BRIDGEPORT—When Bill Hoey got his master’s degree in health care mission from Aquinas Institute of Theology, his wife Joan gave him a framed copy of verses from the 25th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, which says, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”
That powerful message is on display in his office at St. Vincent Medical Center, where Hoey is vice president of mission integration and has begun initiatives and programs that embody those words of Christ.
“I have that here and I look at it often,” he said. “That has been my personal mission statement, and I truly believe I will be held accountable for what I do or don’t do in this world.”
Hoey, who has been at St. Vincent’s for 12 years, was recently awarded the St. Augustine Medal of Service from Bishop Frank J. Caggiano in recognition of his service to the diocese. The medal honors people for their service to parishes, schools and charities.
“It was humbling to receive the medal and wonderfully validating,” Hoey said. “I have been blessed to have a career of service and worked with virtually every disadvantaged group you can think of—the chronically mentally ill, the homeless, the hungry, undocumented folks, people suffering from addiction and HIV, and working people, when I ran employee assistance programs.”
Deacon Patrick Toole, episcopal delegate for administration, who nominated Hoey for the medal, said: “Bill works tirelessly to promote Catholic moral teaching within the Hartford HealthCare Fairfield Region. I nominated him for our partnership with Hartford HeathCare and his help during the pandemic.”
Deacon Toole said that with the assistance of Hoey and his colleagues, he was able to develop COVID-19 protocols for parishes in the diocese.
“Bill also set up mobile vaccine vans at two of our parishes in Bridgeport,” Deacon Toole said.
Hoey, who previously was vice president of Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, said: “In my time working at the diocese, I got to know most of the priests pretty well, and when Deacon Toole reached out to us at the height of the pandemic—when vaccines first became available—we were able to offer them to all the priests, including the retired ones.”
He said it touched his heart to see them come to the medical center to be vaccinated.
“What a wonderful gift to give those men, who had dedicated their lives to the Church,” he said. “To see the relief and peace of mind that the vaccine was providing them, to be a part of that and to be able to offer it to the diocese was one of the things that really sticks with me.”
In his role with Hartford HealthCare, he is able to do meaningful work and stay connected with the diocese, for which he chairs the Sexual Abuse Review Committee.
Hoey is responsible for all mission services and activities at St.Vincent’s Medical Center, including the Pastoral Care Department and the Parish Nurse Program.
He helped establish the Hope Dispensary of Greater Bridgeport through his work with the Primary Care Action Group, a collaboration of area health service organizations. Currently, he serves on the National Advisory Council for the Dispensary of Hope, which is a national not-forprofit enterprise that gives uninsured patients access to life-saving medication.
“This is a free pharmacy that we’ve run in the city for eight years, and it provides medication to individuals who don’t have insurance to pay for it,” Hoey said. “It runs the gamut from hypertension medication to insulin for diabetics. Last year, we filled 11,377 prescriptions, and it’s hard to put a price tag on that.”
The program is an expensive one to run because it requires a pharmacist, software and security. Three days a week, it opens its doors at 2660 Main Street in a space previously occupied by an Arrow Pharmacy.
Hoey is also the executive sponsor of Hartford HealthCare’s efforts to promote diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion in the regions it serves. The initiative applies not only to the workplace but also to service delivery.
One of his favorite programs, which is three years old, is the food distribution at the medical center, which on the last Friday of the month provides some 400 bags of high-protein items to the community.
“People will wait outside for hours to get a bag of groceries in a COVID-safe manner,” he said. “The food is shelf-stable and high quality and includes milk, eggs, tuna and peanut butter.”
In his position as vice president of Mission Integration, Hoey is responsible for ensuring compliance with Catholic healthcare doctrine, which, he says, sets St. Vincent’s apart from secular hospitals.
“We have an agreement between Hartford HealthCare and Bishop Caggiano to remain a fully Catholic ministry,” he said. “We are the only Catholic hospital in the Diocese of Bridgeport, and we think that is critically important.”
Fundamental to that, St. Vincent’s adheres to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare Services, promulgated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The 77 directives define how a Catholic hospital must conduct itself and make clear the procedures and medical interventions that should not be provided, such as abortion and assisted suicide, Hoey said. The mission of Catholic healthcare is based on reverence for every human being and access to care for the poor and underserved, the uninsured and the underinsured, children, the unborn, single parents, the elderly, those with incurable diseases, racial minorities, immigrants and refugees.
“Simply put, we don’t turn anybody away,” he said.
In addition, there is a sacramental presence at St. Vincent’s, made possible by four priests, three deacons and almost 40 extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist.
“We provide a full array of Catholic sacraments at a time when people are open and receptive to receiving them,” he said. “They include Communion, Sacrament of the Sick, Confession and Baptism for newborns who are in danger.”
Hoey said the medical center’s Catholic identity is firmly established. There is morning and evening prayer, daily Mass that is broadcast into the patients’ room and pastoral services provided by priests and deacons.
“Catholic healthcare exists to take care of the poor, the needy, the vulnerable and the least among us…and to live out the Gospel of Matthew,” Hoey said. “To not have a Catholic hospital in the Diocese of Bridgeport would be a big loss.”
He also emphasized the hospital’s importance in evangelization and spreading the faith to people.
“Where are the people who are not going to Church going to be reconnected?” he asked. “When you have a life-altering diagnosis or a life-shattering event and you end up in the hospital, what a wonderful opportunity to see the Church in action. The more we can get our priests and deacons visiting people in the hospital, the better. What an opportunity to reconnect with people. Where does evangelization take place? When people are in crisis. There you find the Church in action…when people are in need.”
By JOE PISANI
