Sr. Eileen McNerney, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, founded Taller San Jose Hope Builders in 1995. But this story really begins in 1992, when she invited three other nuns to move with her to a gang-ridden neighborhood in Santa Ana, California, where gun shots and drug sales at that time were commonplace. One hot summer evening, Sister Eileen listened helplessly as a piercing cry rang through the open windows of her busy street; it was the agonizing wail of a mother who had just lost her second son to gang violence.

This moment marked a turning point for Sister Eileen in her resolve to develop a program that could move young people from violence to productivity. By bringing together sponsors representing local government, churches, corporations, foundations, and private individuals, Sister Eileen opened an educational and job-training center in downtown Santa Ana for high-risk youth ages 18 – 28. She named the center Taller San Jose Hope Builders.

Today it is an enterprise with revenues around 5 million and a staff of around 30. A recipient of many local and international awards, Sr Eileen and Taller San Jose identified poverty itself as the biggest barrier to advancement and acquired great expertise in creating programs that specifically address those barriers.

Resources referenced in this episode:

• Taller San Jose Hope Builders
• A Story of Suffering and Hope: Lessons from Latino Youth, by Sr. Eileen McNerney

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Richard Rohr is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher who comes from the tradition of Christian mysticism. He has been called “one of the most popular spirituality authors and speakers in the world.

Fr Rohr is a Franciscan priest and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. An author of over 30 books on spirituality, he joins us in conversation on the spiritual path of being fully grounded and authentic at work.

Resources referenced in this episode:

• Richard Rohr’s Page at the Center for Action and Contemplation

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The National Institute on Drug Abuse has noted that every day in the United States, 115 people die after overdosing on opioids. The drugs we are speaking about are prescription pain relievers, heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. It’s clear that this is a national crisis affecting the public health of our communities as well as their social and economic welfare. In this episode you will hear the story of an innovative, award winning, community collaborative with St Gabriel’s Hospital in Little Falls, Minnesota, that is successfully responding in that community to their opioid crisis. This replicable program is spreading not only with in the state of Minnesota but nationally. This story will be told by members of the community, some of whom participate in the community collaborative response called the Morrison County Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force.

Resources referenced in this episode:

• Replication Manual for St Gabriel Opioid Addiction Response
• Catholic Health Association of the United States Achievement Citation: CHI St. Gabriel’s
• MN Hospital Association: Community Based Care Collaboration Prevents Opioid Abuse
• Little Falls ECHO Program
• CDC Prescribing Guidelines
• Buprenorphine Training

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This episode of Mission Innovation speaks to two leaders in two different states, impacting the health of vulnerable children. What does that look like, what are the stories, the challenges, what are the innovations that have helped? Our guests in this episode are Allen Sanchez, President of CHI St. Joseph’s Children in New Mexico and Philip Goropoulos, President of CHI St. Joseph Children’s Health in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

The Casey Foundation’s 2018 KIDS COUNT® Data Book looks at trends in child well-being.  It notes that in 2016, one in five children lived in poverty and offers a picture of how Children’s health is fundamental to their overall development. Ensuring kids are born healthy is the first step toward improving their life chances. Family violence, inadequate housing, lack of preventive health care, maternal depression, poor nutrition, poverty and substance abuse undermine children’s health. Poor health in childhood affects other critical aspects of a child’s life, such as school readiness and attendance, and can have lasting consequences on his or her future health and well-being. 

Resources references in this episode:

• CHI St. Joseph’s Children, New Mexico Replication Manual 

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Almost 1 in 7 Americans (12.9%) struggle with hunger, facing times when there is not enough money to buy food. That’s more than 41.2 million people. On any given day, one in ten people in Orange County, California, or about 315,000 people, including one in six children, are at risk of food insecurity, that is, they lack reliable access to a steady supply of food.

Dr. Eric Handler is a pediatrician with over 30 years of experience who also happens to be the public health officer of Orange County, California, the 6^th largest county in the country. Eric has initiated campaigns on hunger and mental health in innovative ways, that are not typical of a public health officer, to address these social determinants of health. His innovative work has spread to other areas of the country. We interviewed Eric about his Mission Innovation called Waste Not OC, the collaborative campaign to end hunger in Orange County.  During our conversation, he also offered us his practical insights on leadership, innovation and mentorship.

Prior to his work in Orange County, Eric served as the deputy secretary for Children’s Medical Services in the Florida Department of Health from 1996-2000. He served as the Chief Medical Officer for the Florida Department of Children and Families between 2000 and 2003. Eric has received both his BA and MPH degrees from UCLA and his MD from Chicago Medical School.

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