Maintaining ministry values in economic decisions.

In an increasingly market-driven economy, Catholic health care is confronted with the challenge of maintaining adequate care of the poor. To do this, Catholic health care decision makers must reach consensus on the priority that must be given to mission-oriented activities. This commitment must be economically measurable to ensure that decision makers' personal socioeconomic philosophies do not dictate priorities. A clear consensus on ministry values also is essential when Catholic organizations choose corporate partners and interact with other groups in society. Catholic health care's collective economic behavior will fail to give a meaningful societal witness to Christian values if ministry values are not demonstrated in the services that are provided. Moreover, if decision makers do not make a prior allocation of resources for the poor and mission-oriented activities, the organization will drift from its fundamental goals and instead provide services on the basis of their ability to make money.