A system of values. Values committees help a system preserve its mission

In response to the challenge of maintaining their Christian values in the face of increasing economic pressures, St. Joseph Health System in Orange, CA, has implemented its VISION program (Values Integration Systemwide in Ongoing Networking). The program consists of values implementation policies, self-assessment, and regular systemwide reporting. The idea for evaluating values implementation took shape in 1987 at a representative task force meeting. After agreeing on a conceptual framework, the group recommended the formation of values committees to assess their organizations' status and develop action plans. The task force provided the first step by identifying nine areas for self-assessment. The committees met in January 1988 to examine their tasks and share ideas. They were encouraged to translate the values concepts into actual attitudes and behaviors that could be applied in their work. Later they gauged the relative stages of their entities' values implementation through surveys, assessments, and interaction.