Hospital workers discuss Catholic values. Philosophy is the focus in a series of dialogue sessions

Feedback from staff at Timken Mercy Medical Center in Canton, OH, suggested that they were taking the facility's Catholic identity for granted. Employees did not have a strong understanding of Catholic healthcare philosophy and how it made Timken Mercy different from non-Catholic hospitals. The hospital's administrators sought a solution to this problem. In fall 1992 the hospital began to hold a series of "dialogue sessions" for its staff members on Timken Mercy's philosophy. The first sessions, for managers, were so successful that meetings were added for other hospital workers early the following year. After an opening prayer, the participants in each session discussed points taken from Timken Mercy's statement of philosophy. After the sessions, participants suggested ways the hospital's philosophy might better be embodied in their work lives. Employee morale has improved as a result of the hospital-wide discussion of Catholic healthcare values. A new openness and willingness to grow has been noted in Timken Mercy's staff.