A synergy of values. Catholic healthcare leaders must implement their organization's mission and model its values

Catholic organizations need to select, develop, and retain healthcare leaders who dedicate themselves to carrying on the Church's healing ministry and the work begun by those who have preceded them. Persons entrusted to carry on Jesus' healing mission perform their duties out of a sense of commitment to the ministry and a love for the persons with whom they work and whom they serve. They recognize a synergy between their own values and the values of the healthcare organizations they lead. Dedication to leadership in Catholic healthcare can be viewed from three perspectives: the Bible and selected documents of the Catholic Church; the transfer of responsibility for Catholic healthcare from religious congregations to evolving forms of sponsorship; and the implications for the selection, development, and retention of healthcare leaders, both lay and religious. Servant-leadership is an integral part of the religious tradition that underlies Catholic healthcare. As cooperation increases between healthcare providers, third-party payers, employers, and other healthcare agents. Catholic healthcare organizations are challenged to reassert a mission and values that will enable healthcare in the United States to be delivered both compassionately and competently.