News Releases

Coveted Willis Harman Spirit At Work Award Goes To Memorial Hermann Healthcare System

Houston, Texas, May 30, 2003– As a pioneer in a growing trend of highly successful businesses and institutes that explicitly nurture spirituality within their organizational initiatives, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System has been honored with the Willis Harman Spirit at Work Award.

Of the five recipients announced this week, only two are headquartered in the United States.

According to Patricia Aburdene, co-author of the Megatrends books, “Spirituality in the workplace is an emerging trend that is becoming a megatrend… These organizations are showing us a better way.”

Aburdene also writes, “Personal spirituality has accelerated to such a degree that those who have been involved in the movement for decades are reaching critical mass. The influence is overflowing into institutions and businesses, transforming them. Capitalism is at a cross roads facing a crises of confidence from the revelation of unethical practices of many companies over the last couple of years. The Spirit at Work honorees are successful, proven companies and institutions that have integrated highly ethical standards and spiritual practices to inspire and honor their stakeholders.”

Memorial Hermann Healthcare System is specifically being honored for its broad commitment to spiritual leadership and employee spiritual care. Founded in 1907, the not-for-profit Memorial Hermann Healthcare System operates nine acute-care hospitals, including a level 1 trauma center and a children’s hospital; two long-term acute-care hospitals; a home health agency; a retirement community and nursing home; and a wellness center. With some 14,000 employees, it is among the leading employers in Houston.

The organization’s activities include multiple versions of their Spiritual Leadership Institute training program (9 days for management members, shorter versions for others), Blessing the Hands of all health care workers, offering a paid day off for a Spiritual Day of the employee’s choosing, exceptionally extensive chaplaincy care of employees, the Partners in Caring program where employees help each other through tough times and a long list of charitable activities to support and care for the greater Houston community.

The Willis Harman Spirit at Work Award is named after late visionary futurist Willis Harman, PhD (1919-1997). The Association for Spirit at Work (ASAW) (www.spiritatwork.com) created the award. Two additional organizations participate as “co-organizers” of the Willis Harman Spirit at Work Award: The World Business Academy (www.worldbusiness.org) and Spirit in Business Institute (www.spiritinbusiness.org).

The five honorees will receive their awards at the Spirit in Business World Conference in San Francisco on June 9.

For more information, contact Media Relations.