Sister Carol Keehan, DC,
president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States
(CHA), was the keynote speaker at the University of San Francisco Stand 4 Conference Nov. 23.
The Stand 4 Conference,
sponsored by USF’s University Ministry, recognizes religious and spiritual
leaders whose actions symbolize a life of courage, commitment, and advocacy of
the poor and marginalized who often find themselves without a voice. These
leaders are committed to addressing fundamental inequalities and injustices in
the areas of social justice, peace, civil rights, education, public health, and
environmental justice.
This year’s conference
focused on health care. Sr. Keehan and her organization, representing 59,000
Catholic nuns and more than 50 heads of religious congregations and
organizations, were recognized for taking a vocal stand in calling on U.S.
lawmakers to vote for the health care reform measures passed by Congress
earlier this year – putting them at odds with U.S. bishops.
“Sr. Keehan and the Catholic
Health Association didn’t do the easy or politically expedient thing in
supporting health care reform,” said Enrique Bazan, University Ministry
associate director. “They did, however, do what was right and what was just for
millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans.”
Sr. Keehan and
organizations like CHA attend to needs that no one else does, Bazan said. “They
go to the frontiers and we need to learn from them,” Bazan said. “Success in
their lives is not measured by how much they acquire in terms of wealth,
status, and prestige, but by what they do for the people who are in the middle
of violence, poverty, captivity, and human suffering.”
“As president and CEO of CHA,
Keehan is a recognized expert in her field and has held administrative and
governance positions for more than 35 years in hospitals sponsored by the
Daughters of Charity,” said Gary McDonald, USF spokesman. “She has devoted her life to ensure
that the poor and the vulnerable receive adequate access to health care and is
imminently qualified to discuss health care in America.”
In a letter to Congress, CHA
acknowledged that health care reform was imperfect, but advocated support
because it would expand coverage to 30 million Americans, invest in
preventative care, and bar insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing
conditions, all while not providing taxpayer funding for elective abortions.
