The second largest Catholic health system in the United States, Catholic Health Initiatives is a national nonprofit health corporation based in Denver, Colorado.  CHI includes 70 hospitals; 43 long-term care, assisted and independent living and residential facilities; and two community-based health organizations located in 19 states. 

Catholic Health Initiatives has a longstanding commitment to improving care at life’s end.  This commitment has become a system-wide effort through the establishment of a multi-functional committee on end-of-life care.  The organizational effort has included a broad assessment of the current status of end-of-life care; the provision of educational and training opportunities; a focus on cultural sensitivity in the provision of services; engagement of local communities to strengthen the comprehensive delivery of services; and advocacy activism to improve to improve legislation, regulation and financing of end-of-life care.

See presentation describing steps CHI took to implement it's system wide palliative care effort.

                              
System office:     Catholic Health Initiatives
                                1999 Broadway, Suite 2600 
                                Denver CO 80202
                                (303) 298-9100
     
Web site:                www.catholichealthinit.org

Coalition board members and primary contacts:

Lois Lane, JD, APRN, BC, Director of Ethics
(859)-594-3230
loislane@catholichealth.net

Colleen Scanlon, RN, JD, Senior Vice President, Advocacy
(303) 383-2693
colleenscanlon@catholichealth.net


CHI's outstanding palliative care-focused programs include:

Franciscan Health System, Tacoma, Washington

• The "Improving Care through the End of Life" Program– a comprehensive outpatient clinic coordinates services to support patients at risk of dying
• American Hospital Association Circle of Life Award recipient
• Contact: Georganne Trandum, Director  (253)-858-4160     georgannetrandum@chiwest.com 

St. John’s Regional Medical Center, Joplin, Missouri 

• Inpatient palliative care unit started with limited resources
• Recognized by the Center to Advance Palliative Care for its economic evaluation model
• Contact:  Mary Ann Soerries, Director of Pastoral/Palliative Care    
• (417)-625-2470     masoerries@stj.com 

St. Francis Medical Center, Grand Island, Nebraska 

•  Formation of a community coalition on end-of-life care

St. Joseph Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky

•  Partnership with Hospice of the Bluegrass focused on the seamless provision of end-of-life care across the continuum 
  

12/06/pb