Voices of our lay partners
Helen Pace, Coordinator of the Mission Department in the Bon Secours Health System Richmond, has been working with the sisters since 1984.

"Because the sisters' mission is so much a part of the working environment at Bon Secours Richmond, it becomes second nature to those of us who are exposed to it every day. And by working in the Mission Department itself, where the mission is present in every program and every initiative undertaken, I cannot imagine working in an organization that is solely business/bottom-line oriented. The focus on medical care for indigent patients, the concern for the uninsured and underserved, and the holistic approach to treating both patients and employees make this organization very special.

It is obvious that employees' opinions are listened to and valued in the day-to-day operations of the hospital. The environment of Bon Secours is based on concern for employees and how they are treated—employees receive support not only regarding their jobs, but also whenever a personal or family crisis occurs. The mission of the Sisters of Bon Secours has allowed me to grow spiritually and professionally in ways I never imagined."

A healing mission in action
Chris Morris, a Bon Secours Health System employee for more than 20 years, provides administrative support to the CEO and Board of Directors.

"During my 20 plus years at Bon Secours…I have experienced the mission of the Sisters through their support and prayers for me and my family as we worked our way through the good times, the uncertain times, and the bad times. While the sisters have certainly given me the support I needed over the years, seeing them extend their care and compassion to others has deeply touched me. Visiting the local health systems, I am able to see firsthand the healing mission of the sisters in the local communities and how the recipients of their care are so touched by all they do."

Finding a place where you belong
Linda McGinn, Conference Services Manager for the Bon Secours Spiritual Center, has worked with the sisters for three years.

"When I was looking for a job, I miraculously landed here. It was one of those things where you find yourself at a place and know that this is where you belong. In the almost three and a half years I have been here, I have worked with the sisters and gained a new respect and appreciation for their mission. It is so encompassing, as it reaches beyond the Sisters, the health system and even into other countries.

When you work at Bon Secours, you quickly realize that you are very much a part of the mission—an intangible part. You enable others to come and experience Bon Secours and its mission. Everyone who comes to the Spiritual Center leaves feeling renewed, refreshed, and rejuvenated even if they did not come for spiritual growth. It has been so pleasurable to work with people who are really so much more than team players. You can make a difference when you are all working toward the same goal."

The mission is part of the fabric of life
Donald G. Seitz, MD, practiced orthopedics in the Bon Secours Health System Richmond from 1974 until he retired in 1999. He currently chairs Bon Secours Health System Quality Committee.

	Joeann Karibo, Director of Community Commitment Services shares Bon Secours values

In 1988, Joeann Karibo was living in suburban Phoenix raising her teenage son. She had recently switched careers, transferring her business skills from working in hardware and wood products to healthcare. That's when she saw an advertisement for a director of planning with Bon Secours Health System in Maryland.

"When I first came to visit, I was taken by the differences in management style from the for profit world I had been living in," Joeann says. When she interviewed for the job, she realized the people at Bon Secours constantly strive to improve our work. We also endeavor to understand the core values of the healthcare system — stewardship, quality, integrity, compassion, justice, innovation, growth, and respect.

Joeann saw this approach in action through the health system's involvement in the communities served. To her previous employer, community involvement meant participating in a health fair, which provided a side benefit of advertising. When Joeann began her job at Bon Secours, she worked as a member of the review team for the Care for the Poor Fund which at that time was the health system's vehicle for giving grants to communities. "This was quite a change," she says. It was a change Joeann liked and it became an integral part of her day-to-day work life.

Foundation director discovers his true mission with the Sisters of Bon Secours
In 1987, George Kleb was a social worker with a for-profit agency that assisted developmentally-disabled and mentally ill adults. Although the agency did good work, he remembers, profit was the bottom line.

	George Kleb, Foundation Director

Since George was planning to marry a young woman from Baltimore, he began to look for a job there and found an opening at Bon Secours Baltimore Health Corporation. Although he wasn't Catholic, he discovered the sisters' charism of healing, compassion, and liberation resonated with him, reminding him of his commitment to social justice and community development. Soon after starting his job, he felt like a welcome member of the family. He also realized that he had found something more than just a job; it was a mission he could be a part of.

George began as a social worker at Bon Secours Hospital then moved into working in outreach to senior citizens. He moved on to become the director of community services then the director of community development. George left briefly in 2000 for his first executive director job, with Community Impact Baltimore, which worked in the same neighborhood. In that role outside of Bon Secours, he could see even more clearly the importance of the hospital to the local people. So when Bon Secours called to offer him the executive director position at the Bon Secours Maryland Foundation, he happily accepted.

Foundation takes unique approach to health
George Kleb directs a staff of nearly 30 people with a $2 million operating budget at the Bon Secours Maryland Foundation. The foundation raises money for the Bon Secours Hospital, but its primary focus is on revitalizing the neighborhood in Southwest Baltimore where the hospital is located.

"This part of Baltimore has been really damaged by the drug trade. It's kind of coming up now, but it was an economically depressed area," George says. Many of the families are working at minimum wage jobs that don't allow them to adequately care for their families. Only 20 percent of the children graduate from high school.

The Sisters of Bon Secours have been living and working in the neighborhood since 1881, and they are committed to staying. "Bon Secours has stayed here and we have decided it's important to revitalize this neighborhood and let these people have a voice so they can have a hand in what happens in their community," George says.

The foundation's community and economic development works fall into three categories: housing redevelopment; family and women's services; and community economic development. George recognizes that it is atypical for a healthcare organization to venture into these areas, but he believes it illustrates the sisters' deep commitment to our mission.

"If you really look at the basis of health, people who are employed are far more likely to have insurance, and far less likely to be dependent on subsidy from social services," George says. "They have less stress and have health insurance so they can afford preventive care rather than relying on the emergency room as the primary source of care. The children of people who have safe and affordable housing don't get lead poisoning. It's all health but at a more basic level."

Although many people who work for nonprofit organizations addressing these difficult issues burn out early, George has been working with the Sisters of Bon Secours since 1987 and he keeps moving forward with enthusiasm, knowing he is part of something that's making a difference. Besides, George adds, "We have a great time doing what we do."

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