More voices

Ascension programs deepen connections, grow understanding

Herb Vallier

Carol Whittington

Joe Impicciche

Two Ascension programs are bringing diverse voices and experiences to the future of the ministry’s leadership. The programs, ASPIRE and GROW in Ascension, part of Ascension’s Leader Institute, are designed to foster new levels of connectedness and understanding among an inclusive group of colleagues and communities.

ASPIRE is aimed at emerging, high-potential leaders representing diverse backgrounds and experiences. GROW in Ascension is designed to support the personal and professional growth, development and connectedness of Ascension’s women associates and leaders, beginning with those in St. Louis.

ASPIRE ASPIRE, an Ascension program for developing leaders, is designed to expand associate capabilities through hands-on, practical experiences as well as spiritually formative growth. It stands for Accessibility, Sponsorship, Preparation, Integration, Results and Experience. A key component of ASPIRE is to provide opportunities for the developing leader to gain a deeper understanding of the community he or she serves through the lens of a healthcare consumer.

“The highest goal of ASPIRE is to accelerate the sponsorship and development of high-potential emerging leaders across our national health ministry who represent the diverse communities we serve,” said Herb Vallier, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Ascension.

Practical experiences include learning about consumerism and understanding the business operations of a Catholic entity. Participants also have opportunities to lead key Ascension projects.

The ASPIRE curriculum integrates mind, body and spirit considerations as well as transformative change knowledge and skills. Additionally, participants benefit from executive sponsorship and shadowing.

“Our associates seek multifaceted career experiences that extend beyond a classroom or online learning activity. They want to acquire new skills and knowledge in a holistic learning environment that encourages curiosity and exploration, and where their many gifts can contribute to our Mission in the process,” said Carol Whittington, Senior Vice President and Chief Talent Development Officer and Executive Director for Ascension’s Leader Institute.

Participants get an individual learning plan based on the associate’s strengths and interests. They will spend, on average, eight to 10 hours a week engaged in career shadowing, project work and other development activities. Associates experience the majority of the program in their own work environment through projects and online, virtual activities.

GROW IN ASCENSION Comprising 80.5% of the Ascension workforce, women are key contributors. Additionally, women lead healthcare consumer decision-making within their homes and communities. President and CEO Joe Impicciche realized that this dynamic presents an opportunity to create an environment within Ascension that both supports the unique needs of women within the workforce and explores their insights, experiences and perspectives as consumers. GROW in Ascension — GROW stands for Growth, Relationships and Opportunities for Women — is a women’s affinity group launched initially in St. Louis to provide a platform for the women of Ascension to connect. GROW in Ascension is an unconventional offering of the Ascension Leader Institute in that it is more of a

Left: Associates of The Resource Group include, from left, Edita Begovic, Vendor Data & Quality Control Coordinator; Alexia Harsley, Senior Analyst, Pharmacy Logistics; Poonam Sheevam, Senior Analyst, Strategic Marketing & Communications; and, back to camera, Melissa Weston, Director, Associate Growth. Below: Paulette Slabaugh, Continuous Improvement Specialist, Ascension Ministry Service Center, left, and Paige Horrigan-George, Delivery and Client Engagement Manager at Agilify, an Ascension subsidiary, review process automation projects.

platform for flourishing than a highly structured knowledge-building program.

The executive-sponsored, associate-led program is designed to foster a deeper experience of calling, connection and service by creating a community of women across the organization. Opportunities for networking, mentoring and development will be presented through a variety of forums, activities and events in both structured and unstructured settings.

“I’m excited about GROW in Ascension and how it will help elevate a more diverse set of voices across our national health ministry,” Joe said.

Inclusivity and open dialogue are key attributes of GROW in Ascension, which will contribute to a richer, more holistic program. As a result, men who would like to learn more about women’s issues and perspectives in the workplace are welcome to participate. Participation in GROW in Ascension is voluntary.

Anticipated outcomes for participants in GROW in Ascension include: • Community and Networking — Experience a strong sense of community and develop a broad network that spans outside of their respective teams or departments. • Support — Feel supported by their co-workers,

peers and leadership in both their careers and their personal lives. • Growth and Development — Gain access to opportunities to learn and enhance leadership skills in support of professional formation and career advancement.

“We believe the unique nature of these programs will be transformative and career enhancing,” Joe said.

A sign for the times

Ascension’s trinity logo represents our lasting commitment to Catholic healthcare

Ascension’s 20-year anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on the symbols and stories that have been with the national health ministry since it was formed in 1999. It reminds us that, although change is all around us, some things have stood the test of time.

When the Daughters of Charity and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Nazareth (Michigan) brought their health ministries together to form a new system, they sought out a symbol that would reveal to the world who we were and for whom we stood. Their goal was a logo that was easily recognizable and that represented the deep faith heritage both organizations held dear.

“They wanted to do something new together, something transformative, and a new name and logo expresses that vision,” said Sr. Jean Rhoads, DC, Chair, Ascension Sponsor. “They chose the Christian trinity symbol with the ‘A’ embedded in it to show our shared and unchanging commitment to Catholic healthcare.”

Then, through a Cultural Integration Task Force and using a process that tested responses to various names by persons serving in the ministries, the founding congregations arrived at the name “Ascension Health.” They also affirmed that the trinity symbol would express the new System-wide identity. Its arches point upward — reminding us of the Ascension, the moment described in Christian Scripture when Jesus ascended to heaven, having

fulfilled his mission on earth by sending his followers out to continue it as vessels of transformation.

“The name Ascension holds a calling and our logo is a constant reminder of it,” said Sr. Maureen McGuire, DC, Executive Vice President and Chief Mission Integration Officer, Ascension. “I remember hearing the name and seeing the logo for the first time and thinking, ‘Yes, that’s it.’ They express an uplifting energy, a reference to health, and so importantly, they express the unbroken link that truly connects us to the moment when Jesus entrusted his healing ministry to his followers.”

Used for centuries in the Christian tradition, the symbol in the Ascension logo invites a reflection on the mystery of God as a trinity of three persons who are One. The colors express a deep truth about the associates we want to be and the care we want to provide: The founding congregations chose green for growth, purple for compassion and blue for health. These colors continue to be incorporated into our unified brand as a constant reminder of our calling.

“Our logo is an outward sign of our core identity, made visible and expressed in living our Mission,” Sr. Maureen said. “The symbol helps us to be known and recognized for our commitment to Catholic healthcare. It raises our awareness of central aspects of our ministry and connects us to our Mission and Vision.”

Soon, our other three historic sponsors — the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the Alexian Brothers and the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother — brought their ministries to Ascension. They created together an organization committed to the future of healthcare. They also reaffirmed our logo, and this intentional, collaborative work helped form the foundation of the Ascension brand identity.

In 2015, Ascension announced the beginning of a unified brand journey in Michigan and Wisconsin as a way to connect the Ascension name and logo to the compassionate, personalized care that community members have come to expect in our sites of care.

“Ascension’s unified brand work is not a rebranding. It is the surfacing of the identity we share as one community committed to the healing ministry of Jesus and living out the Mission of our founding Sisters, Daughters and Brothers,” said Nick Ragone, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Ascension. “It reminds associates, caregivers and communities that He is alive in our midst in a new way, which is also reflected in a theme we will be highlighting this year: Mission Alive!”

Brand events held across the country provide an opportunity for leaders, providers and associates to celebrate and appreciate the sacred significance of our name and logo.

“As Ascension caregivers, we continue the healing ministry begun by our historic sponsors and always entrusted to us by God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who guide us still today,” Sr. Jean said. “May we recognize ourselves as living signs of healing and hope to others.”

The Ascension logo now welcomes patients, caregivers and loved ones to Ascension sites of care across the country. Opposite page: The Ascension Seton Southwest brand celebration in Austin, Texas, last June. Left: The Ascension logo outside Ascension Via Christi St. Teresa in Wichita, Kansas.