Join us for a dynamic discussion on the impact of ministry formation on the colleague experience, featuring Darren Henson, Senior Director of Ministry Formation at CHA, Pete Guarisco, VP of Mission at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, and Rafael Flores, Director of Mission Integration at FMOL Northshore Region.
Join us for a dynamic discussion on the impact of ministry formation on the colleague experience, featuring Darren Henson, Senior Director of Ministry Formation at CHA, Pete Guarisco, VP of Mission at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, and Rafael Flores, Director of Mission Integration at FMOL Northshore Region. Discover FMOL's deep commitment to ministry formation across the system and its profound significance in upholding the legacy of their ministry's founding congregations. Gain insights into the diverse approaches to formation and how they shape colleague experiences, interactions, and the delivery of care. Don't miss this opportunity to explore the transformative power of ministry formation in health care.
Brian Reardon:
Darren Henson, how are you doing?
Darren Henson:
Hi Brian. I'm doing great, thanks.
Brian Reardon:
Hey, great to have you on the show. So, we're going to talk about formation, and I guess start off with you've been in Catholic healthcare a number of years. Do you have a favorite formation experience?
Darren Henson:
Brian? There are so many, but in general it's when a group of leaders is all gathered together, usually at an offsite location. A retreat center usually is really great. And I often find it's an evening meal when there's an overnight location and we all sit down for an evening meal and people begin to talk about what their experience was like, sharing aspects of their lives that can be so incredibly rich. In one formation situation we had a site that had a facility that enabled us to participate in the making of our own meal that evening. Not only was that a lot of fun, but as we made our own supper, I couldn't help but think this is really etching some beautiful things into our hearts and forming really strong bonds and friendships amongst the group. That was really something that stuck out for me.
Brian Reardon:
Well, thanks for sharing that. This is the topic we want to talk about on this episode. It's around the impact of ministry formation on colleague experience. You ready to get started?
Darren Henson:
Yeah, let's do this. Brian.
Brian Reardon:
This is Health calls, the podcast of the Catholic Health Association of the United States. I'm your host, Brian Reardon. And again, this episode we're going to be looking at the impact of ministry formation on the colleague experience, and we have Darren Henson, who you just heard from. He's our senior director of ministry formation at the Catholic Health Association. And then in joining us in just a couple of minutes, we're going to have Pete Guarisco, VP of Mission at Franciscan Missionaries of our Lady Health System, and we also have Rafael Flores, he's director of mission integration for FMOL’s North Shore region. We're going to hear from both of them in just a moment. But Darren, I want to start with you coming back to your role at CHA. What are some of the new approaches that you've taken supporting our members with their formation programs?
Darren Henson:
Sure, thanks Brian. We're building upon the strong foundation in formation that CHA has established over the years. Right now, I would say there's three things that are holding our attention in ministry formation. I would say first is an emphasis on the spiritual dimension of formation. Spirituality has always been part and parcel of formation. We name it as one of the six foundational elements in our framework. Yet sometimes in formation programs, it can remain at an intellectual level or as a colleague of mine used to say from the eyebrows up. And we want to focus on and encourage one another in our own spiritual lives to talk about them, to learn from one another and ultimately to enable the spiritual life to be a primary means of our ongoing formation. Second of all I would say is care for creation. The environmental crisis necessitates a much greater focus in our formation programs to highlight it as a key aspect within the Catholic social tradition, but also to see it as a part of our own spirituality.
I think in the document itself, Laudato Si, which we all are pretty familiar with, Pope Francis says there aren't two different crisis. It's not like there's an environmental crisis and a cultural or even spiritual crisis. He says, all of this is connected and it's all one thing. So, for example, we added a session on Care for Creation to CHA's longstanding foundations of Catholic healthcare that we did this year, 2024. That edition was really positively and well received by the participants, and there's so much more that we can and will do with this. And finally, thirdly, I would say we're beginning to show and demonstrate the impact of formation on the organization as well as in individuals. We might call this using and integrating metrics within formation, operation, and strategy. There's several really bright minds and leaders in our member ministries out there who will be sharing some of their bold and innovative approaches, including statistically validated tools that are doing just this. And they're going to be sharing that at CHA's Assembly and after Assembly, we will make some of those resources known. So, there's going to be more to come with this, but we're hopeful that this will help us to really speak the language to operators, finance leaders, and other executives communicating the importance of formation, but also how formation is really impacting hearts as well as the culture and the strategy of the organization.
Brian Reardon
Great, great setup and context for the discussion we're going to have with Pete and Rafael. And I think, again, that measuring of impact is something I've seen in some of the proposals. Thank you for mentioning Assembly. That is going to be coming up in about a month from when this podcast airs, and there are some great programs and breakout sessions on that. So, for those listening, if you haven't registered for assembly, here's a reminder that you can still do so. So, let me now bring in our two guests. Again, it's Pete Guarisco, he's VP of Mission at Franciscan, missionaries of our Lady Health System, also known as FMOL, and his colleague Rafael Flores. He's director of mission integration for FMOLs North Shore region. Rafael and Pete, thanks for joining us.
Pete Guarisco:
Oh, happy to be here.
Pete Guarisco:
Thank you, Brian. Thanks for the invitation.
Brian Reardon:
Yeah, Pete, let me start with you. This is interesting. You're a pharmacist by background, right?
Pete Guarisco:
I am by initial education, a registered and trained pharmacist, and that was the first component or the first 22 years of my, what I would call then my job, but now have transitioned since 2010 into what I would consider to be a vocation. So, this word formation or this structure of formation was foundational in who I am today as a mission leader. And so, the story just connects with formation beautifully.
Brian Reardon:
Yeah. And in your role now as a mission leader, what's some of the strategic thinking? We heard a little bit from Darren about what we're doing at CHA, but can you give us an overall, I guess, insight into what your goals are with the formation programs that you work on at FMOL?
Pete Guarisco:
Actually, I really liked the way Darren talked about those, the components of formation, spiritual care for creation and the impact that they play. And for us, it's realizing or it's actually bringing to light the spiritual component of those that lead or participate in our ministry work. And so, I oftentimes think back about the CHA definition of formation that states that there are connections made in formation that inspire and enable participants to articulate and basically to integrate those foundational attributes that are found in Catholic healthcare. And so, I think what we attempt to do is to strategically support who we are as ministry with this formation sessions or with this formation process because it helps to support and to validate our strategic initiatives, our thinking. So, everything that we do is really, really a response to and an articulation of who we are as Catholic health. And so, there's no greater way or no better way for us to ultimately advance or to invite those that serve within the ministry to ultimately find their passion. And so, part of our goal and part of what Rafael has been instrumental in bringing to us as a deliberate and intentional, repeatable formation structure that ultimately allows us to say, if we are Catholic healthcare displayed in the Franciscan and Dominican spiritualities, then what does that mean for us in Louisiana and in Mississippi?
Brian Reardon:
And so, for your colleagues, how do you know if they've found their passion?
Pete Guarisco:
I really appreciate what Darren was talking about earlier when he said that ultimately, it's when people come together, maybe at an offsite location around the table, you can oftentimes just hear it in people's voice when they connect. It's not an intellectual response at times. It is truly a spiritual response that allows them, you can just hear it in the tone or the articulation of their vocal cords, their voice coming forward. It's deeply rooted in the heart. And so, we oftentimes will have people explain to us that we do this because it's the right thing to do, or we do this because we want to show that we care, or we do this because we're ultimately building relationships. And so, I think when we can show that people are building positive, nourishing, mutually respected relationships, we know we're on the right track. So, I would just articulate it through those relationships that we are building each and every day.
Brian Reardon:
And Rafael, your perspective on that, is it from your experience in working with folks like Pete and also with the colleagues at the local level at that hospital level, the importance of relationship is, I don't want to call it an outcome, but just as one of the ways that formation is enriching your colleagues?
Rafael Flores:
Yeah, that's a great question. I tend to think about formation in the context of its role in forming culture or in forming culture too, particularly given that formation, when you look at the literature on it really is focused on trying as best we can to recreate the culture, the communal life of the founding orders. So as Pete was making these comments, it came to mind the values of the Springfield Dominican, Dominicans of Common Table, common person, common life, that created a culture for the sisters that then influenced the culture of St. Dominic's in the same way that the life of the FMOLs for so long really created the bedrock of the culture of F-M-O-L-H-S. So, I think the strategy, the goals of formation for us are to expose colleagues, be they bedside to boardroom, to different experiences, different aspects of the tradition, different aspects of the spirituality of our faith that can then create a particular culture within the unit, within the boardroom, within the administrative hall.
So, I really like to think of formation in that regard at the local level, impact, what do you see? I would say that really, it's giving folks a different context by which or from which to refer to their work in, right? If you have a session talking about the parable of the Good Samaritan being foundational to what we are as a ministry, with a group of leaders, the hope is that then they're able to take that time of reflection on the Good Samaritan and its connections to Catholic healthcare and then translate that in the way that they treat their team members for the rest of the day. So that's kind of where I'm thinking of the impact is really more cultural, which then can translate into, I guess, turnover, turnover rates, et cetera.
Pete Guarisco:
I think Rafael, so the word culture that you've used several times is really, I think ultimately that's what we're seeking to enhance or to form or what you said, to inform. Because ultimately what we want is a culture, and the FMOL culture a lot of times is a culture around that hospitality or welcome. So, bringing people into the ministry, but ultimately with that hospitality or that culture of hospitality, we're ultimately trying to have people, those who serve in the ministry and those that we are serving, ultimately witness the sacredness of their life and the dignity of their existence. And so that whole cultural phenomenon that we're trying to, and I really like what you said around inform, is the ultimate goal that we're looking at. And you oftentimes will say, again, if we are this, then what does that mean? And I've learned a lot from that as we go forward. If we want this sort of culture, then what does that look like for us in Catholic healthcare?
Rafael Flores:
Exactly. And it can be, I find things as simple as language. Language we use. Can ministries have markets is a question that we've been sitting with a lot, or it can be as deep as what does it mean to have a conversation that is loving? And some of the formation experiences that we've developed really are focused more on that common table but getting people to your point there and around the table in conversation breaking bread, knowing that doing that will create the sorts of relationships that then will inform a broader culture. So, if we have leaders or team members around the table talking about what does it mean to be hospitable, our hope is that that conversation, those connections about hospitality then translate into a more hospitable environment within our facilities.
Brian Reardon:
And for the leaders that, and it is primarily, I'm guessing in your organization, just like many, that it's those in leadership roles where a formation is really, if you will, baked into their professional development. Do you see the difference between those leaders that have gone through a formation experience versus those who have not had the opportunity to do so in their style of leadership? Is that manifested at all in how they relate to the colleagues that work with them?
Rafael Flores:
Yes. I can think of one discussion with a physician executive who pretty consistently refers back to a formation experience that he had years ago before he was even the leader. It was a physician leadership academy that the system had. And he speaks about how that experience, that process, that Physician Leadership Academy informed them what it meant to be a potential physician leader and informs them now how he is as an actual physician executive. So yeah, I think the impact for us is really seen in how they understand what it means to be a leader within a Catholic Franciscan ministry. That puts a lot of importance in relationality. Oh, go ahead,
Pete Guarisco:
Yeah, I think we're also connecting Rafael. So, I'm also going to speak about a physician comment because I serve on our mission excellence committee. And so, it's really that traditional mission integration along with our quality metrics. And so, it's really, really important. Those are intertwined and the leader of our quality, a physician actually says that part of the role of quality is to help preserve the dignity of those that we care for. And so, Brian, I'm just thinking, wow, this physician really understands what we're trying to accomplish. And so, I think by that he's speaking and articulating that well and sharing that with his colleagues. When they make rounds quality rounds, he's able to share that. And so, I think what we've learned over the years as the vowed religious women and men have possibly decreased across the country in different congregations and health systems, those of us who are the laity are continuing to serve in the ministries. And these deliberate formative or formation processes are better equipped and hardwired as deliberate, intentional, and repeatable. And it just helps us to continue building on that with the reduction in those numbers of the sisters, we are still trying to carry on that heritage, not to be who they were, but to continue carrying on that culture that I think Rafael so eloquently presented. So, we see it all the time, and one of the ways in which we articulate it most beautifully is through our language in the words that we use.
Rafael Flores:
And if I can add one more component here, I know you mentioned that a lot of formation tends to lean heavily on the leadership side, which is true. I think there is also great opportunity for formation of what we call bedside, the bedside team members. I'll give you an example. We were beginning to explore doing a series of ethics lunch and learns, and we began them now, and those are primarily aimed at our bedside team members, those in the clinics, inpatient, outpatient case management, social work. And while normally when you think ethics lunch and learns, you're thinking, great, it's heavy education, so on and so forth. We've done a mix of formation and ethics in that regard in that we're gathering them around a common table. We're having lunch, we are discussing relevant ethical issues, but in a conversation style that then leads to talking about the fundamentals of how to approach this particular difficult patient situation, not just with the ethical medical legal things in mind, but with the spirituality of hospitality that should inform our actions. So even then, I think this model of common table is something that we're taking to heart because we realize it's in the common table that the common language and the common culture, it's cultivated.
Brian Reardon:
That’s great. Let me bring Darren back into the conversation.
Darren Henson:
Yeah, Brian, I was just going to say, can I jump in?
Brian Reardon:
Sure, sure. No, you've really heard some great stuff. I think their comments about the culture in particular I think is really insightful. So yeah, Darren, you've been listening in for the last 15 minutes or so, reflections, and any questions for our two guests?
Darren Henson:
Yeah, I really, first of all, appreciate so much what they were saying by giving that example of the physician executive and how they noticed the ways in which that individual, because of his experience in a formation program over time, impacted the way in which he then carried himself as a leader of this organization that is also a ministry. How he was able to go further, and I would say really kind of be an infleshment of the mission there at FMOL. And those are really key ways in which we can demonstrate the impact of formation is through these stories like this or what our quality and some of our data gurus out there might call the qualitative aspect of things. And there are other colleagues throughout Catholic Healthcare who are also helping us to work on the quantitative side of things, but that might be for another podcast someday, Brian, where we can dive into some of the quant side of the data here. But these stories are just really, really important and rich because they help paint a picture in our minds of how it is that formation is having an effect on the wider organization and the ministry.
Brian Reardon:
Really, really, again, insightful conversation. I appreciate both of you taking time out to talk to Darren and me. Again, that was Pete Guarisco, he's VP of Mission at FMOL, and his colleague Rafael Flores, who is director of Mission integration at FML. Thank you both for being with us.
Rafael Flores:
Thank y'all so much. It was a joy to have this conversation.
Pete Guarisco:
Yeah, thank you, Brian. Thank you, Darren, for the invitation.
Brian Reardon:
For Darren Henson, I'm Brian Reardon with the Catholic Health Association, and this has been another episode of Health Calls. You can listen to Health Calls and download it at all of your favorite podcast streaming apps. You can also find Health Calls at the podcast tab on our website, chausa.org. And if you like this episode and other episodes, be sure to give us a rating on those podcast platforms. For Jenn Lyke, our producer, and for Brian Hartmann at Clayton Studios. Thanks for listening.