​In 2023, Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center (GCRMC), based in Alamogordo, announced its decision to join CHRISTUS Health, an Irving, Texas-based Catholic Health Ministry. GCRMC is a 98-bed independent, nonprofit, Level III trauma hospital with 28 primary and specialty care clinics and 33 medical and surgical specialties.

After an intensive 18-month planning process, the parties reached an agreement. According to GCRMC CEO Jim Heckert, the move to join CHRISTUS Health celebrates the hospital’s 74th anniversary since it will help the hospital access resources and financial support to serve its future needs.

GCRMC specializes in wound care, interventional radiology, and cardiac cath lab procedures. With a staff of 1,000 employees, CHRISTUS Health has a presence in the states of Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana; the countries of Chile, Colombia, and Mexico; and a network of 600 health centers, 15,000 physicians, and 45,000 staff members. According to Ernie Sadau, CHRISTUS Health President and CEO, the organization felt honored as a leader, partner, and advocate for bringing innovative health and wellness solutions to the Alamogordo community.

​Catholic healthcare systems have seen significant growth in the United States, with four out of the ten largest operating in 41 states. These systems are expanding beyond hospitals, with the ten largest overseeing nearly a thousand urgent care centers, approximately 400 ambulatory surgery centers, and close to 300 physician groups.

Upon analyzing hospital data from nearly 20 years of growth by Catholic health systems, it became clear that suitable business practices, such as business partnerships, expansion into new forms of healthcare, and mergers and acquisitions, are extending the reach and impact of Catholic health restrictions across the United States.

In addition to increasing their presence in hospitals and physician practices, Catholic health systems are also expanding into the growing sectors of urgent care, retail health clinics, and ambulatory surgery. Short-term acute care hospitals operating under Catholic health restrictions have grown over time, even though non-Catholic short-term acute care hospitals have dropped by double-digit percentage points.

As a result, more communities are becoming reliant on Catholic short-term acute care hospitals. In at least ten states, at least 30 percent of short-term acute care beds are in Catholic hospitals, and 30 percent or more of all births happen in a Catholic hospital.

​Catholic healthcare derives its convictions in the faith and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. It aims to reveal God's healing and reconciling presence to those who are sick and suffering. The Catholic Health Association’s “Shared Statement of Identity” outlines Gospel-based values expressed in the organizational documentation of Catholic health ministries.

In pursuing promising business arrangements, Catholic healthcare must remain vigilant and deliberate in upholding its core value commitments. Catholic healthcare needs to reposition itself as a sign of mercy and hope to minister to those suffering and in need. A reconstituted health system and its services should further one’s ability to reveal God’s healing and reconciling presence to the sick and suffering.

Pope Francis insisted on the preferential option for the poor in Catholic healthcare. Business decisions that are wrong ministerial decisions need not advance. Underserved communities, especially rural and inner-city areas, are as important as growth opportunities with prospective partners with significant revenues and positive margins.

The necessity of size and sustainability should never outweigh the commitment to fundamental values. This is necessary to realize a mission of revealing God’s healing and reconciling presence to the community's sick and suffering.

​A medical facility of CHRISTUS Health, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas – Jasper Memorial received recognition from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association for its excellence in stroke care. The national award, Get With The Guidelines-Stroke, acknowledges hospitals that excel in stroke care.

The award also recognizes healthcare facilities that have adopted the most recent research-based guidelines, offered quick recovery times, and provided patients with stroke health management and education. According to Desiree Fairley, Stroke Coordinator for CHRISTUS Southeast Texas—Jasper Memorial, the award signifies the hard work, dedication, and teamwork the medical facility has put into caring for its stroke patients.

According to the US Centers for Disease and Prevention, someone suffers a stroke in the US every 40 seconds. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Strokes occur when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain bursts or becomes blocked by a clot, causing brain cells to die.

Moreover, Ms. Fairley pointed out that patients lose millions of brain cells each minute a stroke deprives the brain of oxygen. Even though the national time standard for stroke treatment is 60 minutes, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas—Jasper Memorial targets offering stroke treatment within 41 minutes after patient arrival. She said quick reaction time after a stroke can help lower the long-term effects associated with a stroke and also prevent death. CHRISTUS Southeast Texas—Jasper Memorial underwent an intensive evaluation process to obtain national accreditation.

​Christus Health is a leading hospital system in the United States with a rich history of caring for people who are needy. In 2011, Christus Health launched the Christus Community Impact Fund to support community organizations working to improve the health of residents of its surrounding communities.

Christus Community Impact Fund primarily donates to nonprofits that advance physical or mental health through illness prevention and education or address social determinants of health, such as healthy food, education, safe housing, and clean environments. Since its inception, Christus Health Impact Fund has donated more than $22 million to nonprofits.

On July 23, 2024, Christus Community Impact Fund announced it is distributing over $3.3 million in grants to 47 nonprofits in Texas, New Mexico, and Louisiana. Four organizations that tackle food insecurity and mental health in southeast Texas are receiving $295,000 each. The four organizations are Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas, United Board of Missions, Samaritan Counseling Center of Southeast Texas, and Family Services of Southeast Texas.

​Artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in healthcare have fundamentally changed medical practice and patient care. AI's speed and accuracy in data analysis help improve diagnostic and treatment procedures.

Especially remarkable is AI's contribution to diagnosis. AI systems using machine learning techniques can precisely interpret medical pictures, including X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. This capacity makes early diagnosis of diseases easier for improving patient outcomes. AI can also help spot trends in patient data that can escape human practitioners, enabling more accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment strategies.

AI techniques help create sophisticated therapeutic plans. AI-driven systems, for example, may forecast patient reactions to certain drugs, allowing healthcare professionals to customize treatments to fit particular requirements. This method increases the efficacy of treatments and reduces side effects, therefore enhancing patient safety.

Moreover, the influence of AI reaches operational effectiveness inside healthcare institutions. AI lessens the load on healthcare workers by automating administrative chores such as patient record administration, invoicing, and scheduling, freeing them to concentrate more on direct patient care. Both providers and patients gain from better resource allocation and cost reductions that result from the optimization of these procedures.

The use of AI also significantly accelerates medical research. Through biological data analysis and clinical trial result prediction, AI hastens to identify novel medications and therapies. This capacity reduces the development cycle for novel treatments and brings fresh ideas to the market sooner, potentially saving more lives.

Still yet, ethical issues and questions abound, especially in relation to data privacy and the demand for open AI systems. Maintaining patient confidence and the integrity of healthcare services depends on the responsible and ethical usage of AI techniques.

Including AI in healthcare presents significant developments in operational efficiency, therapy, and diagnosis. Although there are obstacles, the possible advantages of AI in enhancing patient outcomes and simplifying medical procedures are significant, thereby transforming the delivery and experience of healthcare.

​Since healthcare data is highly sensitive and personal, it remains one of the highest targets for cyberattacks. Therefore, the healthcare sector must employ strict data security measures to safeguard its patients' information.

In addition, some cyber criminals also target the credentials of healthcare staff, putting organizations at risk. To ensure healthcare data security, healthcare organizations must develop security safety plans that include confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Then, organizations must educate their employees on how to adhere to data protection measures while ensuring compliance with data protection regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

As healthcare organizations complied with the electronic health record mandate in the United States, it made their records vulnerable to hacks. Healthcare software, such as CRMs, has a purpose, but technological innovations also have security gaps. The technologies put individuals’ healthcare data online, exposing them to higher risks of unauthorized access. Nonetheless, the healthcare sector can prevent such incidents through data security measures.

​Employee engagement ensures healthcare professionals are comfortable and committed to the delivery of quality and safe patient care. This approach influences a facility’s success, operational efficiency, and public image. Investing in a highly engaged workforce has several benefits for healthcare facilities.

A highly engaged workforce has low turnover rates. Involving healthcare professionals in a facility’s major decisions and valuing and implementing their feedback improves job satisfaction, ensuring the organization does not lose its talented workers to other hospitals. Retaining these professionals also means facilities save the resources necessary to recruit and train new workers.

Engaging caregivers also improves productivity and efficiency. A highly engaged workforce has fewer incidences of absenteeism and is motivated to meet and surpass individual and collective objectives. Additionally, engaged employees take responsibility for effective resource utilization, which is important in improving the access to care.

In addition, engaging healthcare workers promotes continual improvement. Caregivers who are comfortable and committed to their work are motivated to find innovative solutions to problems in care delivery. These employees can effectively push for the adoption of new technologies and practices that improve care safety and patient outcomes.

​Diversity and inclusion are key policies that promote full participation and fair treatment of all people in a facility, including workers and patients from underrepresented populations and those subject to prejudice. These practices address healthcare inequalities, improve patient outcomes, enhance caregivers’ productivity and job satisfaction, and increase employee retention rates. Several strategies can promote diversity and inclusion in healthcare environments.

One such approach is leveraging leadership to champion diversity and inclusion initiatives. Healthcare leaders should develop clear diversity and inclusion objectives for a facility, and negotiate for adequate resource allocation to ensure success. Leaders should also lead by example in implementing these initiatives by exhibiting behaviors and making decisions that advocate for diversity and inclusion.

In addition, education and training can promote diversity and inclusion. Healthcare systems and facilities should introduce periodic seminars and workshops to inform workers about diversity and inclusion, its benefits, and the role everyone plays in achieving these objectives. These resources can impart important information on cultural competence, unconscious bias and how to avoid it, and inclusive practices in care delivery.

Diverse recruitment and hiring practices are also critical to promoting inclusivity in health care. Facilities should hire a workforce with a fair representation of professionals from different backgrounds. This is achievable through the use of inclusive job descriptions, ensuring diversity within recruitment panels, and using standardized interview tests and questions to reduce bias.

​In February 2024, Christus Health announced receiving the "Great Place to Work" national certification. This renowned certification is earned based on the feedback and reviews of current associates regarding their work experience at a particular place. During the announcement, the faith-based nonprofit global health system expressed deep gratitude for achieving this certification.

Ernie Sadau, the president and CEO, stated in a press release that receiving this prestigious certification marks a significant milestone for the health facility and reflects the high quality of care demonstrated by current associates toward patients. Sadau emphasized Christus Health's unwavering commitment to upholding core values such as compassion, excellence, integrity, dignity, and stewardship. He praised the associates for their exceptional efforts in ensuring patients receive the best possible experience at the health facility.

A random survey conducted across the Christus Health Organization revealed that 80 percent of respondents agreed that Christus Health is a great workplace. This figure is approximately 15 percentage points higher than the qualifying benchmark for the certification. The "Great Place to Work" certification underscores Christus Health's ongoing and deliberate efforts to enhance employee experience consistently.