Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Sponsored Ministries

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Sponsored Ministries

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Sponsored Ministries was established in 1985 as a non-stock, not-for-profit corporation to monitor and manage the healthcare ministry of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity. Sister Laura Wolf led the system for 31 years before Scott McConnaha assumed the presidency, serving through a planned transition at the end of 2024. The entity's wealth is not a pool of financial assets but a constellation of licensed healthcare and senior-living facilities governed by a religious mission. The portfolio encompasses acute-care hospitals, skilled nursing, and assisted-living campuses across Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Ohio. Key operating entities include Froedtert Holy Family Memorial Hospital in Manitowoc, an affiliation with Froedtert Health; Genesis HealthCare System in Zanesville, Ohio, co-sponsored with Bethesda Care System; and Franciscan Healthcare in West Point, Nebraska. Senior-living assets include Clement Manor in Greenfield, St. Paul Elder Services in Kaukauna, and St. Joseph's Elder Services in West Point. The system also holds aligned real estate such as The Franciscan Center and maintains an active partnership with the Catholic Health Association of the United States. The system participates in health-system bond issuances through the Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority and leverages the Catholic Health Association's network for ministry identity assessments. In 2025, Sr. Marlita Henseler was elected Community Director of the sponsoring congregation. The entity operates adjacent structures including the Franciscan Outreach Fund and the Providence Fund, which extend the ministry's charitable reach beyond its licensed facilities. Administrative leadership draws from Wisconsin's professional accounting networks, with staff holding roles in the Wisconsin Institute of CPAs. The structural differentiator lies in its pure mission governance: rather than an investment committee allocating to third-party funds, the entity directly sponsors and monitors the operating performance of its healthcare assets. There is no investment portfolio separate from the facilities themselves — the balance sheet is the ministry, making this an operating foundation with an unusually direct link between governance and bedside care.