Certainly healthcare is a business, and Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital (ALMH), agrees that it is, but he prefers to view his work as a mission.

"Yes, we have to deal with all those other things," Tim said, "but at the heart and essence of this, we want to extend God's healing touch."

In June 2006, ALMH opened its new Patient Care Center to replace the 50-year-old structure that had been a community mainstay to the mature population of La Grange, Illinois, and surrounding suburbs.

"We deal with a unique situation in that we serve a distinct segment of the population," Tim said. "That means we look to take care of the people in the community with the specific needs of aging: cardiac, cancer, and orthopedics."

With superior technology and a strong infrastructure in its cardiac and cancer services, ALMH is adding orthopedics to its roster of superior service lines. By late summer, the hospital will be a national showcase for Brain Lab, a medical navigation company, featuring a state-of-the-art ortho-navigation system. This technology assists surgeons in aligning joint implants with great sophistication, enhancing the quality outcome of the surgical procedure.

The hospital's cancer program recently received three-year approval with commendations from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.

An interdisciplinary team approach in oncology includes a Tumor Board at which oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, and internists meet together regularly to discuss, decide, and coordinate the best treatment options for each oncology patient.

"When you think about our mission and who we represent—the Creator Himself—you can't escape the importance of clinical quality," Tim said. "Poor clinical quality does not bring glory to God. In all we do, we want to pursue excellence, in service and in quality.

"Our team here at ALMH is built on many values and principles, and we regularly summarize them this way: 'One Mind, One Heart, One Spirit.' The concept of 'One Mind' is the power we possess each moment to choose. We as a team choose to be part of the solution even in difficult and stressful times. 'One Heart' is our acknowledgment that this is more than a job but a noble calling to a ministry. And 'One Spirit is the unified and consistent way we approach our healthcare ministry."

Julie Busch is a public relations specialist at Adventist Midwest Health.