The Pursuit of Racial Justice and Healthy Communities

At the heart of CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health is the creation of healthy communities. As part of a national Catholic health system – CommonSpirit Health – it is easy for people to limit our work to the realm of what is traditionally viewed as health care (clinics, hospitals, medications and surgeries). However, to us, creating healthy communities encompasses much more. Our work aims to create and assure opportunity for all – as a principle we believe all are owed the assurance of human rights and human dignity. Health, from our perspective, is the foundation upon which individual and community opportunity emerges and serves as a gateway to possibility.

Events across the country have awakened many to the pain, hurt, fear and injustice experienced throughout our communities everyday – especially by our minority brothers and sisters. As a community, we have fallen short of our promise to be the land of opportunity for all. This moment demands for us to do more to ensure equality and social justice for all in every domain. CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health stands with members of our community, as well as individuals and families from across the country, who are calling for change. As the CEOs of CommonSpirit Health Lloyd Dean and Kevin Lofton, have shared, “We are united in a belief in the inherent dignity of all people. This transcends race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or economic status.” As a community, and as a Country, we can and must do better.

Each day CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health strives to fulfill our mission to make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people and communities we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all. On our journey, we welcome and support efforts by organizations and individuals who share our beliefs as we collectively work toward a better United States of America for all people.