Ministry Stories
Sister Monica Heeran, CSJP receives Lifetime Achievement Award from the Catholic Health Association
The Catholic Health Association has awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award to Sister Monica Heeran. Sister Monica began working in healthcare as a young Irish Sister-bookkeeper in St. Anthony Hospital, Wenatchee, in the 1950s. In short order she was trained as an RN, became a supervisor, earned a degree in health administration and was named administrator of St. Joseph Hospital, Bellingham, WA; Ketchikan General Hospital, AK, and Sacred Heart Hospital, Eugene, OR. In these positions, she developed what has become known as the Sister Monica School of Management, her blend of astuteness, compassion and deep wisdom.
In 1988 Sister Monica was named President and CEO of PeaceHealth, the hospital system, and for the next nine years she steered the organization through a transformational time, both internally - guiding the change from separate hospitals administered by Sisters to a healthcare system led mainly by lay professionals - and externally, as the system coped with tumultuous challenges in healthcare practices, ethics and economics.
Sister Monica's first retirement took place in 1997, when she turned PeaceHealth over to John Hayward, the first lay administrator. After a brief sabbatical, she realized one of her heart's dreams by spearheading the effort to launch Eugene's Volunteers in Medicine Clinic, which serves the working poor. Once funds had been raised to start the Clinic, she became its first Executive Director. Once the VIM Clinic was well established, Sister Monica was able to "retire" again, and she now serves as the Chair of the Clinic Board, helps with fundraising, volunteers at the Clinic, and serves on the System Board of PeaceHealth.