What’s In It for Me?
Why should I, a busy healthcare professional, join the Diocese of Camden Guild of the Catholic Medical Association? My time is too valuable and I am already stretched too thin to invest my time and talents in any organization that will not provide me with a personal, tangible benefit in return.
This is a question that I hope everyone will ask before committing to any organization, including ours. What’s in it for me? A LOT!
We bring together like-minded Catholic Medical Professionals who are aware of the presence Christ in every aspect of their personal and professional lives and espouse this awareness through their practice of the traditional medical values of love, care and compassion that have historically marked Catholic medical care. This Catholic Medical tradition is alive and well here in the Camden Diocese Guild of the CMA.
How do we accomplish this? In many ways as evidenced by our multitude of activities and services.
We bring Catholic doctors, nurses and healthcare providers together throughout the Camden Diocese and the surrounding counties at the Annual White Mass in October and our Communion Breakfast in the spring. Both activities center on the celebration of the Eucharist, the central event of our Catholicism. Following Mass, both events include a reception featuring regionally or nationally renowned speakers on an issue of particular interest to our Catholic practice of medicine. Bishop Sullivan is a frequent celebrant of these Masses. We also take the opportunity of the White Mass, celebrated in honor of our Patron Saint, St. Luke, to recognize Catholic doctors, nurses and other health care providers who have distinguished themselves by the excellence of the medical care that they provide in the richest Catholic traditions through St. Luke’s Awards (the highest award bestowed for healthcare in our Diocese).
Through the support of VITALity Catholic Healthcare Services of the Diocese of Camden, NJ., we are building an integrated system to address political and social issues that impact us as Catholic healthcare providers. This includes early identification of issues and then having the human resources to research and respond appropriately and effectively to the issue. Through a layered network of committed healthcare professionals, we get out in front of issues and address them as quickly and as often as necessary so as to impact their final resolution in a manner compatible with Catholic moral teaching. Only by working together as a team are we going to be able to impact our society, whether from the medical office, the pulpit, the ballot box or the State House, our voices must and will be heard and respected.
We recognize that many of these issues are best served by larger contingents. Our involvement with all of the segments of the Catholic Healthcare Community, including Parish Nurses, hospice care, Pro-Life groups and all like motivated professionals permits us to greatly expand our resources and ability to address issues. We also enjoy the support of Bishop Sullivan and the Diocese of Camden through the Healthcare ministries of VITALity.
We are actively helping to shape the next generation of physicians and healthcare providers. Through active involvement with the Student Chapter of the CMA found on our medical school campuses, students are educated and formed in the strong moral fiber of Catholic doctrine in healthcare, a foreign concept to many of the secular institutions who are educating our students. Rather than leaving their medical ethical formation to the whims of our secularist society, we actively provide lectures, seminars, reflection groups and clinical mentoring that serves to shape students and residents who will be providing our healthcare in the future.
Through our website, we provide links to the National Catholic Bioethics Center, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Vatican.
We look to bring the ethical and moral issues of medicine to the level of the parish so that individual parishioners can fully understand the moral and ethical implications of medical practice in this country, so as to integrate it into their understanding and living of the teachings of their Catholic Faith.
All practitioners who maintain active membership in the Camden Diocese Guild of the CMA will have the opportunity to list their practice on our website under the section “Find a Catholic Physician” for persons seeking the care of a Catholic provider.
We provide multiple categories of membership, one of which will apply to everyone in the profession of healthcare. And we do all of this through an extremely affordable annual dues schedule.
Truly, the only way you will lose is if you don’t get involved and join us. We are growing in numbers and expanding our scope daily. Embrace this opportunity and join us. Be part of the solution and Become A Member or Donate through our website. Then be prepared to reap your rewards!
Gerald V. Burke, MD., Esq.
President
South Jersey Catholic Medical Guild
Diocese of Camden
