare industry, including interviewing dozens of
patients like Danielle and surveying nearly 2,000 patients
across six Health Ministries.
The result is the definition of the initial attributes of a
consistent, exceptional Ascension Health Experience, six
attributes within three realms of experience: Safe, Effective,
Evidence-based Care; Coordinated, Efficient Processes;
and Emotional and Spiritual Support. The initiatives of the
Healthcare That Works team – indeed, virtually all of the
work being done to advance the Strategic Direction of
Ascension Health – are designed to impact one or more
of these realms of experience.
Within this framework, we made strides during the past
year in advancing the Healthcare That Works goal of
achieving absolute satisfaction for those we serve and
those who serve with us.
Creating a Consistent, Exceptional Ascension Health ExperienceOur definition of the patient experience reinforces
important work being performed around Safe, Effective,
Evidence-based Care and Coordinated, Efficient Processes.
And it goes further by identifying the need to be equally
Initial Attributes of the Ascension Health ExperienceSafe, Effective, Evidence-based Care
Clinical Reputation and Quality
Coordinated, Efficient ProcessesAdministrative Efficiency
Comfortable, Convenient Environment
Emotional and Spiritual SupportCompassionate, Respectful Care
Communication and Empowerment
Care Responsiveness
intentional about empowering and equipping
associates around Emotional and Spiritual Support.
To track progress on delivering the desired patient
experience, the Steering Committee identified an
overarching metric called the “Net Promoter Score”
(NPS). It asks on a 0-to-10 scale how likely someone
is to recommend an Ascension Health facility and is
calculated by taking the number of people choosing
9 or 10 and subtracting the number of people
choosing 0 through 6.
As the fiscal year came to a close, we began to study
our existing patient satisfaction measures and relating
them to the NPS. The next step is a review of Health
Ministry practices and initiatives focused around
Emotional and Spiritual Support to identify leading
practices and develop approaches to support, grow and
coordinate knowledge sharing across Ascension Health.
Advancing Coordinated, Efficient ProcessesHealthcare That Works has helped our Health Ministries
improve their efficiency in treating patients through a
number of initiatives over the past year, including:
A new system in place at Middle Tennessee Medical
Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and St. Vincent’s Hospital
in Birmingham, Ala., uses radio frequency identification
(RFID) tags to help caregivers keep track of equipment,
supplies, and even patients. The system is having a
positive impact on caregiver and physician satisfaction by
providing information to help them do their jobs more
effectively, which in turn improves patient satisfaction.
The Ascension Health Operations Resource Group, in
collaboration with R&D, developed three SharingSolutions
information packages to help Health Ministries gain a
better understanding of their patient flow processes
and to design ways to improve patient care as a result.
The packages focus on the operating room, emergency
department and inpatient units and will help guide
associates and physicians to develop solutions that
positively impact their patients.
Healthcare That Works
(At Right) New technology has helped physicians
and caregivers do their jobs more effectively at Middle
Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Combining the experience of several Health
Ministries involved in construction projects with the
research capabilities of the Regenstrief Center for
Healthcare Engineering (RCHE) at Purdue University,
we developed a set of evidence-based guidelines
around patient-centered design. These guidelines were
included in an Ascension Health Capital Toolkit, which
assists Ministries undertaking major capital projects. The
Ministries also worked with RCHE to develop a virtual-
reality patient room design model to help “feel” the
impact of design options, accelerate building schedules
and reduce mock-up costs.
Creating a Caregiver PipelineThis year the Healthcare That Works team, with the
Healthcare That Is Safe team and the Chief Nursing
Officers and Chief Human Resources Officers advisory
groups, advanced the work of creating a vital Caregiver
Pipeline, designed to ensure an adequate supply of
qualified, values-compatible, inspired nurses and allied
care professionals to care for those we serve.
To address staffing challenges faced by our Health
Ministries, this strategy is making strides in three areas:
Staffing Forecasting – A Web-based forecasting tool
was developed to help Health Ministries anticipate and plan
for their staffing needs through the year 2020.
Traveler/Mobility – We are developing processes to
facilitate internal movement of RNs during emergencies, such
as 2005’s devastating hurricanes, or other times of need.
Education Models – Working with several Health
Ministries, we are examining ways to increase the capacity
of RN education programs, such as partnerships between
a Health Ministry and local educational providers to expand
class offerings. In fiscal year 2006, R&D developed and
delivered a SharingSolutions package on such a program
at Carondelet Health Network in Tucson, Ariz. Also being
explored is development of an “Ascension Health University”
for nursing, with a centralized educational component and
distance learning opportunities across the System.
The Caregiver Pipeline is one component of a much larger
effort across Ascension Health to enhance nursing care
models and the care environment under the sponsorship
of Ann Hendrich, Vice President, Clinical Excellence, and
Marvin Russell, Senior Vice President and Chief Human
Resources Officer.
Encouraging New Systems of CareIn the last fiscal year, R&D launched an initiative to financially
support Health Ministry pilot projects and demonstrations
targeting special populations of patients that test processes,
technology, new relationships, new caregivers and other
features that support Ascension Health’s Strategic Direction.
We received proposals for 13 projects. Following a careful
discernment process, four proposals were chosen for support.
Some projects will be more successful than others. However,
Healthcare That Works
we expect to learn from each and will continue to
encourage courageous innovation as we explore ways to
transform healthcare and the experience of our patients.
Impacting Emotional and Spiritual Support
Our work around the Ascension Health Experience has
reinforced the importance of great work being done
to improve the safety and efficiency of the care we
CARE TEAM, by Providence Hospital,
Washington, D.C., is a multidisciplinary,
comprehensive team of physicians, nurses,
case workers and data managers that
will provide medical management for
patients admitted from nursing homes.
This project will test the ability to improve
the patient experience.
Tele-Home Care, by St. Vincent Health,
Indianapolis, is testing the benefits of a
telemedicine approach for home care
patients. The goal is to improve patient
satisfaction by helping patients maintain
better health and to test the use of
information technology to improve care.
Pharmacy Navigation, by Genesys Health
System, Flint, Mich., seeks to demonstrate
and test an approach to share reliable,
timely and accurate prescription information
among pharmacy benefit managers,
physicians, pharmacy care providers, and
inpatient and outpatient care settings. The
pilot group will be early retirees of Genesys.
TeleHealth, by Our Lady of Lourdes
Memorial Hospital, Binghamton, N.Y., is
testing an improved information system in
a home care setting as the foundation for
an electronic medical record for home care
and hospice patients. The goal is to improve
patient satisfaction and outcomes.
New Systems of Care – Health Ministry Projects Supported by Research & Development
provide. However, it also identified our need to be more
intentional about our desire to improve our level of
emotional and spiritual support. As our work progresses
we will sharpen our focus on helping our associates
provide that kind of support. This will enable us to
achieve our goal of delivering a consistent, exceptional
Ascension Health Experience to all we serve and those
who serve with us.
Healthcare That Is Safe
Providing Excellent Clinical Care With No Preventable Injuries or Deaths by July 2008
It was a very busy day in a very busy month at Sacred Heart
Women’s Hospital in Pensacola, Fla. The OB Unit was on
track to break its record of 360 births in one month. Already
that morning, the OB surgical team had performed four
successful surgical births.
Shortly after labor was induced, the baby’s heart rate
dropped to dangerous levels. Nurses immediately took
steps to raise the baby’s heart rate, but he did not respond.
Without delay the OB team began preparing Lettie for an
emergency Cesarean delivery to save the baby’s life.
In less than 20 minutes – even before Lettie’s own physician
arrived in the unit – her baby boy was born healthy at
5 pounds, 2 ounces. The Neonatal Intensive Care team was
on site when Peter was born and offered supportive care,
but it wasn’t long before he was in the regular nursery. Within
three days Peter and his new parents were at home getting
used to being a family.
Beth Castner, Patient Care Manager, Sacred Heart Women’s
Hospital, said, “We’re a high-risk birthing center so we’re used
to emergencies, but Lettie’s situation really showed how our
teamwork and repeated practice for situations like this really
pays off. Our team had just completed the fetal monitoring
course offered by the Perinatal Safety initiative at Ascension
Health and we used that training for Peter and Lettie.”
When Lettie* immigrated to the U.S. seven months ago,
she had just found out she was pregnant with her first
child. Her pregnancy was going well until 37 weeks
when her water broke prematurely. This placed her
baby at risk for complications so she was admitted to
Labor and Deliver for induction of labor.
* Although the essential elements of this story are real, the patient’s name and some details have been changed to protect privacy.
1 Institute of Medicine, To Err Is Human, Washington DC: National Academy Press, 2000.
Making Healthcare SafeHealthcare That Is Safe focuses on providing excellent
clinical care with no preventable injuries or deaths by
July of 2008. Nationally, hospitals have historically seen
between 44,000 and 98,000 patient deaths each year
as a result of medical errors.1 This is a shocking statistic
that just makes our goal so much more important
and timely.
At the beginning of FY06, Ascension Health had
committed two years of work to our goal of zero
preventable deaths and injuries. During this time, our
Health Ministries participated in a variety of important
initiatives as part of our clinically obligated group
– meaning that everyone teaches and everyone learns.
Methods of improvement, including a continued focus
on our Priorities for Action, identification of clinical best
practices, adoption of techniques to ensure seamless
communication among caregivers, and a commitment
to a safety culture systemwide, were tested and shared
throughout our Health Ministries.
The impact of our work can be seen in the reduction in
the number of deaths in our hospitals. After significantly
surpassing our FY05 mortality reduction goals, our clinical
leaders were energized and set bold new goals for FY06
and beyond.
Healthcare That Is Safe Priorities for Action1. Eliminating preventable mortality
2. Eliminating adverse drug events
3. Eliminating falls
4. Eliminating pressure ulcers
5. Eliminating birth trauma to the neonate
6. Eliminating surgical complications
7. Eliminating nosocomial infections
8. Achieving compliance with the Joint Commission on Accreditation
of Healthcare Organizations National Patient Safety Goals
(Above) Nurses are helping transform the way care is provided at Health Ministries such as Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Binghamton, New York.
Priorities for Action
Healthcare That Is Safe
2 Another significant change in tracking our mortality reduction was the move from hospital chart reviews to analysis using applications available from CareScience, a healthcare consulting organization that helps hospitals and health systems identify areas for improvement. This number was calculated using the CareScience methodology to figure the number of observed mortalities minus the number of expected mortalities after adjusting for patient risk.
Eighty-six percent of our hospitals are implementing five or more of the Priorities for Action.86%
14%
the five elements of the HANDS — Handling All
Neonatal Deliveries Safely — program. These five
elements incorporate evidence-based care practices
plus communication and collaborative practice models
that will help eradicate birth trauma in Ascension
Health Ministries.
Our effort to eliminate pressure ulcers supported a
25% decrease in the prevalence of community- and
hospital-acquired pressure ulcers in FY06. This success
is expected to be enhanced through a systemwide
commitment to replace older bed surfaces with newer
patient beds that help prevent pressure ulcers.
Healthcare That Is Safe
Ascension Health Nursing Leadership
How can 67 hospitals commit to a single
standard of care in pressure ulcers and stan-
dardize plans of care related to 20 different
diagnoses? Through leadership.
Ascension Health nurse executives, united by
our Strategic Direction, mobilized in FY06.
An extraordinary shared governance system
supports communication, troubleshooting,
support and decision-making. All CNOs have
a voice in System strategy and operations,
and this distributed leadership approach
allows rapid deployment of ideas and
response in emergencies.
With CNO support, hospital nurses engaged
fully in programs to improve — even transform
— the way care is provided.
They received Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF) grant funds, enabling more
than 300 nurses to meet in November 2005
to learn about innovation and accountability
in transforming bedside care.
With RWJF support, they undertook
major initiatives for the work environment
of caregivers.
They published and presented their
work at national and state nursing practice
and leadership meetings.
They went to Austin to participate in
the Seton Family of Hospitals’ launch of the
Clinical Foundation Suite to be trained as
“superusers.”
They developed strategies to retain nurses
and to build a pipeline of inspired caregivers
for the future.
Nursing leadership set a new standard for
Ascension Health that has advanced our
efforts on behalf of Healthcare That Is Safe.
The successes reflect a blend of practice, process and
product changes, which are testament to CEO support,
physician leadership, visionary nursing, and caregivers’
interaction and commitment in establishing a single
systemwide standard for care.
Making ConnectionsClinical leaders across Ascension Health began looking
for ways to dramatically advance our early progress
in reducing mortality by sharing information across
the System. The solution lay in connecting the many
Clinical Excellence programs and projects under way.
A few examples:
Success in reducing birth trauma through our
Perinatal Safety Priority for Action stemmed not only
from use of well-tested clinical practices, but also
from caregiver communication processes and behaviors
learned through our culture of safety efforts. Of
35 hospitals that reported results at the end of the
fiscal year, 80 percent (28 sites) had zero birth trauma
incidents for three consecutive months.
Early results of a groundbreaking Time and Motion
Study3 suggested that nurses spend much of their
bedside time on medication administration. As a result,
our medication safety efforts were expanded to include
nursing workflow as an area of focus.
The ability to share and incorporate lessons learned
across hospitals required both technical support and
leadership commitment. Ascension Health continued
development of safersystem™, our event reporting system
for consistent collection of information on adverse events.
Culture and Infrastructure of SafetyOur successes this year cannot be fully explained by
implementation of the safety practices and protocols
of the Priorities for Action. They also evolved from an
3 ”A Multi-Site Study of How Medical Surgical Nurses Spend Their Time: A Baseline Study in Preparation for an Electronic Health Record and an Evidenced-Based Nursing Unit Design,” funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Ascension Health, Kaiser Permanente, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
ever-developing culture of safety reflected in teamwork
and collaboration among associates. After a baseline
survey in 2004 indicated a budding safety culture, each
hospital implemented programs based on a customized
improvement plan to build teamwork and commitment to
safety. Programs included executive partnerships with units,
use of Rapid Response Teams to support medical/surgical
staff with critical patients, communication programs, and
more. Positive teamwork climate and safety scores increased
by more than 2 percent between 2004 and 2006.
Infrastructure support for safe practices and evidence-
based standards of care also continued its spread in
FY06. The Clinical Foundation Suite (CFS), which includes
advanced clinical information systems and electronic health
records, expanded through a systemwide effort that unites
leadership from the information technology and clinical
areas. The CFS is being implemented to help ensure the
quality and consistency of the care we deliver, regardless
of the setting. This means better outcomes for persons
we serve, fulfilling our commitment to healthy individuals
and healthy communities.
As part of this effort, caregivers from across the country
began work on how best to integrate evidence-based
best practices into care pathways and plans. Physicians
and nurses throughout the organization helped to identify
plans of care for the 500 most common disease states. In
FY06, 64 standardized plans of care were developed. This
represents an unprecedented degree of collaboration.
Healthcare That Is SafeThe integration of efforts with the Priorities for Action
and the culture of safety, physician integration, strong
nursing leadership, and information infrastructure
development have set Ascension Health on course for
success with the Healthcare That Is Safe goal of zero
preventable injuries and deaths by July of 2008. The
current work model brings together culture, work process,
work environment and technology for the benefit of
patients now and in the future.
Healthcare That Is Safe
(Above) Perinatal safety is a key priority of our Healthcare That Is Safe efforts in Health Ministries such as Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Binghamton, New York.
Brideau is President and CEO of Columbia St. Mary’s
in Milwaukee. He and the CEOs of 11 other Health
Ministries are participants in the first “class” of Ascension
Health’s Access Leadership Planning Program. The effort
has fostered a new model of access leadership that
challenges our executives to develop and implement
unique access leadership plans for their Health Ministries.
The plans identify concrete, strategic steps a Health
Ministry will take to achieve our Healthcare That Leaves
No One Behind goal of 100 percent access.
By 100 percent access, we mean that all persons
receive healthcare services that create and support the
best journey to improved health outcomes, funded in
an adequate and sustainable manner. Like Healthcare
That Works and Healthcare That Is Safe, our Healthcare
That Leaves No One Behind Call to Action promise to
achieve 100 percent access is part of Ascension Health’s
Strategic Direction.
Each Health Ministry access leadership plan is based on
our “5 Steps to 100% Access.” The “5 Steps” encourage
healthcare leaders to:
Healthcare That Leaves No One Behind
Developing a New Modelof Access Leadership
Leo Brideau echoes the sentiments of his CEO colleagues
at Ascension Health locations around the country when
he speaks about his Health Ministry’s purpose. “Our
mission is to care for those in our community, especially
those who are poor and vulnerable,” Brideau said.
“And when you see those vulnerable growing in
numbers, and their needs growing, how can it not be
important to you as a health facility CEO?”
Develop local infrastructure, including a formal
leadership coalition and shared information systems
to track and coordinate care for the uninsured that
is delivered by a wide variety of public and private
safety net providers.
Fill service gaps, such as dental care, mental health
services, and affordable pharmaceuticals.
Redesign the care model to provide coordinated
care resulting in improved health outcomes.
Engage private physicians to voluntarily accept
uninsured patients into their practices, providing those
patients with permanent medical homes.
Achieve sustainable funding in partnership with local
leaders in government and business.
Over the next few years, all of our Health Ministry CEOs
will participate in the program. Demonstrating our
support for the proposed access leadership efforts, in
2006 Ascension Health provided $2 million in Access
Endowment grants to help fund initiatives proposed by
Health Ministries participating in the program. The grants
will support the development of electronic health records,
infant mortality reduction efforts, pharmaceutical access,
diabetes case management initiatives and more.
In Milwaukee, Brideau views access leadership as one
of his Health Ministry’s strategic imperatives. “It is not
simply feeling good about doing a few good things, but
recognizing that central to our Mission and central to our
future is an ability to make a difference in this area,” he
said. “Because if we can’t do that, then we’re just another
healthcare provider in this community. So we view this as
a key niche for us, as a defining mission.”
National Public Policy PartnerLast year, we continued our efforts to serve as a national
public policy partner and a voice for the voiceless.
In addition to our ongoing support for efforts including
Cover the Uninsured Week and the Catholic Health
Association’s Covering A Nation initiative, Ascension Health
played an important role educating senior citizens –
particularly low-income seniors – about the new Medicare
Part D Prescription Drug Benefit. Our hospitals and nursing
homes participated in this outreach, as we trained over
400 associates to help with Part D education efforts. We
coordinated our work with key partners such as Mercy
Housing, the National Council on Aging and healthcare
access coalitions in 20 communities.
For some time, we have been working in collaboration
with 18 Catholic health systems in support of the private
health providers’ role in the healthcare safety net,
particularly regarding federal funding for our Catholic clinics
and health centers that serve the uninsured. In FY06 we
continued to advocate for federal support of “integrated
health centers” (IHCs), such as those operated by our
Health Ministries in many communities.
Legislation supporting IHCs was introduced by Senate
Majority Leader Bill Frist as one of a number of proposals
to reduce healthcare costs, expand health insurance
coverage and provide critical support for safety net
providers. In the House of Representatives, Rep. Michael
C. Burgess, a Republican from Texas and a medical
doctor by training, and Rep. Bart Stupak, a Democrat
from Michigan, proposed a broadly supported amendment
that backed funding for IHCs.
Though we are grateful for these legislators’ efforts on
behalf of the poor and vulnerable, ultimately neither
Sen. Frist’s bill nor the Burgess/Stupak amendment
became law in 2006. We are convinced, however, that
the Senate bill and the bipartisan support for the Burgess/
Stupak amendment bode well for our ongoing efforts in
support of federal recognition of the important role of
integrated health centers that care for those most in need.
In its Interim Recommendations released in June 2006,
the Citizens’ Health Care Working Group also endorsed
Healthcare That Leaves No One Behind
“It should be public policy ... that all Americans have affordable healthcare coverage.”
integrated health centers, and – even more importantly
– the broader concept that it “should be public policy,
established in law, that all Americans have affordable
healthcare coverage.”
The 15-member Working Group was mandated by
the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and
Modernization Act of 2003. The group’s members have
been charged with leading a nationwide debate on
ways to improve the country’s healthcare system and
to provide affordable healthcare coverage. The Working
Group is chaired by Dr. Patricia Maryland, President of
St.Vincent Hospitals and Health Services in Indianapolis,
part of Ascension Health.
The Working Group solicited input from thousands
of Americans through an Internet Web site and dozens
(At right) Outreach efforts are an important way Health
Ministries such as St. Joseph Health System in Tawas City,
Michigan, meet community needs.
(Above) A young patient in Kansas City, Mo., needed some coaxing to participate in his health screening during Cover the Uninsured Week.
Healthcare That Is Safe
of in-person meetings held in communities around the
country. The Working Group’s final recommendations are
to be shared with Congress and the President.
Prior to the release of its Interim Recommendations, the
Working Group released a “Health Report to the American
People” that noted Ascension Health’s efforts to improve
care and access for the uninsured. In particular, the report
favorably cited our “5 Steps to 100% Access.”
Partnership in New OrleansIn the year following Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has
begun to rebuild. The dedicated clinicians and associates
who operate our Daughters of Charity Services of New
Orleans have reopened our health center, although not in
its pre-hurricane location in the Carrollton section of the city.
To help address a great need in another part of the New
Orleans metropolitan area, Ascension Health has partnered
with the Baton Rouge, La.-based Franciscan Missionaries
of Our Lady Health System (FMOL) in the operation of a
health center in St. Bernard Parish.
Unlike some other parts of New Orleans, St. Bernard
Parish was devastated by a hurricane-force storm surge.
All of the parish’s health services were destroyed, and
the parish was supported in relief efforts by the U.S.
Public Health Service. As the parish moved from crisis
to sustained recovery, the federal government turned
over operation of the St. Bernard Health Center to the
Ascension Health/FMOL partnership.
Sr. Bernice Coreil, DC, Ascension Health’s Senior
Executive Advisor the President, sees the partnership
in terms of our commitment to deliver Healthcare
That Leaves No One Behind. “Our partnership with the
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System is
just one piece of a collaborative effort that has involved
the local business community, St. Bernard Parish officials,
the federal government and many others,” she said.
“As the people of St. Bernard Parish rebuild their lives
one day at a time, I believe this facility will provide
not only health services, but also a sense of hope for
the future.”
Healthcare That Leaves No One Behind
Inspired People Across Ascension Health we have committed to
become a Model Community of mission-centered,
healthy associates with leaders who have an under-
standing of and a commitment to the foundations
of the ministry. This strength recognizes the key role
that inspired people have in delivering on our promise
of Healthcare That Works, Healthcare That Is Safe,
and Healthcare That Leaves No One Behind, for Life.
We are approaching this task across two dimensions:
Individual dimension – to promote full flourishing
of the human person in spiritual, physical, social and
professional well-being. This invites our associates to
be mission-focused, healthy, competent and inspired.
Communal dimension – embracing a preferred
culture in relationships that are life-giving, highly
functional and healthy, and in roles that are vital
and effective for living our Mission and achieving our
Strategic Direction.
During FY06 we reviewed measures of associate
satisfaction and engagement in use at our Health
Ministries. With that grounding, working with key Health
Ministry leaders we determined to gauge our progress
in building our Model Community by measuring
associate engagement behaviors going forward in
these areas:
Leaders promoting the vision and engaging
the workforce
Focused, committed workforce
Patients at the center
Learning and development
Enabling Strengths
Our Inner StrengthsSupport Our Strategies
Associate well-being of body, mind and spirit
Empowered associates
Also during the year we conducted numerous focus
groups across the System to help develop our Integral
Model for Workplace Spirituality – a graphic depiction
designed to help foster a spirituality of work to provide
an environment that deepens our sense of meaning
through the Mission of Ascension Health.
Finally, we began work to define and develop the
Ascension Health University – a comprehensive
approach to education and organizational development.
We look forward to continued development of
this concept.
Trusted PartnershipsAscension Health seeks to provide individuals in
our communities access to a full continuum of care
throughout their lifetimes. We recognize, however,
that we cannot do this alone – we will need to
partner with others who have values compatible with
our own. As Ascension Health continues to provide
distinctive services, such as acute care services, we
must establish and manage an integrated network of
values-based alliances with other providers that offer
complementary services along the continuum of care.
We call these organizations “continuum partners.”
These partners will include, but not be limited to,
other organizations and groups within the Catholic
Church and the faith-based community.
We also need “support partners,” those firms that
we rely on to deliver our own core competencies.
In FY06, Ascension Health established a trusted
partnership with Hill-Rom in conjunction with a
$60 million commitment to purchase new hospital
beds and surfaces. As part of the strategic relationship,
Ascension Health and Hill-Rom will develop a
simulation-based clinical learning tool to further our
initiatives in preventing pressure ulcers, patient falls
and caregiver injuries, and will perform joint research
and development.
Hill-Rom joins these other Ascension Health
Trusted Partners:
CSC – providing information technology support,
systems integration and consulting to our Health
Ministries
Cerner – providing applications that support an
electronic health record for Ascension Health, helping
ensure the quality and consistency of the care we
deliver regardless of the setting
Accretive Health – providing services to help
Health Ministries in the area of revenue management
Un d Surgical Partners International (USPI) –
providing development, management and ownership
of ambulatory surgery centers in partnership with our
Health Ministries and physicians
Empowering KnowledgeInformation technology has transformed society in so
many ways, yet healthcare has not fully harnessed the
tremendous power of information systems to have a
measurable effect on the care we provide to those we
serve. Through our Strategic Direction, Ascension Health
has committed to developing our Enabling Strength of
Empowering Knowledge. We will create an IT network
that connects us with individuals, affiliated clinicians and
trusted partners across the continuum of care.
This network will enable us to share information within
our ministry, with others across Ascension Health and with
our partners. It will support the development of a lifetime
electronic health record. Having this information available
quickly and in a consistent format will help clinicians
make the best decisions for their patients, reduce
duplication and waste, and support improvement. It will
increase patient care quality and satisfaction by providing
the right information, to the right place, at the right time.
Our work includes Clinical Foundation Suite initiatives
that automate our processes of providing care and
making medical decisions, and that manage and track
Enabling Strengths
patients’ medication information; and our Picture Archival
Communication System (PACS) initiatives that make
digital images from medical devices such as MRIs and
CT scanners available to caregivers. This work is engaging
not just IT professionals, but physicians, nurses and other
clinicians as well.
Information technologies are also being used to provide
advanced administrative systems – in the areas of finance,
materials management and human resources – to improve
the timeliness and accuracy of information.
By bringing the benefits of technology to our more than
100,000 associates, our physicians and our partners, we
will connect our Health Ministries and continue to improve
the care we deliver to those we serve.
Vital Presence As stewards of the gifts entrusted to us, Ascension Health is
dedicated to strengthening our ability to serve the poor and
vulnerable. Accordingly, we are committed to engaging with
the community to determine what is needed; continually
striving to be where we are needed, how we are needed
to be there.
In the last year we have taken steps to ensure that we
provide a Vital Presence in the communities we serve.
One exciting initiative is the collaboration of our Health
Ministries in Mid-Michigan. This effort brings together the
Michigan Health Ministries of St. Joseph Health System
(Tawas City), St. Mary’s of Michigan (Saginaw) and Genesys
Health System (Flint) to maximize the opportunity to
leverage our strategic position in the communities we serve.
In FY06, the group focused its efforts and made significant
progress in the areas of graduate medical education
collaboration; medical staff planning and recruitment;
clinical service delivery; and overall strategic planning.
Ascension Health will continue to uphold its commitment
to ensuring a vital presence by determining how
to most appropriately address specific needs of our
communities.
Our patients are seen as unique
individuals with more to their lives
than the medical condition that
has brought them to our
door. The treatment
plan may be highly
technical but it is
wrapped in the
healing touch
of our mission
to serve Christ.Sr. Mary Anne Brawley, DCBoard ChairOur Lady of Lourdes Memorial HospitalBinghamton, New York
My team consistently seeks to implement nursing education
best practices. It follows that if nursing education and
professional development continue to improve, then
patient care is likely to improve as well.Yvonne VanDyke, RN, MSNDirector, Nursing Education and Professional DevelopmentSeton Family of HospitalsAustin, Texas
Health Ministries
1 St. Vincent’s Health System
2 Provid ital
3 Daughters of Charity Services of Arkansas
4 Carondelet Health Network
5 St. Vincent’s Health Services
6 Providence Hospital
31
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3
7
13
8
24
11
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36
433
937
12
1910
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30
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27
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1938 17
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282827
6
26
29
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15 1416
30
7 St. Vincent’s Health SystemConsolidated Laboratory Services • Jacksonville, FLConsolidated Pharmacy Services • Jacksonville, FLSt. Catherine Labouré Manor • Jacksonville, FLSt. Vincent’s Foundation • Jacksonville, FLSt. Vincent’s Medical Center • Jacksonville, FLAdvanced Patient Transportation, Inc. •
Jacksonville, FLOrange Park Health Center • Orange Park, FL
8 Sacred Heart Health System Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast •
Destin, FLSacred Heart Medical Park • Pace, FLHaven of Our Lady of Peace • Pensacola, FLSacred Heart Children’s Hospital • Pensacola, FLSacred Heart Hospital of Pensacola • Pensacola, FLSacred Heart Medical Park • Pensacola, FLSacred Heart Women’s Hospital • Pensacola, FLSacred Heart Home Care • Three locations in
Northwest Florida and South AlabamaSacred Heart Medical Group • 17 locations in
Northwest Florida and South AlabamaSacred Heart Rehabilitation Centers •
Eight locations in Northwest Florida
9 St. Joseph Regional Medical CenterSt. Joseph Regional Medical Center • Lewiston, ID
10 Saint Anthony HospitalSaint Anthony Hospital • Chicago, IL
11 St. Mary’s Health SystemSt. Mary’s Warrick Hospital • Boonville, INSt. Mary’s at Home • Evansville, INSt. Mary’s Cancer Center • Evansville, INSt. Mary’s Hospital for Women and Children •
Evansville, INSt. Mary’s Medical Center • Evansville, INSt. Mary’s Rehabilitation Institute • Evansville, INSt. Mary’s Breast Center • Evansville, IN
12 St.Vincent HealthSaint John’s Health System • Anderson, INSt.Vincent Clay Hospital • Brazil, INSt.Vincent Carmel Hospital • Carmel, INSt.Vincent Mercy Hospital • Elwood, INSt.Vincent Frankfort Hospital • Frankfort, INSeton Specialty Hospital • Indianapolis, INSt.Vincent Children’s Hospital • Indianapolis, INSt.Vincent Indianapolis Hospital •
Indianapolis, INSt.Vincent New Hope • Indianapolis, INSt.Vincent Pediatric Rehabilitation Center •
Indianapolis, INSt.Vincent Stress Center • Indianapolis, INSt.Vincent Women’s Hospital • Indianapolis, INSt.Joseph Hospital • Kokomo, INSt.Vincent Jennings Hospital • Vernon, INSt.Vincent Williamsport Hospital •
Williamsport, INSt.Vincent Randolph Hospital • Winchester, IN
13 Daughters of Charity Services of New OrleansDaughters of Charity Health Center •
New Orleans, LANeighborhood Health Partnership •
New Orleans, LASeton Resource Center for Child
Development • New Orleans, LAIntegrated Mobile Assessment and Treatment •
New Orleans, LA
14 St. Agnes HealthCareSt. Agnes Hospital • Baltimore, MDSt. Agnes Surgery Center •
Baltimore, MDSeton Imaging Center • Baltimore, MDSeton Medical Group • Baltimore, MD
15 Western Maryland Health SystemSacred Heart Hospital • Cumberland, MDMemorial Hospital and Medical Center
of Cumberland • Cumberland, MDSt. Vincent de Paul Nursing Center • Frostburg, MD
16 St. Catherine’s Nursing CenterSt. Catherine’s Nursing Center • Emmitsburg, MD
17 St. John HealthEastwood Community Clinics • 11 locations in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and St. Clair
Counties, MIBrighton Hospital • Brighton, MIFather Murray Nursing Center • Center Line, MISt. John Detroit Riverview Hospital • Detroit, MISt. John Hospital and Medical Center • Detroit, MISt. John Senior Community • Detroit, MISt. John River District Hospital • East China, MISt. John North Shores Hospital •
Harrison Township, MISt. John Oakland Hospital • Madison Heights, MISt. John Providence Park Hospital • Novi, MISt. John Home Care • Three locations
in Roseville, Clinton Township and Farmington Hills, MI
Providence Hospital • Southfield, MISt. John Macomb Hospital • Warren, MICancer Centers • Four locations in Grosse Pointe Woods, Novi, Southfield and
Warren, MIHeart Centers • Three locations in Detroit,
Southfield and Warren, MI
18 Genesys Health SystemGenesys – Belsay Medical Campus •
Belsay, MIGenesys – East Flint Campus • Burton, MIGenesys – Clarkston Medical Campus •
Clarkston, MIGenesys – Clio Medical Campus • Clio, MIGenesys Center for Gerontology • Flint, MIGenesys Home Health and Hospice • Flint, MIGenesys Hurley Cancer Institute • Flint, MIGenesys – West Flint Campus • Flint, MIHillside Center for Behavioral Services • Flint, MIGenesys Hospice Care Center • Goodrich, MIGenesys Athletic Club • Grand Blanc, MIGenesys Convalescent Center •
Grand Blanc, MIGenesys Regional Medical Center at Health
Park • Grand Blanc, MIGenesys – Lapeer Medical Campus •
Lapeer, MI
19 Borgess HealthBorgess-Lee Memorial Hospital •
Dowagiac, MICareLink of Jackson • Jackson, MIBorgess Ambulatory Care • Kalamazoo, MIBorgess Health and Fitness Center •
Kalamazoo, MIBorgess Medical Center • Kalamazoo, MIBorgess-Visiting Nurses • Kalamazoo, MIBorgess Home Care • Kalamazoo, MIBorgess Hospice • Kalamazoo, MIProMed Healthcare • Kalamazoo, MIBorgess-Pipp Hospital • Plainwell, MIBorgess Home Care • Portage, MIBorgess-Visiting Nurses • Portage, MIBorgess at Woodbridge Hills • Portage, MI
20 St. Mary’s of MichiganSt. Mary’s of Michigan Seton Cancer Institute • Five locations: Bad Axe, Marlette, Saginaw,
Tawas, West Branch, MISt. Mary’s of Michigan Bay City •
Bay City, MISt. Mary’s of Michigan Birch Run Health Center • Birch Run, MISt. Mary’s of Michigan Chesaning Health
Center • Chesaning, MISt. Mary’s of Michigan Frankenmuth Family
Physicians • Frankenmuth, MISt. Mary’s of Michigan Ambulatory Care
Center • Saginaw, MISt. Mary’s of Michigan Emergency Care
Center • Saginaw, MISt. Mary’s of Michigan Medical Center •
Saginaw, MISt. Mary’s of Michigan Towne Center •
Saginaw, MISt. Mary’s of Michigan Standish Community
Hospital • Standish, MISt. Mary’s of Michigan Vassar Health Center •
Vassar, MI
21 St. Joseph Health SystemAuGres St. Joseph Family Health Clinic •
AuGres, MIAuSable Valley Health Center • Fairview, MIHale St. Joseph Medical Center • Hale, MIGreat Lakes Family Medicine • Oscoda, MIOscoda Health Park • Oscoda, MISeton Cancer Institute • Tawas City, MI
St. Joseph Bone & Joint Center • Tawas City, MISt. Joseph Harbor Health Center • Tawas City, MISt. Joseph Home Medical Equipment •
Oscoda and Tawas City, MISt. Joseph Home Health and Hospice •
Oscoda and Tawas City, MISt. Joseph Huron Family Medicine •
Tawas City, MISt. Joseph Internal Medicine • Tawas City, MISt. Joseph Joint Replacement Center •
Tawas City, MISt. Joseph Occupational Health Services •
Tawas City, MISt. Joseph Rehabilitation Services •
Tawas City, MISt. Joseph Specialty Clinic • Tawas City, MISt. Joseph Surgery and Cardiovascular Center •
Tawas City, MISt. Joseph Women’s Center • Tawas City, MITawas St. Joseph Hospital • Tawas City, MI
22 Carondelet HealthSt. Mary’s Medical Center • Blue Springs, MOSt. Mary’s Manor • Blue Springs, MOCarondelet Manor • Kansas City, MOSt. Joseph Medical Center • Kansas City, MOCarondelet Home Care Services • Two locations in Overland Park, KS
and Lee’s Summit, MOVilla Saint Joseph • Overland Park, KS
23 Seton CenterSeton Center • Kansas City, MO
24 Ascension Health System Office Ascension Health System Office • St. Louis, MO
25 St. Mary’s Hospital Behavioral Health Services • Seven locations
in Amsterdam, NYCanajoharie Family Health Center •
Amsterdam, NY
Carondelet Family Health Center • Amsterdam, NY
Johnstown Family Health Center • Amsterdam, NY
Physical Rehab Services • Amsterdam, NYSt. Johnsville Family Center • Amsterdam, NYSt. Mary’s Hospital • Amsterdam, NYSt. Mary’s Route 30 Lab & Radiology Services •
Amsterdam, NY
26 Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial HospitalHospice at Lourdes • Vestal, NYLourdes at Home • Vestal, NYLourdes Health Support, LLC •
Binghamton, NYLourdes Hospital • Binghamton, NYLourdes Primary Care Network • Six locations in Binghamton, Endicott, Johnson City,
Owego, Richford and Vestal, NYLourdes Youth Services • Binghamton, NYSt. Louise Manor • Binghamton, NYLourdes Vestal Medical Services • Vestal, NY
27 Catholic Health System*
Mercy Hospital of Buffalo • Buffalo, NYMercy Nursing Facility • Buffalo, NYNazareth Home • Buffalo, NYSt. Catherine Labourè Health Care Center •
Buffalo, NYSt. Francis of Buffalo • Buffalo, NYSisters of Charity Hospital • Buffalo, NYMcAuley-Seton Home Care •
Cheektowaga, NYMercy Home Care of Western New York •
Cheektowaga, NYSisters Long Term Home Health Care Program •
Cheektowaga, NYSt. Joseph Hospital • Cheektowaga, NYSt. Vincent’s of Dunkirk • Dunkird, NYMcAuley Residence • Kenmore, NYKenmore Mercy Hospital • Kenmore, NYSt. Elizabeth’s Home of Lancaster •
Lancaster, NYFather Baker Manor • Orchard Park, NYSt. Francis of Williamsville • Williamsville, NY
* Catholic Health System is sponsored by Ascension Health, Catholic Health East and the Diocese of Buffalo.
Diagnostic and Treatment Centers • Six locations throughout Western New York
Primary Care Centers • 11 locations throughout Western New York
28 Mount St. Mary’s Hospital and Health CenterClearview Treatment Services • Lewiston, NYMount St. Mary’s Child Care Center •
Lewiston, NYMount St. Mary’s Hospital and Health Center •
Lewiston, NYMount St. Mary’s Neighborhood Health
Center • Lewiston, NYMount St. Mary’s Rehabilitation Center •
Lewiston, NYOur Lady of Peace Nursing Care Residence •
Lewiston, NY
29 Seton HealthClifton Park Family Health Center •
Clifton Park, NYSchuyler Ridge Residential Health Care •
Clifton Park, NYCapital Region Family Health Care •
East Greenbush, NYMechanicville Family Health Center •
Mechanicville, NYSchaghticoke Family Health Center •
Schaghticoke, NYStillwater Family Health Center •
Stillwater, NYMassry Center • Troy, NYSeton Health Pediatrics • Troy, NYSt. Mary’s Hospital • Troy, NYTroy Internal Medicine • Troy, NY
30 Good Samaritan Regional Medical CenterGood Samaritan Health Center — North •
Frackville, PAGood Samaritan Regional Medical Center •
Pottsville, PAGood Samaritan Healthplex •
St. Clair, PA
31 Saint Thomas Health ServicesHickman Community Hospital •
Centerville, TNMiddle Tennessee Medical Center •
Murfreesboro, TNBaptist Hospital • Nashville, TNSaint Thomas Hospital • Nashville, TN
32 Seton Family of HospitalsBrackenridge Hospital • Austin, TXChildren’s Hospital of Austin • Austin, TXSeton Cove • Austin, TXSeton Kozmetsky Community Health Center •
Austin, TXSeton League House • Austin, TXSeton McCarthy Community Health Center •
Austin, TXSeton Medical Center • Austin, TXSeton Northwest Hospital • Austin, TXSeton Shoal Creek • Austin, TXSeton Southwest Healthcare Center •
Austin, TXSeton Topfer Community Health Center •
Austin, TXSeton Highland Lakes Hospital • Burnet, TXSeton Cedar Park • Cedar Park, TXSeton Lockhart Center for Healthcare •
Lockhart, TXSeton Lockhart Specialty Clinic • Lockhart, TXSeton Edgar B. Davis • Luling, TXSeton Marble Falls • Marble Falls, TXSeton Pflugerville • Pflugerville, TX
33 Centro San Vicente**
Centro San Vicente Community Health Center • El Paso, TX
** Supported by Ascension Health, Centro San Vicente is independently owned and operated and has been designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center.
34 Nazareth Hall Nursing CenterNazareth Hall Nursing Center • El Paso, TX
35 Daughters of Charity Services of San AntonioDaughters of Charity Services of San Antonio •
San Antonio, TXDe Paul Family Center • San Antonio, TXDePaul-Wesley Children’s Center • San Antonio, TXEl Carmen Wellness Center • San Antonio, TXLa Mision Family Health Center • San Antonio, TX
36 Providence Healthcare NetworkDePaul Center • Waco, TXProvidence Durable Medical Equipment • Waco, TXProvidence Foundation • Waco, TXProvidence Health Alliance • Waco, TXProvidence Health Center • Waco, TXProvidence Home Care • Waco, TXSt. Catherine Center • Waco, TXSt. Elizabeth Place • Waco, TXThe Village at Providence Park • Waco, TX
37 Lourdes Health NetworkLourdes Family Health Center • Connell, WAABC Tri-Cities Pediatrics • Pasco, WAAssociated Family Specialists • Pasco, WALourdes Medical Center • Pasco, WALourdes Occupational Health Center • Pasco, WALourdes Physical Medicine Center • Pasco, WALourdes Wilson House • Pasco, WALourdes Women’s Center @ the Hospital • Pasco, WAPulmonary Services of the Tri-Cities • Pasco, WARiverview Medical Group • Pasco, WALourdes Counseling Center • Richland, WA
38 Columbia St. Mary’sOrthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin • Glendale, WI River Woods Outpatient Center • Glendale, WIColumbia St. Mary’s Ozaukee Campus • Mequon, WIColumbia College of Nursing • Milwaukee, WIColumbia St. Mary’s Columbia Campus •
Milwaukee, WIColumbia St. Mary’s Community Physicians • 26 primary care clinics in Milwaukee, Ozaukee
and Washington Counties, WIColumbia St. Mary’s Hospital of Milwaukee •
Milwaukee, WISacred Heart Rehabilitation Institute • Milwaukee, WI
In FY06, Ascension Health undertook to sell St. Joseph Hospital in Augusta, GA and DeKalb Hospital in Smithville, TN.
Financial & Institutional Statistics
Financial Data
Care of Persons Who Are Poor and Community Benefit: $704 Million
EBIDA
$1,285,
$1,462
$1,117
23.0% 28.2%
42.5%
6.3%
$1,285
Operating ResultsFor fiscal year 2006, Ascension Health improved its operating income over the previous fiscal year
by 11.7 percent ($52 million) to $498 million.
Net income increased $152 million due to operations and investment income.
During the year ended June 30, 2006, Ascension Health recorded nonrecurring charges totaling
$6 million primarily relating to costs incurred and property damage sustained as a result of flooding
in the state of New York.
During fiscal year 2006, Ascension Health management undertook action to sell certain hospitals in Georgia
and Tennessee. Both transactions have been accounted for as discontinued operations and the hospitals’
operating information is excluded from the financial and statistical information for all periods presented.
Net revenue per equivalent discharges increased 4.4 percent primarily due to improved collection
rates as volumes remained relatively flat.
Total cost per equivalent discharge increased 5.0 percent from prior year primarily due to salary and
benefits, professional fees and purchased services costs.
Days cash on hand were 196 days as of June 30, 2006.
Total debt to capitalization was 36.8 percent as of June 30, 2006.
Systemwide StatisticsAvailable beds 16,788
Number of births 74,942
Discharges 660,341
Equivalent discharges 1,142,883
Emergency visits 2,073,619
Physician office visits 3,530,176
Clinic visits 1,457,934
Home health visits 604,810
Employees 100,000+
Number of hospitals (as of 6/30/06)
General acute care 61
Long-term acute care 4
Rehabilitation 4
Psychiatric 4
Senior Leadership Team Fiscal Year 2006
Anthony R. Tersigni, EdD, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Andrew W. Allen
President,Western and Southern States Operating Group
James K. Beckmann
Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer
Sherry L. Browne
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Sr. Bernice Coreil, DC
Senior Executive Advisor to the President
John D. Doyle
Chief Strategy Officer
Mark A. Eustis
President, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic States Operating Group
Robert J. Henkel
Chief Operating Officer
Joseph R. Impicciche, JD, MHA
Senior Vice President, Legal Services and General Counsel
Laura S. Kaiser
Vice President, Health Ministry Positioning and Operations
Rex P. Killian, JD
Senior Vice President, Governance and Sponsor Relations
Hyung T. Kim, MD, MBA
Vice President, Research and Development
Michael T. Langlois
Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer
Stephen D. LeResche
Vice President, Communications
Susan Nestor Levy
Senior Vice President, Advocacy and External Relations
Sr. Maureen McGuire, DC
Senior Vice President, Mission Integration
David B. Pryor, MD
Senior Vice President, Clinical Excellence
Marvin A. Russell
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Anthony J. Speranzo
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Fiscal Year 2006
Board of Trustees (left to right): Sr. Bonnie Hoffman, DC; Sr. Theresa Peck, DC; Doriane C. Miller, MD;
John O. “Jack” Mudd, JD, JSD – Chair; Kevin E. Lofton, FACHE; Jean Katherine deBlois, CSJ, PhD; André L. Delbecq, DBA;
Mary Joan Walsh, SSJ; Sr. Kathleen Natwin, DC; Sr. Jean Rhoads, DC; Betty Granger, SSJ; Ciro V. Sumaya, MD;
Anthony R. Tersigni, EdD, FACHE; and Kathleen Kelly, CSJ
Sponsor Liaison Committee: Betty Granger, SSJ; Sr. Bonnie Hoffman, DC; Sr. Kathleen Natwin, DC; Elizabeth Ney, CSJ;
Sr. Theresa Peck, DC; and Sr. Jean Rhoads, DC
Sponsors Council
Board of Trustees
Fiscal Year 2006
Sponsors Council (left to right): Sr. Marie Thérèse Sedgwick, DC; Rita Ann Teichman, SSJ; Sr. Honora Remes, DC;
Kay Ryan, CSJ; Sr. Mary Francis Martin, DC; Barbara Moore, CSJ, PhD – Chair; Janet Fleischhacker, SSJ; and Sr. Elyse Staab, DC
Audit CommitteeMary Joan Walsh, SSJ – Chair
Richard Blair
Ronald M. Horwitz
Kathleen Kelly, CSJ
Susanna Laundy
Alphonse S. Lucarelli
Jack Mudd, Ex-Officio
Sr. Kathleen Natwin, DC
Sr. Jean Rhoads, DC
Executive CommitteeJack Mudd – Chair
Kathleen Kelly, CSJ
Sr. Kathleen Natwin, DC
Sr. Theresa Peck, DC
Anthony Tersigni, Ex-Officio
Executive Compensation CommitteeJack Mudd – Chair
Jean deBlois, CSJ
Betty Granger, SSJ
Sr. Bonnie Hoffman, DC
Sr. Theresa Peck, DC
Finance CommitteeSr. Kathleen Natwin, DC – Chair
Michael Blaszyk
Finance Committee, continued
Albert R. Counselman
Sr. Teresa George, DC
Bill Greenhut
Jack Mudd, Ex-Officio
Sr. Jean Rhoads, DC
Ciro Sumaya, MD
Anthony Tersigni, Ex-Officio
Mary Joan Walsh, SSJ
Richard Webb
Governance CommitteeJack Mudd – Chair
André Delbecq, DBA
Kathleen Kelly, CSJ
Sr. Kathleen Natwin, DC
Sr. Theresa Peck, DC
Mission and Spirituality CommitteeAndré Delbecq, DBA – Chair
Betty Granger, SSJ
Mary Heintzkill
Sr. Bonnie Hoffman, DC
Jack Mudd, Ex-Officio
Bob Porter
Sr. Jean Rhoads, DC
Mary Anne Rodgers, CSJ
Anthony Tersigni, Ex-Officio
Brian Yanofchick
Pension CommitteeSr. Theresa Peck, DC – Chair
Clark Christianson
Jean deBlois, CSJ
Kathleen Kelly, CSJ
Tom Langston
Laura Lentenbrink
Jack Mudd, Ex-Officio
Joseph O. Murdock
Mary Naber
Laurence Steenberg
Paul Swanson
Anthony Tersigni, Ex-Officio
Douglas Waite
Quality CommitteeCiro Sumaya, MD – Chair
Sr. Xavier Ballance, DC
Jean deBlois, CSJ
Wanda Gibbons, RN
Betty Granger, SSJ
Sr. Bonnie Hoffman, DC
Jack Mudd, Ex-Officio
Patricia K. Stoltz, PA, MHSA
Anthony Tersigni, Ex-Officio
Board Committees
Fiscal Year 2006
