Sister Judith Ann Karam, CSA, LFACHE

PUBLIC JURIDIC PERSON
SISTERS OF CHARITY HEALTH SYSTEM

CONGREGATIONAL LEADER
SISTERS OF CHARITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE

Sister Judith Ann is a member of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and has served as its congregational leader since July 2013. Prior, she served as president and CEO of the Sisters of Charity Health System from 1998 – 2013. The health system is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, serving Northeast Ohio and South Carolina. In that role, she led the sponsored ministries of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, including state-of-the-art acute care hospitals, services to the elderly, three grantmaking foundations, and community outreach ministries to meet health and human service needs. She began her health care career in 1962 and has served as a pharmacy technician, pharmacist and health care administrator. She led hospitals in Canton, Cleveland and South Carolina. As a member of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine since 1964, she has been a strong advocate for increasing access to health care for God’s poor. She previously served as major superior of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine from 1993 - 1997.

Sister Judith Ann is a board member of the Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina and the Sisters of Charity Health System. She currently serves as chair of CSA Health System Ministries, the members of the Sisters of Charity Health System. She is a Life Status Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and has served on the boards of hospitals and health care since 1973. In addition to involvement in the Sisters of Charity Health System entities, she has served on the boards of the Catholic Health Association, including serving as its chair in 2015, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Corporation and the Center for Health Affairs in Cleveland.

Her past numerous community involvements include receiving the Cleveland Heritage Medal in 2023, serving as a lector at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church in Cleveland, the Midlands Business Leaders Council and being a Stokes Senior Fellow. Previous board service to health care organizations include The American Red Cross Cleveland Chapter, University Hospitals of Cleveland and Columbia HCA Healthcare Corporation. She also served on the Board of Walsh University in Canton, Ohio, for more than 12 years and now is trustee emeritus.

In June 2018, Sister Judith Ann was the Inductee of the Ohio Hospital Association Health Care Hall of Fame for her extraordinary contributions to the delivery of health care for Ohioans. She was the first non-physician or dentist to receive the Health Legacy Award of Cleveland in 2015. In September 2013, she received the Sam Miller Goodness Award from Project Love. In 2012, she was bestowed the Humanitarian Award from the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio and received honorary induction into the Sigma Beta Delta Walsh University Chapter of the Business Honorary Society. Additional honors include the 2011 Community Health Champion Award from Care Alliance Health Center and in 2008 the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian award from the State of South Carolina. In 2007, she received from Pope Benedict XVI the Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice honor and from Bishop Robert Baker the Caritas Award for Service to the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina.

In 2006, Sister Judith Ann received the Distinguished Service Medal from Walsh University and earlier the Ohio Hospital Association Distinguished Service Award. On May 20, 2002, she was awarded an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from Ursuline College of Cleveland and was commencement speaker. Sister Judith Ann received the Crain’s Cleveland Business 2001 Women of Note Award; the Distinguished Women in Healthcare Award from the Visiting Nurse Association/Healthcare Monitor in 2000 and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from The Ohio State University Health Services Management and Policy program in 1998. In 1971 she was inducted into the Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society

Sister Judith Ann received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Duquesne University and a Master of Science in Hospital and Health Services Administration from The Ohio State University. In 1998, she completed a sabbatical at The American College, Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. She is a 1986 graduate of Leadership Cleveland.

She is an avid life-long Cleveland Guardians fan and the Ohio State Buckeyes Football Team.