REACH: Reflecting on Ethics and Catholic Healthcare
A Message from the 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 into new programs, including Radiology Technology, Family
Nurse Practitioner, Nutrition and Physical Therapy. Other new initiatives include
the REACH Badge program for undergraduate and graduate students, and REACH Faculty
Fellowships that are available for faculty in clinical and healthcare-related programs
who want to expand their knowledge of Catholic healthcare ethics and develop relevant
content for their programs.
In Christ,
Hannah Woldum Ragusa, Ph.D.
REACH Director & Assistant Professor of Philosophy
REACH Mission
The mission of REACH: Reflecting on Ethics and Catholic Healthcare is to advance FranU’s mission by educating and forming students, faculty, staff, and members of the wider community in Catholic healthcare ethics.
REACH Vision
The vision of REACH: Reflecting on Ethics and Catholic Healthcare is to support FranU’s vision to become the premier Catholic University in the Gulf Coast region by fostering academic excellence in Catholic healthcare ethics, increasing knowledge of the vision and basic tenets of Catholic healthcare ethics among faculty, staff, and the wider community, and cultivating facility in using Catholic healthcare ethics to guide ethical decision making in practice.
REACH Student Learning Outcomes
After implementation of REACH, students will be able to:
- Describe the basic tenets of Catholic healthcare ethics and its relationship to the mission and values of the University.
- Distinguish Catholic healthcare ethics from other ethical approaches such as principlism, deontology, and utilitarianism.
- Discuss how Catholic healthcare ethics can be used to guide ethical decision making in professional practice.
- Apply Catholic healthcare ethics to specific cases and simulations.
REACH Goals
- Expand REACH across all clinical and healthcare associated academic programs at FranU.
- Increase knowledge of the vision and basic tenets of Catholic healthcare ethics among faculty, staff, and the wider community.
- Foster student excellence in Catholic healthcare ethics through ongoing education, formation, and scholarship outside the classroom.
- Cultivate facility in using Catholic healthcare ethics to guide ethical decision making in interdisciplinary and interprofessional contexts.
Upcoming REACH Events
Twice each year, in fall and spring, FranU hosts a Bioethics Lecture Series featuring a nationally-renowned speaker on Catholic ethics. This lecture series supports the REACH mission to educate and form students, faculty, staff and members of the wider community in Catholic healthcare ethics.
Events Open to All
Wed 30 Sep 2026 6:30 PM St. Francis Hall Dr. John Di Camillo is the President of The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), where he has served as an ethicist since 2011.In this presentation, Dr. Di Camillo will examine recent revisions to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services and explore their implications for Catholic health care in the 21st century. A light reception will follow.
Academic General Public Thu 01 Oct 2026 9:00 AM St. Francis Hall Dr. John Di Camillo is the President of The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), where he has served as an ethicist since 2011.In this presentation, Dr. Di Camillo will discuss the Church's positive vision for end-of-life care, addressing ethical decision-making, human dignity and compassionate care through the lens of Catholic moral teaching. Light breakfast will be served.
Academic General Public
Events Open to All
Dr. John Di Camillo is the President of The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), where he has served as an ethicist since 2011.In this presentation, Dr. Di Camillo will examine recent revisions to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services and explore their implications for Catholic health care in the 21st century. A light reception will follow.
Dr. John Di Camillo is the President of The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), where he has served as an ethicist since 2011.In this presentation, Dr. Di Camillo will discuss the Church's positive vision for end-of-life care, addressing ethical decision-making, human dignity and compassionate care through the lens of Catholic moral teaching. Light breakfast will be served.
REACH Badge
Bioethics Lectures
Bi-annual lecture series featuring nationally-renowned speakers on Catholic bioethics. Open to the university community and the public.
St. Francis and the Leper
How does the story of St. Francis and the Leper apply to Ethics and Catholic Healthcare?