Sister Monica Heeran, longtime PeaceHealth leader and Northwest healthcare pioneer, dies at 95

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - PeaceHealth mourns the passing of Sister Monica Heeran, a visionary leader who rose through the ranks of Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene and would shape healthcare throughout the Northwest and beyond.

Sr. Monica died Oct. 9 at St. Mary on the Lake in Bellevue, Wash. She was 95.

She boldly led PeaceHealth through a period of great innovation, guided by her faith, compassion and generosity toward those in need.

"Sister Monica was a transformational leader who embraced change and was driven by God's will to help those who needed it most," said PeaceHealth President and CEO Sarah Ness. "Sister Monica shaped PeaceHealth into what it is today and continued to help guide us up until her final days. She embodied our ministry to uplift the stricken and provide care to all who sought it. She had such a bright spirit. I will treasure the time I was able to spend with her, and the wisdom and guidance she has shared with me over the years."

After beginning her healthcare ministry in Washington state and training as a nurse, she rose through leadership roles that would influence healthcare across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Sr. Monica served as administrator of Sacred Heart in Eugene, was president of PeaceHealth from 1988 to 1997 and founded Volunteers in Medicine, among many other accomplishments.

Born in County Leitrim, Ireland, in 1931, Sr. Monica immigrated to the United States in 1948 to join the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace at age 15.

She graduated from Sacred Heart's School of Nursing in 1961 and earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from Seattle University, Wash., in 1963.

In 1968, she obtained her master's in hospital administration from St. Louis University, Missouri.

From 1968 to 1973 she was an administrator in hospitals run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in Bellingham, Wash., and in Ketchikan, Alaska.

She served as administrator of Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene, Ore., from 1973 to 1988, helping transform the hospital into a multispecialty regional medical center.

Among the highlights from her remarkable ministry:

• She established the Sacred Heart Prenatal Clinic to serve low-income pregnant women.
• She played a leading role in founding the Lane County Psychiatric Hospital.
• She championed the development of Peace Harbor Hospital in Florence, Ore.
• She served as PeaceHealth system president from 1988-1997.
• She guided PeaceHealth's transition to become the first Pontifical Private Juridic Person in 1994. This new structure allowed PeaceHealth to remain officially Catholic while being led by laypeople rather than a religious order.
• Upon her retirement in 1999, she raised funds and founded the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of Lane County, Ore., and served as its first executive director and chair of the Clinical Board. The clinic serves low-income and underserved adults.
• In 2008, she received the Catholic Health Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to healthcare and ministry.
• In 2023, she celebrated her 75th jubilee, marking a milestone anniversary of when a sister entered or professed vows in her religious community.

A vigil will be held 4 p.m. Oct. 18. The public is welcome to watch virtually. A funeral Mass will be held 10 a.m. Oct. 19 and will be available to watch online. Individuals can also make a gift in remembrance of Sr. Monica.

About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a nonprofit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has more than 16,000 caregivers, nearly 3,200 physicians and clinicians, more than 160 clinics and 9 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission.

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