The Center for Healthcare Reform was founded by two people who shared a deep commitment to creating a better future.

Sr. Nancy O’Connor—teacher, sister of St. Joseph of Orange, university dean, health care executive, general superior of her religious congregation—made the world more hospitable and just through work for reconciliation in Northern Ireland and on programs that meet the needs of people who are poor.

Dr. Jack Glaser—moral theologian, psychologist, parent, photographer and poet—has served as an ethicist with the St. Joseph Health System for more than 20 years. He has observed that perhaps the greatest ethical problem in health care is the patchwork, non-system most of us have come to accept.

In 2002, the experience and passion of Sr. Nancy and Jack led them to take a leap: with the support of the leadership of both the Sisters of St. Joseph and the St. Joseph Health System, they founded the Center for Healthcare Reform.

Our Mission

The Center now works with groups and individuals on innovative efforts we call public conscience work, work which addresses the long-term attitude and behavior changes that are required to accomplish deep, systemic improvement in U.S health care. We see this work as a vital complement to traditional policy and legislative advocacy work.

Our Premise

The Challenge: All the industrialized countries in the world guarantee their citizens health care — except one, the richest: the United States of America.

We lack a common vision for providing health care. As a result, random political and economic forces—often in conflict with one another—drive our health policy and practice.

Our Response: The Center works with groups and individuals to focus on public conscience work, efforts that promise to help people arrive at a common understanding and a guiding vision for the future of U.S. health care. [Read more...]