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There's no question that we are all living through some challenging times for our health care industry. Reimbursement pressures from government and private payors continue to mount. The costs of pharmaceuticals, life-saving devices, and medical technology—all required to provide our patients with the best care possible—are rising at a dizzying pace. There is a relentless need to find ways to constantly improve quality and patient safety. And labor shortages in several key areas pose threats to our ministry. These are also very challenging times for our nation. Nearly 47 million Americans are without health insurance. Millions more face the possible loss of their homes due to the growing sub-prime mortgage crisis. And our very way of life is threatened by skyrocketing gasoline and other energy costs, which affect not only how we drive our cars and heat our homes, but also impacts the costs of most goods and services. While the complexities and challenges of our industry and our world require our constant attention, the spiritual dimension of Catholic health care is a source of motivation, comfort and support for our colleagues, patients and residents, and their families…and makes a tangible, measurable difference in the health of our communities. It can be felt in the healing touch of a nurse and the comforting reassurance of a chaplain. It can be seen in the careful calibrations of the pharmacist and the attention to detail of the housekeeper. It can be heard in the skilled instructions of the therapist and the cheerful greeting of the admissions clerk. And nowhere does the spiritual dimension of our Catholic health ministry come through stronger than in our commitment to those who are poor. It is one of our Core Values. It is who we are. It drives our Mission of being a transforming, healing presence in the communities we serve. It is a relentless force, a spirit of caring, a determination to help those in need. And it inspires us to reach beyond our walls to make a difference. Through the dedication and determination of our system-wide network of community benefit initiatives - such as our homeless outreach programs, mobile health clinics, parish nursing programs, transitional housing services, and substance abuse programs - Catholic Health East is indeed making a difference in our communities. In 2007, our health care system accounted for approximately $278 million in community benefit programs and services, representing an eight percent increase over the prior year, and more than double the amount provided when the system was founded ten years ago. And standing behind these numbers are incredible stories. Stories of lives lost…and lives saved. Stories of redemption…and resurrection. Stories of despair…and hope. We will share some of these stories with you in our 2007 Community Benefit Annual Report, due to be completed later this month. Every RHC and JOA contributed a personal vignette about an individual or family who was helped in some way…to help bring our community benefit message "to life." You'll meet people like Kerri, a young mother battling mental illness whose life was changed through the help she received from Mercy Health System of Maine's McAuley Residence. And Ramon, an overwhelmed immigrant whose family needed medical care and was helped by St. Francis Hospital's Center of Hope. And Jennifer and Brad, who were able to bring their dying infant home for the last few days of his life, thanks to Mercy Medical's pediatric hospice care program. The vignettes shared in our Community Benefit Annual Report merely represent the thousands upon thousands of daily encounters that our caregivers and volunteers throughout Catholic Health East have with people in need. We thank all of those individuals—our Sponsors, colleagues, physicians, volunteers, auxilians, board members, and donors—whose actions and support ensure that Catholic Health East will continue to make a difference in the lives of so many…for many years to come.
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