Company Profile - CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital

Overview

In the early 1900s, Lake Charles, La., was the center of a growing lumber industry, yet it had no hospitals. Seeing the need for a quality medical facility, John Greene Martin, M.D., president of the local medical society, and Rev. Hubert Cramers, rector of Immaculate Conception Church, set about to provide for one.

They approached the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word in Galveston, Texas, for help in setting up a hospital in Lake Charles like the one the sisters had established in Galveston. When the hospital was finished, Dr. Martin, a native of Ireland, insisted that it be named after St. Patrick, the patron saint of his homeland.

The new three-story hospital was dedicated on St. Patrick's Day in 1908 as St. Patrick Sanitarium, with 50 beds, an operating room and a sterilizing room. The name was later changed to St. Patrick Hospital which has continued its tradition of dedication and quality medical care for almost 100 years.

History of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and CHRISTUS Health
In 1866 three brave sisters from Lyon, France, answered the call of Bishop Claude Dubuis to minister to the "sick and infirm of every kind." These first members of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word worked to fulfill this call by opening Texas' first Catholic hospital in Galveston and, three years later, San Antonio's first private hospital.

With the move to San Antonio in 1869 and the difficulty of traveling between the two cities, the three Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word congregations became independent and continued their missions of healing.

Out of the original call grew the Houston-based Sisters of Charity Health Care System and the San Antonio-based Incarnate Word Health Care System. In 1999 CHRISTUS Health was formed to join the two health systems and strengthen the sisters' faith-based, not-for-profit health care ministry in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Utah and Oklahoma. This co-sponsored health care system is one of the top 10 largest Catholic health systems in the nation. The system will take a leadership role in the health care field, furthering its Mission to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

Benefits

CHRISTUS Healing ministries: Nourishment for the soul at Our Daily Bread CHRISTUS Health has many ways of fulfilling its Mission, “to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.” In this issue, Via CHRISTUS explores Our Daily Bread in Galveston, and some other community outreach ministries that extend a helping hand, and a healing touch, to those we are honored to serve. "The food pantry is my prayer room," says Sissie Sandoval, the kitchen manager at Our Daily Bread in Galveston, Texas. It is here, among the canned vegetables, loaves of bread and bags of rice, that she prays for food on behalf of the homeless people who depend on Our Daily Bread for nourishment. Sissie is constantly amazed at the bounty they’ve received over the past 15 years through the generosity of donors such as Homecut Bakery, which has delivered freshly baked donuts ever since they opened. "One day, we needed three more bags of potatoes for potato salad…. I prayed for potatoes, and a lady brought in three big cartons of potato salad, already prepared," she says. "In fact, we haven’t lacked potatoes since the day we prayed for them. The Lord has provided everything we’ve asked for." If the appearance of food is a miracle, so is each homeless person who has sought help and found hope through spiritual care, enrichment programs, volunteering and nourishment at Our Daily Bread. The community-based initiative, sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, serves 30,000 meals a year, every one of them donated. Under the leadership of Sister Ursula O’Keeffe, the program has been providing day shelter, nutrition, clothing, personal hygiene, first aid and referral services to those in need since 1986. Located near a neglected section of Galveston called "The Jungle," Our Daily Bread is a welcome refuge for those who have little but the clothes on their backs. Dignity and respect "It takes more than food to take care of a whole person," says Sister Ursula. "People have basic needs that must be met before they can address the more complicated problems. We try to meet the basic needs of food and clothing, respect and dignity…we believe you get what you give. We treat each person courteously, and serve their food on real china…we call people by name to seat them when their table is ready. And we get to know each person, their particular story and the problems they’re facing. Perhaps the most important step is to identify the problems, and find out what people are willing to do for themselves. We believe it’s each person’s privilege to decide what positive steps they are willing to take, and once they’ve decided, we will help," she states. The mission of Our Daily Bread is "…to minister to the person who is homeless in such a way that God’s love and compassion will be experienced by all."

Vision

Our Mission

To extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

Our Core Values

•Dignity: Respect for the worth of every person with special concern for the poor and underserved.

•Integrity: Honesty, justice, and consistency in all relationships.

•Excellence: High standards of service and performance.

•Compassion: Service in a spirit of empathy, love, and concern.

•Stewardship: Wise and just use of talents and resources in a collaborative manner.

Our Vision

•Strengthen our current ministries and expand into new locations and services.

•Implement innovative approaches to caring for the whole person.

•Increase access to health care for the poor and underserved through advocacy and other initiatives.

•Make significant contributions to creating healthy communities.

•Create a work environment filled with hope, dignity, and mutual respect.