As the legend goes, Haitian-Canadian Dr. Saint-Firmin Monestime was persuaded to join the team at Mattawa Hospital after an impromptu stop for lunch on his way to Timmins in the summer of 1951. The northern Ontario town’s previous doctor had passed away earlier that year and the community successfully convinced Monestime to remain and take his place.

Despite warnings that an overhaul of health care in Ontario could sideline Catholic values and governance, organizations that represent Catholic hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and health services are optimistic they can be players in a more centralized health system.

One year into their merger, Toronto’s three Catholic hospitals have a name for their joint health care enterprise. Unity Health Toronto was selected from a list of at least 15 possible names.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNS) -- Catholic hospitals in Indonesia have sent medical teams to treat hundreds of people injured by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the tourist island of Lombok near Bali Aug. 5.

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Following a decision by the board of several Belgian Catholic psychiatric hospitals to start performing euthanasia, the religious brothers who operate the hospitals said the policy change is unacceptable and cannot be implemented.

ROME, Italy – There are about three million people without heath care in war-torn Syria, and the papal envoy to the country has launched a project to help some of them.