Catholic Health Association of the United States

CHA advances the Catholic health ministry of the United States in caring for people and communities. Comprised of more than 600 hospitals and 1,400 long-term care and other health facilities in all 50 states, the Catholic health ministry is the largest group of nonprofit health care providers in the nation. Every day, one in six patients in the U.S. is cared for in a Catholic hospital.

The Catholic Health Association of the United States (originally named the Catholic Hospital Association) was founded as an organization through which facilities and their religious congregations could work together to achieve success that would not be possible working separately.

On July 19, 1914, Catholic health ministry leaders came together to respond to technological advances that were changing health care delivery in the United States. They wanted to make certain that while making plans for transforming the delivery of health care in Catholic hospitals, the ministry maintained its mission and identity; and, by doing so, ensured vital sponsorship and a vibrant future for the Catholic health ministry. Their discussions helped lay the groundwork for establishing CHA.

Officially established in 1915, CHA's original headquarters was located in Milwaukee, WI. CHA relocated its office to St. Louis in 1929, where it remains, and also continues to operate an office in Washington, DC, which opened in 1976. CHA remains dedicated to serving the nation's Catholic health care organizations and supporting the strategic directions of mission, ethics, and advocacy.