Provena Health continues to serve its mission of building communities of healing and hope through a partnership with the Mission Outreach program, a ministry of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. Provena Health’s hospital ministries donate surplus medical supplies and equipment which are redistributed by Mission Outreach to hospitals in the developing world, including communities in Haiti and Tanzania.

Recently, sutures donated by Provena Health’s ministries were included in medical kits for pregnant women at the Haitian Health Foundation’s Center for Hope Maternal Waiting Home. Without these medical kits, a pregnant woman needing a cesarean section would have had to purchase the necessary medical supplies before the hospital could perform surgery.

“Through these donations, we are further fulfilling our Catholic mission by reaching out to a broader community and helping the vulnerable and marginalized around the world,” said Lindsey Artola, Director of Community and Ministry Advocacy for Provena Health. “Working with Mission Outreach fits our values of respect, integrity, stewardship and excellence – respect of all human life, integrity to serve those less fortunate, stewardship of using our resources responsibly, and excellence in identifying new ways to serve the broader community.”

Most supplies being donated are unusable by Provena Health’s ministries simply because of advances in technology, changes in regulations and extras from pre-packaged supply kits. “These supplies provide communities in the developing world with basic medical care that we take for granted,” said Bruce Compton, Director of Mission Outreach.

Provena Health is a Catholic health system that includes six hospitals, 16 long-term care and senior residential facilities, 28 clinics, five home health agencies and other health-related activities operating in Illinois and Indiana.

Mission Outreach is a ministry of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. The Sisters’ missionary spirit is carried out through education and awareness programs, cross cultural mission experiences and a medical equipment/supply distribution and recycling program.