Mission, Vision, Values & Ethics
Our Mission, Vision and Values guide everything we do at Ascension. They are foundational to our work to transform healthcare and express our priorities when providing care and services, particularly to those most in need.
Mission
Rooted in the loving ministry of Jesus as healer, we commit ourselves to serving all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. Our Catholic health ministry is dedicated to spiritually centered, holistic care which sustains and improves the health of individuals and communities. We are advocates for a compassionate and just society through our actions and our words.
Vision
We envision a strong, vibrant Catholic health ministry in the United States which will lead to the transformation of healthcare. We will ensure service that is committed to health and well-being for our communities and that responds to the needs of individuals throughout the life cycle. We will expand the role of laity, in both leadership and sponsorship, to ensure a Catholic health ministry of the future.
Values
- Service of the poor: Generosity of spirit, especially for persons most in need
- Reverence: Respect and compassion for the dignity and diversity of life
- Integrity: Inspiring trust through personal leadership
- Wisdom: Integrating excellence and stewardship
- Creativity: Courageous innovation
- Dedication: Affirming the hope and joy of our ministry
Healthcare Ethics
Healthcare ethics focuses on supporting personalized care that is consistent with each patient’s individual values, and promotes the good of the human person.
Our Mission, Vision, Values and identity as a healing ministry of the Catholic Church guide our practices, with our Ethics Department serving a critical role by:
- Fostering disciplined decision-making processes that promote our Mission, Vision, Values and Catholic identity in clinical and organizational realms
- Sharing research and counsel to Ascension leaders working through organizational and clinical ethical issues
- Educating and providing resources for leaders and work teams that help them carry out their ethics responsibilities Ascension-wide
- Supporting and promoting dialogue between Ascension ministry leaders and local Ordinaries (diocesan bishops) to strengthen our relationship with the Church and our identity as one of its healing ministries.
Ascension’s Commitment to Patient Safety
Patient Safety is Central to Our Mission
As one of the nation’s leading nonprofit Catholic health systems, Ascension serves communities across 16 states and the District of Columbia through a network of approximately 106,000 associates, 26,000 affiliated providers, 105 wholly owned or consolidated hospitals, and 34 senior living facilities. Additionally, through strategic partnerships, Ascension holds an ownership interest in 26 other hospitals.
Patient safety at Ascension is more than a principle—it is an essential act of service, woven into the fabric of our Mission each day. We strive to achieve zero preventable harm by continually refining our high-reliability practices and optimizing safety and quality standards across our entire care network. Through innovation and optimization of people, process and technology, we strive to achieve excellence in safe, high quality, patient centric care for those we serve.
This commitment is vital to the lives of our patients and their families, who trust us during their most vulnerable moments. Our ultimate goal in preventing harm is to foster health and wellness that extends beyond our walls, giving patients more quality time with loved ones.
Our Commitment
At Ascension, our dedication to care goes beyond treatment—it is about ensuring every patient experiences our commitment to providing safe, high quality, respectful, and compassionate care. Rooted in our Mission, we prioritize care for all, with special attention to those experiencing poverty and vulnerability. Our approach is holistic, spiritually centered and deeply personalized to honor each individual's dignity and uniqueness.
Our commitment was affirmed at the White House during the national Healthcare Safety Forum on September 17, 2024, hosted by the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Together with other large health care systems, we pledged to take bold actions to advance the recommendations from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) Report and align with the National Action Alliance for Patient and Workforce Safety.
Our patient safety work is further guided by the foundational domains of the National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety:
- Culture, Leadership, and Governance;
- Patient and Family Engagement;
- Workforce Safety; and
- Learning Health Systems
Ascension is dedicated to “Heal without Harm,” addressing opportunities, fostering workforce psychological safety and building patient safety competencies.