Edward Smink started as a nurse’s assistant and then traveled many avenues in the health-care industry before becoming the new executive director of mission and ministry at St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center. Working with the executive team, Smink’s responsibilities are to oversee St. Rose’s mission, which includes staff development, spiritual care services, ethics consultation and community coalition activities.

Recognizing the mission of St. Rose to build healthier and safer communities, Smink hopes to become a partner with everyone to expand its ministry.

"We are creating a new model of health care here at St. Rose in response to the community’s needs. For example," he noted, "St. Rose has been expanding in many areas such as physician clinics, imaging equipment, one-day surgeries and urgent care. This is what the community wants and St. Rose will deliver."

Smink divides his time between St. Rose in Great Bend and St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, which is a sister facility under the Catholic Health Initiatives umbrella.

"CHI has a strong commitment to Great Bend and central Kansas," Smink commented. "It listens to the community and responds. I have been so impressed with the tenacity and spirit of everyone involved."

The new executive director also is working in spiritual care and wants to build an even stronger relationship with local clergy. He also will be overseeing ethical questions.

"Our core values are reverence, integrity, compassion and excellence," he said. "In honor of the Dominican Sisters’ legacy, we live these values every day."

In addition, Smink wants to "enrich the experiences of all our caregivers. Our philosophy is to encourage health-care providers and demonstrate that their work is a sacred encounter with those who are sick or injured. I want them to fully understand that the people they serve can nurture them too. Our caregivers should always be aware of the importance of their work."

Most recently, Smink was vice president of mission integration and compliance at CHRISTUS Dubuis Health System in Houston for eight years. He became a registered nurse after graduating from Newton Junior College at Boston and then earned his bachelor’s degree from Boston College.

He graduated from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Counseling Psychology with a master’s degree. Smink earned another master’s and Ph.D. in philosophy with an emphasis in depth psychology at Pacifica. He has served as an R.N., pastoral counselor, chaplain, and director of spiritual care and mission.