Providence, one of the largest health care systems in the nation, recently released its 2020 Annual Report to Our Communities. The report highlights how Providence partnered in the seven states where it operates to address the most difficult public health crisis of our time. In service to its Mission of being steadfast in serving all, especially the poor and vulnerable, Providence acted to provide short-term solutions while driving long-term positive change by investing in communities to build a more equitable and sustainable future.
In Southwest Washington, the investment included $52 million in unpaid cost of Medicaid and other means-tested government programs and $9 million in free and discounted care for the uninsured and underinsured.
Providence partnered with the City of Olympia to provide temporary micro-housing for the unsheltered. Providence has become an ally of municipalities to address the housing issue.
“Partnering with others of goodwill, Providence programs and funding enhance the health and well-being of our whole community,” said Darin Goss, chief executive for Providence in Southwest Washington “Our community benefit connects families with preventive care to keep them healthy, fills gaps in community services and provides opportunities that bring hope in difficult times.”
Additional community investment included $7 million toward health professional education and research, $5 million in subsidized health services and $400,000 in community health improvement and strategic partnerships.
“The work done in our communities is fundamental to our organization’s Mission and a demonstration of our values in action. We also know that to be effective, this work must be done in collaboration and solidarity with communities,” said Rod Hochman, M.D. president and CEO of Providence. “As we continue to serve under-resourced populations and advance health equity and social justice in our communities, Providence remains committed to our vision of creating health for a better world.”
Why Providence Addressed Each Key Initiative in 2020:
- Foundations of health: ensuring our communities’ most basic needs such as food, shelter, and education are met, while investing in long-term solutions. Providence recognizes that to attain health, we need a healthy planet. We also recognize that systemic injustices contribute to health disparities. Each of these pillars contribute to the foundations needed for a healthy life.
- Reducing barriers to care: providing equitable access to compassionate care, helping people and communities overcome challenges and reducing stigma regardless of circumstances. In 2020 Providence invested $276 million in uncompensated care.
- Community resilience: building capacity at the local level to keep our communities strong and providing stability in unpredictable times. We are committed to improving community health through targeted investments and partnerships across the seven states we serve. At home and beyond our borders, we work closely with social services, charitable foundations, community and faith-based organizations, universities, and other partners to identify and respond to the greatest needs.
- Innovating for the future: pursuing innovation to help people live their healthiest lives. In an increasingly uncertain world, we are responding to the signs of the times by seeking new opportunities to better serve our patients while making our services more convenient, accessible and affordable.
“The community health investment team responds to our Mission’s call to serve,” said Justin Crowe, senior vice president of community partnerships. “By generating resources for our community programs and partners, we’re creating an ecosystem that amplifies the voices of our local communities and promotes health, grassroots advocacy and a culture of inter-connectedness.”
The community investments include the costs of uncompensated care for Medicaid, free or low-cost care, and many other programs and initiatives focused on improving the health of our communities, increasing access to care and making care more affordable.
These intentional investments make it possible for people to live their healthiest lives and allow our communities to reinvest in other vital programs. Caring for our communities has never been more important. To see community investments by state, visit the Annual Report to Our Communities website to view regional reports.
About Providence Southwest Washington
Providence Health & Services in Southwest Washington touches more lives in the 540,000 five-county service area of Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Grays Harbor and Pacific counties than any other health care provider.
It is made up of:
- Providence St. Peter Hospital is a 372-bed, not-for-profit regional teaching hospital founded by the Sisters of Providence in 1887 with three-time Magnet® recognition. The Magnet Recognition Program® recognizes the top health care organizations in the nation for providing nursing excellence. Only two other hospitals in Washington have garnered this honor. Providence St. Peter was one of just 24 hospitals in the United States (out of 4,600) to be named a top performer by U.S. News and World Report in 2015. It ranked No. 2 in Washington. St. Peter is a regional leader in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics and neurosciences. The Joint Commission has designated the hospital a Stroke Center of Excellence since 2007.
- Providence Centralia Hospital is a 128-bed, not-for-profit community-based hospital which was awarded Pathway to Excellence nursing designation. The services the hospital provides make it the heart of medical care in Lewis County. As a community hospital with outstanding technology, Providence Centralia Hospital is large enough to provide state-of-the-art services such as MRI, 64-slice CT scans and digital mammography. The hospital is also small enough to offer personal, compassionate care to everyone it serves.
- Providence Medical Group operates more than 40 clinic locations, with more than 300 specialized providers in Lewis, Thurston, Mason and Grays Harbor counties. The group provides primary and specialty care. All 11 primary care clinics are level-3 accredited by the NCQA. Clinics include family medicine, internal medicine, cardiology, neurosurgery, oncology, diabetes care, general surgery, endocrinology, obstetrics/gynecology, infectious disease services, physiatry, psychiatry and urology.
About Providence
Providence is a national, not-for-profit Catholic health system comprising a diverse family of organizations and driven by a belief that health is a human right. With 52 hospitals, over 1,000 physician clinics, senior services, supportive housing, and much other health and educational services, the health system and its partners employ more than 120,000 caregivers serving communities across seven states – Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, with system offices in Renton, Wash., and Irvine, Calif. Learn about our vision of health for a better world at Providence.org.
