St. Dominic Hospital

About St. Dominic Hospital

St. Dominic Hospital is doing its part to help spread the message of hope to communities served by faith-based health care organizations. This message comes as a reminder of the many ways in which not-for-profit hospitals seek out those in need in the community and provide services to meet those needs regardless of a persons financial or socioeconomic – more... status.

In communications to member hospitals and health systems, Catholic Health Association (CHA) President and CEO Sister Carol Keehan, DC, writes, "Not-for-profit health care organizations have a rich tradition of providing benefits to their communities. Our organizations were established not for economic opportunity, but to address a need for health services in our communities. Our facilities were born out of community need, a tradition that continues today." Keehan stresses, however, that not-for-profit hospitals, though they have remained focused on the community needs, don't always communicate their purposes, missions and actual community benefit clearly to those they serve.

For this reason, CHA has implemented an initiative to encourage its member organizations to actively plan and report their community benefit activities on a consistent basis and according to stringent CHA reporting guidelines. Along with this initiative, a planning guide, tools and resources have been made available so that all participating hospitals take a uniform approach to their community benefit efforts.

"The community work and involvement shared by not-for-profit healthcare organizations is often overshadowed by news of the latest technologies, new facilities or advances in medical treatments," says St. Dominic Health Services President Sister Mary Dorothea. "Or community circumstances or events become the headline instead of the stories of how people's lives are being improved through outreach and ministry."

Claude Harbarger, President of St. Dominic Hospital, was able to cite examples of the ways in which St. Dominic's reached out to assist others in the sweltering heat of September, 2005, during the power outages caused by Hurricane Katrina. "Our concern was not only caring for the large volumes of patients that were transported to St. Dominic's from other hospitals, but also members of our community who were suffering in a different way," he said.

Sister Dorothea also recalled the numerous news accounts of area residents concerned about abandoned houses in their neighborhoods and the criminal activities that the houses tend to attract. "Yet through our involvement with the Fondren neighborhood revitalization project, St. Dominic's has been able to assist with renovations of older homes to provide affordable housing to those wanting to stay in the neighborhood," she said, insisting that those kinds of stories are not as widely reported.

The guidelines set forth by CHA include plans for reporting community benefit activities to both internal audiences -- ie. employees, physicians and board members -- and external audiences such as other not-for-profit service organizations and the community at large. As part of this effort, St. Dominic Health Services will produce its first organization-wide community benefit report according to the CHA guidelines later this year.

"We are so grateful to CHA for instituting this call to action among its members," Sister Dorothea added. "Our mission in the community is vitally important to who we are and we should tell that story whenever possible." – less – More from ZoomInfo »

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