Corporate News and Events

First Laypersons Named to Catholic Health Ministries

Novi, Mich. – Catholic Health Ministries (CHM) announced today that the first laypersons have been appointed to its membership.

Robert Ladenburger, President and CEO of St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado, and Norma Smith, a Detroit-based consultant, were appointed by representatives of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross and the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Regional Community of Detroit to the seven-member group. Other Members of CHM include Sisters Yvonne Gellise, RSM, Christa Marie Hojlo, CSC, Mary Kelly, RSM, Mary Mollison, CSA, and Kathleen Moroney, CSC, CHM is a public juridic person (PJP) established by Catholic Church authority and is responsible to the Church for the Catholic identity and mission of Trinity Health.

Soon after Trinity Health was formed through the 2000 merger of Mercy Health Services and Holy Cross Health System, the participating entities of CHM – the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, and the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Regional Community of Detroit – received a decree from Rome conferring public juridic status on Catholic Health Ministries. Sponsorship of Trinity Health was entrusted to CHM in October 2000.

“Partnering with the laity to help assure the Catholic identity and mission of Trinity Health is important for the future sponsorship of Catholic health care,” said Sister Catherine DeClercq, OP, Vice President, Governance and Sponsorship, Trinity Health. “The commitment of dedicated laypersons will continue to have a significant influence on the direction and mission of Trinity Health as a faith-based, healing organization.”

Both appointees successfully completed a two-year pilot formation program focused on the Catholic identity and mission of Trinity Health, as well as the statutes and bylaws of CHM.

Ladenburger leads St. Mary’s Hospital, a 346-bed medical center affiliated with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Kansas Health System. His distinguished career includes tenures as President and CEO of St. Peter’s Hospital in Helena, Montana, and of Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City. Ladenburger earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Kansas, and an MBA from the University of Utah.

Smith is a Detroit-based consultant who previously served as vice president of operations at Pro Quest, a division of Bell & Howell. She is a past chair of the Saint Joseph Mercy Health System Board in Ann Arbor, Mich. For more than five years she has served as a consultant for the Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order, a large religious organization with a variety of ministries in the metro Detroit area.

Ladenburger and Smith joined CHM effective Jan. 1, 2004. They replace Sister Aline Marie Steuer, CSC, and Sister Linda Werthman, RSM. Sisters Steuer and Werthman will continue to serve as the participating entity representatives to CHM.

“Trinity Health thanks Sister Aline and Sister Linda for giving their time, wisdom, and leadership experience to help strengthen the healing ministry of Trinity Health,” DeClercq said. “We are confident that the unique perspectives Robert and Norma bring to CHM and all of Trinity Health will further enrich our organization.”

CHM’s pilot formation program recently transitioned into a collaborative PJP formation program with Hope Ministries (Catholic Health East), Catholic Health Care Federation (Catholic Health Initiatives), and Covenant Health, Inc. (Covenant Health).