Integrating Ancient Wisdom with Modern Leadership
Thomas J. Bushlack holds a Ph.D. in Theology and Ethics from the University of Notre Dame. Today, he serves as Regional Director of Mission Integration with SSM Health—a Catholic, values-driven healthcare system employing more than 40,000 professionals across four states. In this capacity, Tom works directly with executive leaders, healthcare providers, and clinical staff to align daily operations with organizational values, compassion, and ethics.
Prior to his healthcare leadership role, Tom dedicated ten years to higher education as a university professor of Theology and Ethics. During this decade of scholarship, he co-founded the Project for Mindfulness & Contemplation at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, and co-directed the Ashley-O’Rourke Center for Health Ministry Leadership at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, MO.
Recognizing how chronic stress, cognitive biases, and exhaustion compromise executive decision-making, Dr. Bushlack developed the Centering for Wisdom™ Assessment (CWA). This framework assists corporate and non-profit leaders in recognizing unconscious triggers, mitigating burnout, and navigating organizational change through contemplative centering.
Tom is a commissioned presenter of Centering Prayer with Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., an active Oblate of St. John’s Abbey, a Trustee for the Trust for the Meditation Process, and works actively within the 12-Step Centering Prayer tradition. He resides in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife and three children.