Ethics

As a Catholic-sponsored healthcare organization, CHRISTUS St. Vincent's Health System’s commitment to corporate responsibility is founded on the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare Services (sometimes called the “directives” or the “ERDs”) (2009).

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states that the purpose of the directives is to reaffirm the ethical standards of behavior in healthcare that flow from the Church’s teaching about the dignity of the human person. The directives also provide guidance in applying the moral teachings of the Catholic Church when handling select ethical issues in healthcare and tell the manner in which Catholic Healthcare services must operate. The directives are not meant to change an individual’s personal beliefs.

The current edition of the directives is divided into six parts:

The Social Responsibility of Catholic Health Services

• Respect human worth
• Care for the poor
• Work for the common good
• Use resources wisely
• Follow Church teachings
• Treat people with respect and justice
• Work to make life better for the poor and weak
• Teach employees to respect and follow the ERDs
• Treat employees fairly