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We Welcome the Sisters of Charity of Halifax
Covenant Health Systems welcomes Elizabeth Seton Residence and Marillac Residence as affiliates. Located in Wellesley (MA), the Elizabeth Seton Residence is an 84-bed skilled nursing facility and the Marillac Residence is a level IV rest home for women religious. These facilities are owned by the Sisters of Charity of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
About the Sisters of Charity of Halifax:
Four Sisters of Charity of New York, led by Sister Mary Basilia McCann, arrived in Halifax on May 11, 1849, as Archbishop William Walsh had asked the Sisters of Charity of New York to send teachers to serve in Halifax. On February 17, 1856, Pius IX approved the Sisters of Charity of Halifax as an independent congregation. The congregation became a pontifical institute in 1913."
The mission of the Sisters of Charity of Halifax is to give joyful witness to love: the love of God, of one another, and of all persons, and their charism is rooted in the tradition of Saints Elizabeth Ann Seton, Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac. The Sisters of Charity of Halifax are based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and serve in Canada, the eastern United States, Bermuda, and Peru. |
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An Announcement from David R. Lincoln, President/CEO and Kenneth Ferron, Vice President, Elder Services Operations
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Gerard J. Foley, Esq., FACHE as President/CEO of Mary Immaculate Health Care Services to replace Barbara Grant, who will be retiring mid-summer.
 Mr. Foley has a two-decade track record of success in the health care industry. As former CEO of Kindred Hospital Boston-North Shore and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Lawrence General Hospital, he has shown a strong commitment to quality care and community outreach. He has translated his innovative ideas into real-world success in leading the development of mission-critical projects including state-of-the-art trauma and imaging centers as well as establishing a family medicine residence program.
This was a very difficult choice as we had outstanding candidates. Each brought exceptional talent to the table. After extensive interviews with the Search Committee and MI senior staff, we made the very tough decision to appoint Gerry.
Gerry is a leader known for integrity and honesty and has demonstrated great enthusiasm in working with the greater Lawrence community. He also has a true sense of the mission of Mary Immaculate. He holds a JD from Suffolk University Law School, a Master of Public Health from Yale University School of Medicine and a BA in Philosophy from the College of the Holy Cross. He is a Fellow in the Massachusetts Health Leadership College, a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), a member of the Health Care Management Association of Massachusetts, and has his Massachusetts Nursing Home Administrator's License.
We would like to thank all those who participated with us in the search process and especially the members of our Search Committee including: John Pallone (chair), Kelly Sullivan, Margaret Shaheen, John Niceforo, Jr., M.D., Fred Shaheen and Gerald Mulligan. |
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Covenant Welcomes Director of Ethics and Education
MaryCarroll (MC) Sullivan is Covenant's newly appointed Director of Ethics and Education. MC is a nurse-bioethicist-attorney who has worked in ethics education, palliative care, organizational ethics and has been involved in healthcare and policy issues for more than 20 years.
 For the last eight years, MC has been an independent consultant in clinical bioethics, organizational ethics, external communication and media relations working with commercial and not-for-profit healthcare institutions and systems, and pharmaceutical and life science organizations.
Prior to her consulting work, she was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Center for Practical Bioethics in Kansas City, Missouri. MC has also held the position of Executive Vice President at Gemini Genomics in Newton (MA), Associate Dean of the University of Southern Europe in Monaco, and Clinical Ethicist at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. |
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Barbara, You Will Be Missed!
At an evening honoring the retiring Barbara E. Grant, David R. Lincoln, Covenant President\CEO and Fred P. Shaheen, MI chairman of the board, thanked Barbara for her "outstanding leadership and commitment to the healing ministry."  "Each year Mary Immaculate honors a community leader with a 'Marguerite d'Youville Pilgrimage of Love' Award, but I believe tonight Barbara deserves this award for all that she has achieved during her 27 years at Mary Immaculate," Lincoln said. He went on to highlight Barbara's ability to achieve grant funding for many projects including Marguerite's House, the state-of-the-art assisted living community on the MI campus.
"Barbara has been a leader in the elder care field, serving on numerous regional and local boards and has received national awards for the vision of La Casa de Maria Inmaculada, a bilingual/bicultural adult day program, and we will always remember her incredible leadership during the flood of 2006 and safely evacuating 244 residents within an eight hour span. "And finally, words cannot express our gratitude to Barbara for her tireless and unwavering commitment to Mary Immaculate, Covenant Health Systems, the greater Lawrence community and the Grey Nuns," he said. "Barbara's contribution to this organization, the Catholic healing ministry and this community are immeasurable. We know you all join with us in wishing Barbara well as she embarks on her retirement." |
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Standard & Poor's Upgrades Covenant to "A" Stable
Taken from the Standard & Poor's website
"Standard & Poor's Rating Services revised its outlook to 'stable' from 'negative' and affirmed its 'A' rating on bonds issued for Covenant Health Systems' Obligated Group (CHS). We believe that since our 2010 review of CHS's bond ratings, its operating performance has improved significantly. "The 'A' rating further reflects our assessment of CHS's adequate balance sheet ratios for the rating; and revenue diversity, which is divided across both acute-care and senior-living revenue sources."
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A Very Successful Program
Covenant's one day program on "Spirituality in the Care of the Person with Dementia" conducted by Paul Raia, Alzheimer's Association of Massachusetts and Sr. Catherine O'Connor and MC Sullivan of Covenant Health Systems attracted over 100 participants. The program was so successful that Covenant will be offering it again later this year. If anyone would like to be put on the mailing list, please e-mail maryann_outwater @covenanths.org.
Comments from the evaluations included:
- Knowing the difference between dementia and Alzheimers since I work in a nursing home and the discussion on ethics was very important -especially where I not only deal with residents/patients, but also families.
- The speakers were real, vibrant and passionate about the issues and the patients we care for.
- This is by far the best seminar/conference I have ever been to.
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Environmental Awards: Practice Greenhealth
 Covenant Health Systems was one of eight health care systems to receive Practice Greenhealth's "System for Change" Award. This is the sixth consecutive year that Covenant has received this award thanks to the sustainability efforts of its member organizations.
The System for Change Award recognizes health systems that are working cohesively to set system goals, track data, benchmark, and share successes in environmental performance.
Covenant members receiving the "Partner with Distinction" Awards were: St. Mary's Health System (Lewiston), St. Joseph Manor (Brockton), and MI Nursing/Restorative Center (Lawrence).
The Partner for Change with Distinction Award recognizes healthcare facilities that are further along in their path to sustainability. These facilities must demonstrate that they have achieved improvements in their mercury elimination, waste reduction, and pollution prevention programs beyond the Partner for Change basic criteria.
Receiving the "Partner for Change" Awards were: St. Joseph Hospital (Nashua), St. Joseph Hospital (Bangor), and Maristhill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (Waltham).
The Partner for Change Award recognizes healthcare facilities that have established environmental programs and continuously improve and expand upon these programs on the path to sustainability.
Receiving the "Partner" Awards were: Youville House (Cambridge), Youville Place (Lexington), St. Mary's Villa Nursing Home (Elmhurst), St. Andre Health Care (Biddeford), and St. Mary Health Care Center (Worcester).
The Partner Recognition Award is for healthcare facilities that have begun to work on environmental improvements, have achieved progress in several areas, and have at least 5% recycling rate for their total waste stream.
"These awards recognize the hard work and determination it takes to protect the environment and public health, yet still maintain cost effectiveness," said David R. Lincoln, Covenant president/CEO.  "Within Covenant Health Systems, we are all working to reduce, reuse and recycle to create better, safer, greener workplaces and communities. These awards inspire us to dig deeper and reach higher to meet our common goals: to reduce healthcare waste and phase out the use of hazardous materials in our industry. We are particularly thrilled that as each award recipient had 100 trees planted in Tanzania in honor of their reward, Covenant, as a system, was responsible for 1,200 trees being planted through `Trees for the Future.'" |
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"Greening the Operating Room"
David R. Lincoln, President/CEO signed the "Greening the Operating Room" initiative for Covenant Health Systems. This initiative is a collaborative effort of forward-thinking hospitals,  manufacturers, and related stakeholders, under the auspices of Practice Greenhealth, to develop best practices for reducing the environmental impact of the nation's operating rooms. Greening the OR™ will also help hospitals reduce costs, increase quality, and improve worker and patient safety. |
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News, News, News
In Covenant's continuing commitment to the environment, the corporate report and NewsLink are distributed electronically. We have also provided a link to the electronic version of the 2010 Corporate Report on our website -- www.covenanths.org--located under the "Financial & Investor Info" tab. We have printed a limited number of copies of the report should anyone wish to request a copy (info@covenanths.org).
Covenant's 2009 Corporate Report received a Bronze Award in the national Aster Awards competition. |
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Around the System
In February, U.S. News identified Covenant affiliate Bethany Health Care (Framingham) as one of the top 18 long-term care facilities in the country. The rating was performed in conjunction  with the federal government's measurement of health inspections, nurse staff, and quality measures for individual care. Bethany is the only facility in Massachusetts to be included in the U.S. News Honor Roll listing. |
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Covenant affiliate Notre Dame Long Term Care Center (Worcester) was one of 438 nationwide recipients to receive the 2011 Bronze "Commitment to Quality" Award. This Award Program is based on the core values and criteria of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program and provides a pathway for providers of long term care services to journey towards performance excellence. |
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 Twenty-eight physicians, in 24 specialties, with ties to St. Joseph Hospital (Nashua) were named to New Hampshire Magazine's list of "Top Doctors and Leading Physicians for 2011" in its April edition. |
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St. Mary's (Lewiston) Haiti Work Retreat Team was honored by the United Valley chapter of the American Red Cross with an award for Medical Outreach. This is in recognition of its many years of work at Pwoje Espwa, the boys orphanage run by Fr. Marc Boisvert and at St. Boniface Foundation, a hospital in Fonds-des-Blancs serving 250,000 rural poor living in an area of 107 square miles. |
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St. Andre Health Care (Biddeford) will be "treating" residents to their 5th annual Camp Waban experience this July. Staff members host an annual "chocolate fair" in February to benefit their summer camp outing to Camp Waban which many residents consider "the time of their lives." |
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People News
David R. Lincoln, Covenant President/CEO, was appointed to a second term on the National Board of Advisers for the AHA's Center for Healthcare Governance.
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St. Joseph Healthcare (Bangor) President and CEO Sister Mary Norberta, C.S.S.F., FACHE was recently honored by the Maine State Legislature during a "Legislative Sentiment Ceremony." At the beginning of the Legislative session, State Representative Michael Celli of Brewer presented the sentiment to Sister Norberta, recognizing her exceptional service and contributions to healthcare. Also, the Sister Mary Norberta Prayer and Reflection Center was recently dedicated at St. Joseph Hospital (Bangor). The Center was created in Sister Norberta's honor as she prepares to leave St. Joseph Healthcare after 29 years of tireless dedication as the President/CEO. The Center offers a quiet space for patients and staff to stop for meditation and prayer at the St. Joseph Healthcare Park. |
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 Rev. James A. Wenzel, O.S.A. will be honored for his service to the greater Lawrence community and will be awarded the St. Marguerite d'Youville "Pilgrimage of Love" Award by Mary Immaculate Health/Care Services (Lawrence) in September. |
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 Monsignor Robert P. Deeley, former Covenant Health Systems' Board Member and pastor of St. Ann's Parish in Wollaston, has been appointed Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of Boston. Msgr. Deeley has, in recent years, been assigned to the Vatican in the Office of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The Covenant Board and staff congratulate Monsignor Deeley on his recent appointment. |
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Both Charles M. Altieri and Richard M. Corrente are stepping down from the Covenant Health Systems Board of Directors as their terms of service expire this year. The Covenant Health Systems Board thanks them for their valuable service to Covenant and dedication to the Catholic healing ministry.
The Board elected four members to the Covenant Board of Directors:
- James Loftus, IV, Vice President/General Manager of CBS Radio/Philadelphia of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania; also serves on St. Mary's Villa Board
- John Oliverio, President/CEO of Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare of Wheaton, Illinois
- John Pallone, Principal, Shaheen, Pallone & Associates, PC of North Andover, Massachusetts; also served on Mary Immaculate Board
- Richard Statuto, President/CEO of Bon Secours Health System of Marriottsville, Maryland
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 Sr. Betsy Sullivan, SSJ, administrator of Covenant affiliate Mont Marie Health Care Center (Holyoke) was elected Vice President of the leadership team of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield. The five-member team will remain in office for six years. |
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 Sisters Ann Lynch and Roberta Mulcahy of Mont Marie Health Care Center (Holyoke) took their water program titled "Think Outside the Bottle" on the road again this spring. Using posters and handouts, the Sisters did a presentation on the scarcity of clean water throughout the world. They also talked about how much water is used in the production of some of the foods that we eat.
The final piece of their presentation involved a water tasting. Participants were asked to try to identify the sources of several unmarked water samples. Most of the tasters agreed that the tap water tasted better than the expensive and ecologically damaging bottled water. The presentation was part of an ongoing commitment by the Sisters of St. Joseph to provide speakers and programs on ecology. |
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Nicole Morin-Scribner, SPHR, director of Human Services at St. Mary Health System (Lewiston), authored an article in "HR Pulse" about the role of leadership in the human services profession. |
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Last month several St. Mary's Health System (Lewiston) employees traveled to Montreal for their annual pilgrimage to "Walk in the Footsteps of St. Marguerite d'Youville." Each year the Marguerite d'Youville Award winners and a guest are invited to participate in the pilgrimage. |
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