The Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) is honoring two Ascension associates among its 2014 Award Recipients at the annual Catholic Health Assembly in Chicago in June. Jane R. Lanier, President and Chief Development Officer, St. Vincent’s HealthCare Foundation, Jacksonville, Fla., was recognized as the 2014 recipient of the Sister Concilia Moran Award. Sarah E. Hetue Hill, PhD(c), System Manager, Palliative Care Initiatives, Ascension Health, was recognized as one of the 2014 Tomorrow’s Leaders.
Jane R. Lanier, President and Chief Development Officer, St. Vincent’s HealthCare Foundation, Jacksonville, Fla., is recognized by the Catholic Health Association as the 2014 recipient of the Sister Concilia Moran Award.
First awarded in 1992, and named for Sister Mary Concilia Moran from the Religious Sisters of Mercy, this prestigious national award is presented each year to an individual in Catholic healthcare for creativity and breakthrough thinking that advances the ministry. Recipients of the Sister Mary Concilia Moran Award demonstrate an understanding of ministry identity rooted in the church and an approach to healthcare that emphasizes collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches.
We are honored and privileged to have such a dedicated, visionary leader of our St. Vincent’s HealthCare Foundation who is committed to carrying out our Mission of serving all persons, with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable,” said St. Vincent’s HealthCare President and CEO Moody Chisholm. “Jane lives our core Values on a daily basis and works to make our community a better place to live.
Jane was appointed Executive Director of the St. Vincent’s HealthCare Foundation in 1999. Her many accomplishments include:
- Community Outreach Program for Children – The Pediatric Mobile Health Ministry travels to 23 schools around Jacksonville, bringing free medical care to thousands of underserved and uninsured children.
- St. Vincent’s River House – The River House provides comfortable guest suites for families who cannot afford costly hotels while their loved ones are undergoing treatment at St. Vincent’s.
- Innovative Fundraising – Through fundraising and capital campaigns, Jane has increased financial support, which has helped improve facilities and establish state-of-the-art medical services for patients who deserve safe, high-quality care. Recently, Jane led a record-breaking campaign to open a new 64-bed hospital and Medical Office Building in Clay County, Fla.
It is an honor to be recognized by such an incredible organization as the Catholic Health Association,” Jane said. “Our vision comes from faith and trust in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to be His eyes and ears, His hands and feet, and bring His compassion and caring through our hospitals and community programs. Only then can we refer to our business as a health ministry.
Previous Ascension associates honored with the Sister Concilia Moran Award were Sr. DeSales Wisniewski, DC, then Vice President, Mission Integration, St. Vincent’s Health System, Jacksonville, Fla. (2005); Donald A. Brennan, then President and CEO, Ascension Health (2001); and Sr. Mary Kevin Ford, CSJ, then Assistant to the President/CEO, Carondelet Health Network, Tucson, Ariz. (1996).
Sarah E. Hetue Hill, PhD(c), System Manager , Palliative Care Initiatives, Ascension Health, is recognized by the CHA as one of the 2014 Tomorrow’s Leaders, which honors the young people who will guide the Catholic health ministry in the future.
The Catholic health ministry of tomorrow will depend on strong leadership and passionate commitment to the healing mission. Encouraging the promising young leaders of today to continue their careers in the ministry, CHA's Tomorrow's Leaders program each year honors dedicated, high-performing individuals who already have demonstrated commitment to advancing the mission of Catholic healthcare.
Sarah became a full-time associate of Ascension Health in 2008 and was soon promoted to System Manager to direct palliative care efforts across the System.
Sarah’s knowledge and passion for palliative care, her dedication to ethics and to protecting and promoting human dignity, and her leadership competencies make her very deserving of this honor,” said Dan O’Brien, Senior Vice President, Ethics, Discernment and Church Relations. “She is recognized and respected by advocacy leaders and healthcare executives and clinicians across the country. We are proud of the work she has accomplished for Ascension Health and for the most vulnerable whom we serve.”
Sarah’s contributions have strengthened palliative care across Ascension, within Catholic healthcare, and nationally through contributions to the larger fields of ethics, palliative care and advance care planning. Among her accomplishments:
- Convening multiple groups across Ascension Health focusing on metrics, leading practices in spiritual care and clinical excellence, resulting in quality improvements that provide concrete intervention models for adaptation across the System. To give just one example, over a 50-month period across multiple palliative care sites, pain was well controlled within 48 hours 92 percent of the time and dyspnea controlled within 48 hours 98 percent of the time – far exceeding hospice standards.
- Representing Ascension Health on the Board of the Supportive Care Coalition, which is composed of 21 Catholic healthcare member organizations with more than 500 hospitals, nearly 300 long-term care facilities, and numerous clinics, home healthcare services and hospices providing palliative care in 45 states.
- Serving on several workgroups for national organizations, including the Catholic Healthcare CEO Connection’s Clinical Quality Leadership Forum, the national Coalition to Transform Advanced Care, and the National Quality Forum’s (NQF) Palliative and End of Life Care Metrics Committee.
- Serving as a panelist for the International Association of Catholic Bioethicists, which developed an international consensus statement on Palliative Sedation.
Previous Ascension associates honored as CHA Tomorrow’s Leaders were Denise Mohess, MD, then Geriatric Hospitalist, Palliative Care and Hospice, Providence Hospital, Washington, D.C. (2013); Reggie J. Ripple, Director, Home Care Services, St. John Health System, Tulsa, Okla. (2012); John Paul Slosar, Ph.D., Vice President, Ethics Integration and Education, Ascension Health (2011); Mark Repenshek, Ph.D., Healthcare Ethicist, Columbia St. Mary's, Milwaukee (2011); and Fahad Tahir, FACHE, then Vice President, Physician Enterprise, Providence Hospital, Washington, D.C. (2011).
Congratulations to Jane and Sarah for their commitment and dedication to Catholic healthcare and to the Mission of Ascension.
