A Message from the Interim REACH Director

REACH, Reflecting on Ethics and Catholic Healthcare was developed as an initiative to increase students’ knowledge of Catholic health care ethics. This partnership between faculty in Philosophy, Theology, and the School of Nursing began in the spring of 2019 with an integration of Catholic health care ethics into the BSN curriculum under the leadership of Dr. Valerie Schluter as part of FranU’s Quality Enhancement Plan.

REACH supports the mission of the University to educate and form Franciscan servant leaders and strengthen the Catholic and Franciscan identity of the University. The image of the hands on the REACH logo represents the hands of Saint Francis who cared for all of humanity especially the downtrodden and forgotten of society. Catholic health care ethics recognizes the inherent dignity of all persons and like Saint Francis seeks out the underserved of today’s society. The REACH initiative focuses on respect for all life and the foundational concept of human dignity.

By December of 2021, REACH was fully integrated into the BSN curriculum and in co-curricular activities. Theology faculty sponsor nationally known bioethics
scholars twice a year for campus discussions and a one credit hour graduate course in bioethics has been added as a requirement to all graduate programs. REACH continues to expand through new initiatives, such as the REACH: Virtue Ethics for Educators & Clinicians Faculty Learning Community and the REACH Badge for undergraduate and graduate students.

In Christ,

Hannah Woldum Ragusa, Ph.D.

Interim REACH Director & Instructor of Philosophy