By Emily Chaffins - Freelance Writer
Archdiocese of Miami Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado blesses the revamped surgical lobby at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital in Miami at the lobby’s April 21 dedication.
Archdiocese of Miami Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado (left) blesses the revamped surgical lobby at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital in Miami at the lobby’s April 21 dedication. The surgical waiting room honors the hospital’s sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, as well as Sister Elizabeth Worley, Archdiocese of Miami chancellor for administration and chief operating officer (COO) and former chair of the Mercy Hospital Board.
Sister Elizabeth Worley, Archdiocese of Miami chancellor for administration and chief operating officer (COO), speaks during the April 21 dedication of the revamped surgical lobby at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital in Miami. The surgical waiting room honors the hospital’s sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, as well as Sister Worley, former chair of the Mercy Hospital Board.
Allyssa Tobitt (left), CEO of HCA Florida Mercy Hospital, speaks during the April 21 dedication of the revamped surgical lobby in Miami. The surgical waiting room honors the hospital’s sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, as well as Sister Elizabeth Worley (far right), Archdiocese of Miami chancellor for administration and chief operating officer (COO) and former chair of the Mercy Hospital Board. Archdiocese of Miami Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado, who blessed the lobby, stands directly to Sister Worley’s left.
Allyssa Tobitt, CEO of HCA Florida Mercy Hospital, speaks during the April 21 dedication of the revamped surgical lobby in Miami. The surgical waiting room honors the hospital’s sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, as well as Sister Elizabeth Worley, Archdiocese of Miami chancellor for administration and chief operating officer (COO) and former chair of the Mercy Hospital Board.
Members of HCA Florida Mercy Hospital’s Board of Trustees dedicate the revamped surgical lobby in Miami April 21. From left to right, the members of the Board of Trustees pictured are: Ron Winston, Dean of Miami Dade College Health Services; Allyssa Tobitt, CEO; Sister Elizabeth Worley; Dr. Eduardo Franca, Board of Trustees Chair; Ana Rasco, community member; and Dr. Steven Henriques, Chief of Medical Staff.
Archdiocese of Miami Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado (center) blesses the revamped surgical lobby at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital in Miami at the lobby’s April 21 dedication. The surgical waiting room honors the hospital’s sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, as well as Sister Elizabeth Worley, Archdiocese of Miami chancellor for administration and chief operating officer (COO) and former chair of the Mercy Hospital Board.
Archdiocese of Miami Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado (left) converses with Henry Garcia, HCA Florida Mercy Hospital’s vice president of mission integration, at the April 21 dedication of the hospital’s revamped surgical lobby in Miami. Bishop Delgado blessed the lobby during the ceremony.
This statue of Our Lady of Mercy is featured in HCA Florida Mercy Hospital’s revamped surgical lobby, dedicated April 21.
Allyssa Tobitt (left), CEO of HCA Florida Mercy Hospital in Miami, poses with Sister Elizabeth Worley, Archdiocese of Miami chancellor for administration and chief operating officer (COO), and Dr. Eduardo Franca, Board of Trustees Chair, after the dedication of Mercy Hospital’s revamped surgical lobby April 21. The surgical waiting room honors the hospital’s sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, as well as Sister Elizabeth Worley, former chair of the Mercy Hospital Board.
Photography: EMILY CHAFFINS | FC
MIAMI | Allyssa Tobitt, CEO of HCA Florida Mercy Hospital in Miami, can confirm: it’s no piece of cake keeping a surprise from Sister Elizabeth Worley, the Archdiocese of Miami’s chancellor for administration and chief operating officer (COO).
Even so, Sister Worley was genuinely surprised April 21 when she walked into the Catholic hospital’s newly renovated surgical lobby and saw a sign announcing the room’s dedication in honor of her religious congregation, the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine.
Miami-Dade County’s only Catholic hospital, Mercy Hospital, opened in 1950. According to Mercy’s website, the Diocese of St. Augustine — which formerly oversaw the Miami area — spearheaded the effort to establish the hospital.
From the beginning, the Sisters of St. Joseph served patients there and later became the hospital’s sponsors, appointed by the diocese in 1966. During the April 21 dedication ceremony, Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado blessed the new surgical lobby with holy water, underscoring the sacred role the space plays in caring for patients and families.
Photographer: Emily Chaffins
Archdiocese of Miami Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado (center) blesses the revamped surgical lobby at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital in Miami at the lobby’s April 21 dedication. The surgical waiting room honors the hospital’s sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, as well as Sister Elizabeth Worley, Archdiocese of Miami chancellor for administration and chief operating officer (COO) and former chair of the Mercy Hospital Board.
“Today, we dedicate not just a space, but really an experience,” Tobitt told attendees gathered for the ceremony. “About 12,000 human lives get some sort of procedure that requires them to check in at this space every single year.” Including family members, she added, “we’re talking [an estimated] 40,000 lives that this space touches.”
The surgical lobby was redesigned to provide a sanctuary-like atmosphere for patients undergoing procedures and for the loved ones accompanying them. The renovation process began six months ago.
New features include soothing artwork, a statue of Our Lady of Mercy, and wall art depicting the Holy Spirit. Seating areas were arranged to create a greater sense of privacy and include outlets for charging phones and electronic devices.
“Mercy Hospital is not just a place where care is delivered. It is a ministry,” Tobitt said in written remarks provided to the Florida Catholic. Calling the Sisters of St. Joseph a “guiding force,” she added, “we recognize one sister in particular: Sister Elizabeth [Worley].”
Working on the hospital board since 1984, Sister Worley became chair of the Mercy Hospital Board in 1986. Although she no longer serves as chair, she remains an active board member.
Photographer: Emily Chaffins
Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado (second from left) and Sister Elizabeth Worley, Archdiocese of Miami chancellor for administration and chief operating officer (COO), enjoy the April 21 dedication of the revamped surgical lobby at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital in Miami. The surgical waiting room honors the hospital’s sponsors, the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, as well as Sister Worley, former chair of the Mercy Hospital Board.
“Sister is part of the history of Mercy Hospital,” Bishop Delgado said. “I’m pleased she can be honored with the Sisters of St. Joseph in this lobby.”
Henry Garcia, vice president of mission integration, provided the Florida Catholic with an overview of the hospital’s more than 75-year history.
Mercy Hospital played a significant role in caring for Cuban immigrants arriving in South Florida after the 1959 Cuban Revolution. According to the hospital’s website, “In 1960, HCA Florida Mercy Hospital was the first hospital in Miami to open its doors to Cuban exile physicians, enabling them to rebuild their lives. The following year, we offered free medical care to any member of the Bay of Pigs Brigade.”
Today, Mercy Hospital serves patients from a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The Sisters of St. Joseph continue as the hospital’s sponsor congregation, offering spiritual leadership and safeguarding its Catholic identity.
Photographer: Emily Chaffins
Members of HCA Florida Mercy Hospital’s Board of Trustees dedicate the revamped surgical lobby in Miami April 21. From left to right, the members of the Board of Trustees pictured are: Ron Winston, Dean of Miami Dade College Health Services; Allyssa Tobitt, CEO; Sister Elizabeth Worley; Dr. Eduardo Franca, Board of Trustees Chair; Ana Rasco, community member; and Dr. Steven Henriques, Chief of Medical Staff.
The sisters are “responsible for the Catholic identity of the hospital,” Garcia explained. That responsibility includes applying Catholic bioethics and overseeing the hospital’s pastoral care department.
Tobitt said the newly renovated surgical lobby reflects Sister Worley’s long-standing mission and dedication to Mercy Hospital.
“This is a space that really reflects what she has done for Mercy,” Tobitt said. “It serves a purpose: to heal humans and to provide a space for humans that improves not only their lives, but their experience. And so, Sister, we want to dedicate this space to you.”
During her remarks, Sister Worley acknowledged that the Mercy Hospital team had successfully kept the dedication a secret.
“This is a surprise, a total surprise,” she said. “I had no clue!”“What strikes me is that it’s sacred space,” she added while reflecting on the renovated lobby. “I’m standing here praying for everybody who will ever be served here — and that your families, and friends, and yourself even, will come to Mercy, because Mercy takes care of its family.”
A legacy rooted in Catholic healthcare
According to a 2015 article published by U.S. Catholic, the modern American healthcare system owes much to Catholic sisters who founded hospitals and healthcare institutions after immigrating from Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Catholic healthcare continues to distinguish itself through a mission-centered approach rooted in the dignity of the human person and inspired by Christ’s healing ministry. Catholic hospitals seek to provide life-affirming care while also offering spiritual support through chaplaincy services, sacred art, and spaces for prayer and reflection.
“At the heart of the Catholic identity of health care organizations is a belief in God’s love and the meaning of Jesus’ healing ministry,” U.S. Catholic noted. “This faith gives birth to a set of commitments, including respect for human dignity, treating patients in a holistic way, promoting workplace justice, prioritizing the needs of the poor, contributing to the common good, using financial resources responsibly, and caring for the environment.”
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops provides guidance for Catholic hospitals through its Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.
