So many voices, so much disagreement, so many dollar signs, it’s pretty hard to stay engaged in the healthcare debate, yet we know it is really important—that it will make a difference in the lives of the people we love. You may be trying to figure out what questions are most important and what answers can be trusted. I suggest you turn to the Catholic Church for answers—we are one of the largest health care providers in the United States
Street Cred
We are a credible voice and a significant player in the debate. Where does our experience come from?
–624 Catholic Hospitals
–499 Catholic Long-Term Care Nursing facilities
–164 Home Health Associations
–41 Hospice Organizations
In our facilities and through our healthcare professionals we have responded to:
–More than 16.9 million emergency room visits
— More than 92.7 million outpatient visits
— 5,542,314 admissions
As an institution we are involved in all aspects of healthcare. As an employer we pay salaries and providing coverage. As a provider we stretch resources to meet needs. As a servant of the Gospel we respond to all those who come through our doors, always protecting the dignity of human life in all of its stages.
Stay Informed and get involved – Make a difference!
It’s important we participate in the debate and let our voice be heard. It is an example where the voice of the Church has so much to offer the world—to be messengers of good news. To stay engaged in the debate, bookmark http://www.usccb.org. (the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ website) and http://www.mdcathcon.org/(The Maryland Catholic Conference). Both of these organizations have professional lobbyists who follow the debate, read the fine print of the legislation, and reflect on it in light of the great tradition of Catholic social teaching. They are working hard to ensure that the healthcare reform legislation reflects a truly universal health policy with respect for human life and dignity providing access for all with a special concern for the poor and inclusion of legal immigrants. They advocate for the pursuit of the common good and preserving pluralism which includes freedom of conscience and variety of options restraining costs and applying them equitably across the spectrum of payers
If you think about it, from the time of Christ, it has been the mission of the Church to share in the healing ministry of Jesus, in a spiritual way through the sacraments and in a temporal way through active participation in healthcare, we bring to the table 2,000 years of healing the spirit, mind and body.
You can make a difference. Click on and get involved.
The commercial below from 1949 seems astonishing to us today. We often look back on the days when just about everyone smoked and wonder how we could have been so foolish as to fill our lungs with smoke. That a commercial should actually feature doctors smoking and report that they prefer a particular brand of cigarette (filter-less at that) seems unbelievable.