CommonSpirit Health

Laura Krausa is the System Director of Advocacy Programs for CommonSpirit Health – a nonprofit, Catholic health system operating 137 hospitals and more than 1000 care sites across 21 states with revenues of nearly $29 billion and charity care provided at over $4 billion. Laura oversees the organization’s Violence and Human Trafficking Prevention and Response Program, specifically guiding prevention efforts that include community-based violence prevention programs, public policy, and broad education and awareness initiatives. She is also responsible for the organization’s shareholder advocacy program, engaging the corporate sector as an institutional investor on issues relating to environmental justice, health justice and social justice.

Laura has extensive experience in violence prevention, and is a co-author of CommonSpirit Health’s Violence Prevention Resource Guide, a manual for creating and implementing violence prevention initiatives at the community level. She acts as a consulting partner to CommonSpirit communities engaging in violence prevention and has overseen over $25 million in grant-funded programs. Laura regularly presents in educational forums on the topics of human trafficking and community-based violence prevention to organizations such as the American Hospital Association, the Catholic Health Association and Jones Day International Law Firm. She is a published author on human trafficking for Health Progress, and a co-drafter of a successful proposal to implement an ICD-10 code for human. Laura has served as a Forum Member for the National Academies of Sciences Forum on Global Violence Prevention and previously served on the Board of Directors for the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking.

Since inheriting the work of shareholder advocacy for CommonSpirit Health, Laura has expanded the organization’s program to cover a broad range of topics in multiple sectors, including advocacy for health care access and coverage, drug pricing, opioids, access to medicines, access to food and water, safer chemicals, human trafficking, human rights, tobacco use, racial equity and violence prevention. Laura currently serves as a Director on the Board of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility and is a member of the Board Nominating Committee.

Prior to her 12-year career with CommonSpirit Health, Laura worked in performing and visual arts administration, focusing on artistic programming, volunteer recruitment and management, development and fundraising, and youth safety in arts education. Laura also has nearly two decades of experience as a professional performing artist, specializing in theatre arts. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Musical Theatre from the University of Northern Colorado where she graduated Summa Cum Laude.  She holds a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Business Management from Regis University, where she graduated with highest honors.