Farewell from Kevin C. Moriarty

When I announced my plans to retire last June, I shared a story with my team that shaped my life in ways I could not have imagined. It’s a story that paved the road for the wonderful journey I have been on for the last 22 years at Methodist Healthcare Ministries. It begins in Africa where I served as a teacher through the Peace Corps as a young man. One day, I burned my arm and was taken to see a doctor who was there on a mission with The United Methodist Church. I was so impressed by the sense of purpose the doctors and nurses who worked in the Methodist clinic had that it inspired me to consider working in health care. I could not have known then, but that experience was the start of a journey that has been guided by a passion for public service, health ministry, and profound love for my community. Through the years my journey has had incredible peaks, filled with wonderful people who carried me through life’s valleys. I have been blessed beyond measure to have been part of the Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ team and honored to serve as the organization’s first chief executive officer. And now, I stand ready to embark upon a new journey. But, I want to first take a moment and reflect on the impact Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ has had and share my hopes for all the good it has yet to do.

Together, the team has brought much-needed care to uninsured and low-income individuals and families across South Texas. In 1996, Methodist Healthcare Ministries operated one program of $300,000 for 2,900 patient and client visits; this year we have a budgeted expenditure of more than $112 million for nearly 950,000 patient and client visits. In the beginning, we provided grant funding to fewer than five agencies and today the organization has more than 90 funded partners. I am extraordinarily proud to have been part of something that created access to care for so many and for whom it would have been unobtainable otherwise.

The team at Methodist Healthcare Ministries has also grown. We started with just three employees, most of whom are still with the company, and today the team stands at 420 strong. The growth and impact have been incredible. I am so proud of all the team members who have made Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ successful—which for us, means more people received care and that’s what matters.

I wish to thank Jen, my wife, who has been by my side for 17 of my 22 years at Methodist Healthcare Ministries. She has attended countless events with me, representing Methodist Healthcare Ministries extraordinarily well.

It has been especially fulfilling growing the next generation of leadership within the organization. I have always used the words of John Wesley, founder of Methodism, to guide the decisions I made as CEO, to do all the good we can, by all the means we can, for as many people and as long as ever we can. I hope these words continue to serve as a guiding light for the team that will lead Methodist Healthcare Ministries into its future. I know Marc Raney, who will serve as interim CEO while the search for the next president of the organization is concluded, will continue to use the challenge John Wesley issued to us to inspire the organization to continue advancing our mission of “Serving Humanity to Honor God”—as he did for me when he hired me in 1996 during his tenure as chair of the Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ board of directors. It’s a reminder to me, that sometimes our journey comes full circle, and creates the opportunity to embark upon new ones. I am grateful to Marc for his mentorship, years of friendship and for his commitment to Methodist Healthcare Ministries.

I have carried countless patients’ and clients’ stories in my heart over the years as they are the reasons why Methodist Healthcare Ministries has also been a champion for policies that create access to quality care for all, regardless of ability to pay. Their stories have humbled and inspired me, and are living reminders of what the Bible tells us in Micah 6:8: To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. I will keep all their stories in my heart and top of mind as I continue my service to the community.

I started with a story about how my journey began and am now excited to travel down a new path, embark upon a new adventure. I know it will be just as wonderful as the last 22 years have been. I wish Methodist Healthcare Ministries, the board of directors, all the team members, partners and other entities who work so hard to advance its mission all the best and to keep doing all the good you can. Thank you for making this chapter in my own story such a memorable one.