Explanation of Jesuit Hospital

What does “Jesuit” mean?

What does it mean to say that Loyola University Medical Center is rooted in the “Jesuit” Catholic tradition? For us, it means commitment. The name “Jesuit” identifies Loyola Medicine as an institution committed to training resident physicians who are for and with others—practitioners who have an abiding dedication to serve patients in a holistic manner and to address the injustices of health care disparity. 

The name “Jesuit” is taken from the name of the religious order that established Loyola University Chicago —the Society of Jesus. Central to the Jesuit understanding of mission is the order’s belief that all human experience is sacred—that indeed “God is in all things.” That belief led members of the order to establish institutions of higher learning throughout the world, opening their doors to educate women and men of all faith traditions (or no discernible faith tradition). It is the hope of any Jesuit-sponsored enterprise that those who choose to collaborate with it will be given the opportunity to become themselves most fully alive and most fully attuned to the holistic and just care of those around them. 

Concretely, it means providing resident physicians with the academic resources they need to develop their gifts in the healing arts, but also offers them the resources needed to navigate the psycho-social-spiritual challenges inherent in medical practice. 

The Jesuit Faith and Health Equity

It's not just caring for the whole person. It's caring for every person.

The Jesuit core value of Reverence states, “We honor the sacredness and dignity of every person.” This value is founded on the belief that every person is created in the image of God. For this reason, we strive to treat each fellow human with reverence, regardless of their race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status. This translates to the care provided at Loyola and the principles of health equity we aim to uphold.