Cleveland, Ohio, February 22, 2010, Mark Wiedt will be joining the business development team of Sisters of Charity Health System in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 1 as vice president for Physician Services and CEO of Cuyahoga Physician Network...

Cleveland, Ohio (Aug. 10, 2009)­­ – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The Boards of the Sisters of Charity Health System and the Cuyahoga Joint Venture today announce a change in the leadership structure at St. Vincent Charity Hospital....

Cleveland, Ohio (May 28, 2009)­­ – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – As the Sisters of Charity Health System continues its strategic growth, it has made a significant investment in its commitment to growing its physician collaboration strategies....

Cleveland, Ohio (April 3, 2009)­­ – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Katherine Widness has been named director of grants and foundation relations for the Sisters of Charity Health System (SCHS). In this new position, Widness will oversee...

The political will to reform health care

While...

Jan. 20, 2009: Canton, Ohio--For the second year in row, Mercy Medical Center Homecare has been named among the best-performing home health care agencies in the U.S., placing it in the nation's top 25...

Jan. 8, 2009: Canton, Ohio: Mercy Medical Center is the first hospital in Ohio and the second in the nation to be named an accredited Heart Failure Institute by the Healthcare Accreditation Colloquium....

December 26, 2008 Cleveland, Ohio – Patrick J. McMahon, CPA, was named the Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer of the Sisters of Charity Health System. In his new position, McMahon will be part of the leadership team charting...

December 26, 2008:  Cleveland, Ohio - Regina Health Center (RHC) in Richfield, Ohio, has earned excellent marks in two recently released surveys of nursing home quality.

Last week, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued...

December 24, 2008: Cleveland, Ohio – The Sisters of Charity Health System(SCHS) is in the process of being named an accredited system center by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), allowing it to expand its Clinical Pastoral...

December 5, 2008: Columbia, SC - The State newspaper credits Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina and Center for Fathers & Families as a leader in helping fathers become vital parts of their children's lives and in fighting poverty....

November 20, 2008: Canton, Ohio - Chris Watson, one of Mercy's certified athletic trainers and the head athletic trainer at Malone University, was recently appointed to the USA Track & Field (USTAF) medical staff for the upcoming International...

November 12, 2008: Canton, Ohio - Mercy Medical Center is the first hospital in a five-county area to offer total ankle replacement surgery, an innovative procedure that can help qualified patients with advanced ankle arthritis regain more natural...

November, 11, 2008: Cleveland, Ohio – Award-winning journalist Wendy A. Hoke has joined the Sisters of Charity Health System as Communications Officer, where she will implement  strategic communications efforts for the Cleveland-based...

Cleveland, Ohio -- Apirl 9, 2008 

Leonard M. Calabrese to lead as President of Caritas Connection and Executive Director of Ministering Together.  The announcement was made by Mr. Bill Plato, Chair of the Caritas Connection Board of...

CLEVELAND – Ohio/October 2007 — Sr. Rosemarie Carfagna, OSU joins the Sisters of Charity Health System as Senior Vice President, Mission and Ministry. The announcement was made by Sisters of Charity Health System President & CEO Sr....

However, in the context of rising poverty rates and a growing population of the uninsured, this new corporate identity is also part of larger efforts by the Sisters of Charity Health System to connect with other community stakeholders and effect systemic change in Northeast Ohio and South Carolina. The new name and logo visually reflect the organization’s living mission.

“The launch of our new corporate identity celebrates the quality and excellence found at each of our ministries, reinvigorates our advocacy for those in need, and invites others to collaborate in our mission and ministry of healing,” said Sr. Judith Ann Karam, CSA, president and CEO of the Sisters of Charity Health System.

In addition to the new name and logo, a new generation of Catholic sponsorship was also created. The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine (CSA) received Vatican approval to realign its Catholic sponsorship of the Sisters of Charity Health System. In June 2007, the Vatican approved the CSA congregation’s request for a new sponsorship structure, which includes vowed religious and lay people, to oversee the Sisters of Charity Health System’s Catholic identity. The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine now share this oversight role of the Sisters of Charity Health System with lay members in order to preserve the work of the 156-year ministry of the Sisters and to ensure its future. Fewer than six Catholic health systems in the United States have undertaken this strategy. This is a long-term move to preserve their Catholic identity and celebrate the gifts of others who share the vision for ministry.

The Sisters of Charity Health System’s 20 sponsored ministries in Ohio and South Carolina collectively total $1.025 billion in assets – representing an unprecedented level of financial strength achieved this year. Sixty percent of these assets are allocated for hospital ministry; 26 percent for foundation ministry; 12 percent for outreach ministry; and 2 percent for elder care.

To date, the Sisters of Charity Health System has primarily been recognized for its cutting-edge healthcare services delivered by several of its larger entities, including St. Vincent Charity Hospital and St. John West Shore Hospital in Cleveland, Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Ohio and Providence Hospital and Providence Hospital Northeast in Columbia, South Carolina.

These healthcare facilities exemplify an extensive history of innovation and quality, specifically in such critical areas as cardiovascular care and orthopedics. The Sisters of Charity Health System’s five nationally recognized hospitals collectively employ the equivalent of 10,000 full-time employees, perform more that 34,000 surgeries annually and treat nearly 180,000 emergency department visitors each year. As a clear affirmation of its belief that healthcare is not a privilege but rather a fundamental right, the Sisters of Charity Health System collectively provides approximately $30 million in uncompensated hospital care each year as part of its focus on truly serving the community.

While the Sisters of Charity Health System is a healthcare organization, it also offers a full spectrum of services to heal the whole person, as an individual, as a member of a family and as a part of a community. The organization’s foundation ministry plays a crucial role in extending these services out into the community. The three Sisters of Charity Foundations, located in Cleveland and Canton, Ohio and Columbia, South Carolina, collectively invest more than $10 million annually in the communities they serve. Since its inception, the Sisters of Charity Health System foundation ministry has invested $108 million in communities across Northeast Ohio and South Carolina.

“Many community leaders understand the significant work that is accomplished at each of our individual ministries,” said Sr. Judith Ann. “However, when you combine the innovation and key accomplishments of our ministries, there is an even more dramatic story to be told about how our mission is alive in our communities. But we recognize that we cannot achieve community change alone. We are calling on community leaders to come together in the spirit of collaboration to devise a comprehensive approach to addressing unmet human needs.”

The Sisters of Charity Health System’s new corporate logo, described by many as a radiant cross, is designed to reflect the core values of the 156-year mission of reaching out to serve others.

“The logo draws immediate attention to Christ because of the centered cross,” said Sr. Miriam Erb, CSA, congregational leader for the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. “The radiating light from the cross also shows that we are being directed in an outward movement in service to those in need. Our goal is to move out from ourselves in every direction and be inclusive of all people as we do so.”

The process of establishing the new corporate identity began over a year ago with a comprehensive communications review and research process. Internal and external surveys in Ohio and South Carolina revealed public awareness of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine Health System was relatively low, although overall perceptions were positive. Few respondents recognized the organization’s individual entities were connected, and even fewer respondents had any idea of the organization’s significant combined financial commitment to people in need.

“The numbers tell an amazing story, not as much from a financial standpoint, but from the view of collective community impact,” said Terrence P. Kessler, Esq., Chair of the Sisters of Charity Health System Board of Directors. “Our organization as a whole touches the lives of more than 500,000 people every year, including not only those who receive life-saving procedures at our hospitals, but also the thousands of families who are helped through various human services. From the many fatherhood organizations across South Carolina to the hundreds of homeless men who’ve regained their health at our transitional housing facility in Cleveland or the many families who benefit from accredited child care centers in Canton, we acknowledge both our responsibilities and our accomplishments. We feel the shorter name and updated logo will help us to better communicate these stories.”

Kessler continued, “We have a unique story to tell. As a Catholic healthcare organization, our definition of ‘healthcare’ is very broad and very distinct from other health systems’ definitions. Our hospitals, foundations, elder care facilities and nonprofit outreach programs that serve families and children all seek to address the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of people. Beyond that, we are a voice for the marginalized in our society, and we are committed to serving as a strong advocate to ensure access to health care for all.”

The new name and logo can be seen on the updated Sisters of Charity Health System web site (www.sistersofcharityhealth.org), promotional materials, letterhead, signage and in various print ads effective August 28, which marks the Feast of St. Augustine, the patron Saint of this Religious community.

For more information on the Sisters of Charity Health System or its individual healthcare or outreach ministries, visit www.sistersofcharityhealth.org.