Carondelet St. Mary's nursing enterprise

We began our nursing enterprise believing that nurses could enhance their contribution to health care. Our first step was charging for nursing services within Carondelet St. Mary's hospital walls. Across the country, few nursing departments bill separately for service. We believed this change was a bold step, but given our professional practice foundation, we also felt prepared to take that step. Our enterprise has expanded to a nursing network linked by NCMs. We offer professional nursing services within and beyond the hospital walls. Our boldest step has been to create the nursing HMO, which enables nurses to design and implement a full range of community nursing service, be reimbursed on a capitation basis, and demonstrate high-quality and cost-effective service for people at risk in managing their health concerns. Reflecting on our experience in creating a nursing enterprise, we find ourselves rooted in the essence of nursing. True to our professional mandate, we based our endeavor on service, not on profiting as a business. At the same time, we honored our holistic underpinnings. We matched our services to health needs expressed by people in the hospital and community, not on what we thought they should need. Founded on a belief in health as an expression of body, mind, and spirit, we believe that our approach has helped people to assume greater responsibility for themselves. Bringing us full circle, from service to outcomes, we believe that our enterprise, overlaying the business of nursing on the service of nursing, has enabled us to orchestrate our professional nursing services with nurses as conductors, as well as players.