St Mary Magdalene’s

St Mary Magdalene’s Hospital is a large modern acute-care hospital in the middle of a major city. Founded in 1880 as a hospice for the poor, 130 years of devoted service by religious women and their collaborators have seen ‘the Mag’ grow into one of the most highly regarded hospitals in the country. It offers state of the art medical technology in ‘hotel-style comfort’ and is favoured by politicians and society leaders.

Originally staffed by heroic sisters and a few lay staff, the Mag now employs over a thousand people in various capacities. In 1995, on advice from health management consultants, the hospital was independently incorporated, and an expert health administrator, Jack Tecknay, was appointed as CEO. Mr Tecknay has no religious affiliation but is well disposed to the hospital’s Christian ethos and the congregational history. He promised to lead the hospital into the new century with top-of-the-range services at competitive prices, maximum throughput, big efficiency gains, tough labour relations and greater public profile. There are no longer sisters on the hospital board or in administrative or nursing positions; the congregation has established a ‘public juridic person of pontifical right’ to own and oversee its hospitals now and into the future, when it is presumed there will be few or no religious to do so; this guarantees a large measure of independence from the local bishops but allows for the ‘passing on of the congregational charism’ to the new lay leaders. The sisters still have some role in mission statements and senior appointments. Two sisters are still employed by the hospital: Kay, who is the chaplain, and Beth, the mission officer.