Providence Health & Services (since 2016: Providence St. Joseph Health) is a not-for-profit,

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

health care Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

system operating multiple hospitals across seven states, with headquarters in

Renton, Washington Renton is a city in King County, Washington, and an inner-ring suburb of Seattle. Situated southeast of downtown Seattle, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington, at the mouth of the Cedar River. As of the 2020 census, the ...

. The health system includes 51

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

s, more than 800 non-acute facilities and numerous other health, supportive housing and educational services on the west coast of the United States (

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, and

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

) as well as

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

, New Mexico, and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. Providence Health & Services was founded by the Sisters of Providence in 1859. As a non-profit hospital, Providence enjoys lucrative tax exemptions in return for providing free care for the poor. A 2022 ''New York Times'' investigation revealed that Providence systematically and deliberately bilked low-income individuals who were eligible for free care, leaving thousands of low-income individuals saddled with medical debt. During the COVID pandemic, Providence obtained more than half a billion dollars from government funds intended to go to hospitals at risk of going under; the wealthy health care provider had nearly $12 billion in cash and generated $1 billion annually at the time.

History

Providence Health System was established by the Sisters of Providence, a community of

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

founded in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

in the 1850s, who established a

mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

Fort Vancouver Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading post that was the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company's Columbia Department, located in the Pacific Northwest. Named for Captain George Vancouver, the fort was located on the northern bank of the ...

and a hospital in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

. In 1859, the Sisters incorporated their work, creating the network of health care services known as Providence Health & Services. In 1891, they founded St. Elizabeth Hospital (now

PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center is a 450-bed community hospital located in Vancouver, Washington. The hospital was founded in 1858. In 2010, the hospital had about 114,000 emergency department (ED) visits, 27,000 in-patient visits, and 3,00 ...

), the Pacific Northwest's first permanent hospital opened with 13 beds. The sisters later established several schools and hospitals in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, and

. Providence Health System was managed by the Sisters of Providence until December 31st, 2009, when a Council of Sponsors known as Providence Ministries was created to serve as the canonical owners. Providence Health & Services formally came into being January 1, 2006 with the merger of Providence Health System, the progenitor firm, and Providence Services, based in Spokane and the parent company of Providence Health Care. Providence Health Care itself was formed in 1998 when six hospitals operating under Providence Services incorporated into a single entity. The hospitals making up Providence Health Care constituted the Dominican Network, which "became part of" Providence Services in 1993. In 2003, Health Management Associates purchased the Providence Health System properties in Central Washington including Providence Yakima Medical Center (formerly St. Elizabeth) and Toppenish Hospital. In 2012, Providence allied itself with Seattle, Washington-based

Swedish Health Services Swedish Health Services, formerly Swedish Medical Center, is the largest nonprofit health care, health provider in the Seattle metropolitan area. It operates five hospital campuses (in the Seattle neighborhoods of First Hill, Cherry Hill and Ba ...

, at which time Swedish's CEO Dr. Rod Hochman, was hired by Providence. In April 2013, Hochman became the president and CEO of Providence. In 2014, Providence entered in an affiliation with Pacific Medical Centers (PacMed). PacMed joined Swedish as part of Providence's Western HealthConnect division. Providence Medical Group is the "physician division" of Providence. It operates more than 250 clinics in neighborhoods throughout Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Providence Medical Group is part of Providence Health & Services. Providence Medical Group employs more than 1,600 physicians offering expertise in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, dermatology and other specialties. Providence Health & Services provides outpatient services, transitional care, home and

hospice care Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by ...

substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

programs,

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

treatment, prevention and wellness programs,

long-term care Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long-term care is focused on individualized and ...

, and

assisted living An assisted living residence or assisted living facility (ALF) is a housing facility for people with disabilities or for adults who cannot or who choose not to live independently. The term is popular in the United States, but the setting is s ...

and housing. Providence Health Plan provides or administers health coverage to more than 375,000 members nationwide. The company has a program in place designed to reduce the amount of food scraps that it sends to landfills.

Sponsorship

In 2014, Providence signed a sponsorship deal with the

Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at P ...

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

, naming Timbers' stadium

Providence Park Providence Park (formerly Jeld-Wen Field; PGE Park; Civic Stadium; originally Multnomah Stadium; and from 1893 until the stadium was built, Multnomah Field) is an outdoor soccer venue located in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. ...

Controversies

In 2018, Providence paid its chief executive, Rod Hochman, more than $10 million. A ''New York Times'' investigation into wealthy hospitals that obtained COVID funds revealed that Providence Health System obtained more than half of a billion in government funds which were intended to prevent health care providers from going under during the coronavirus pandemic. By that time, Providence Health System had nearly $12 billion in cash. Through investments with that fund, it generated approximately $1 billion in profits per year. In August 2021, Andrea Caballero, an infectious disease doctor who works at Providence Alaska Medical Center, said they were "on the verge of a hospital system collapse" due to the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

pandemic. There were staff shortages, lack of equipment and supplies, and too many unvaccinated people among the population for the hospitals to effectively treat. There were no mask or vaccine mandates in Anchorage, at the time; it was a policy of the recently elected mayor who successfully ran on a platform of no mask or vaccine mandates. September 24, 2022, The New York Times published an exposé on the Providence Hospital system, detailing deliberate, systematic violations of state law governing the provision of free care to low-income patients. Providence had hired a consulting firm to devise strategies to obtain money from patients who qualify for free care, including the illegal use of aggressive debt collection agencies, step-wise algorithms for hospital employed collection agents, and withholding from patients that they may qualify for free care.

Hospitals

Providence facilities include the following:

Alaska

Providence Alaska Medical Center Providence Alaska Medical Center is Alaska's largest hospital by revenue and number of beds. It has 401 beds, 1190 nurses and more than 850 physicians on staff. It is often ranked the largest private employer in Alaska. It is located at 3200 Provi ...

* Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center * Providence Seward Medical and Care Center * Providence Valdez Medical Center

California

Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Providence Holy Cross Medical Center is a hospital in the Mission Hills district of Los Angeles, California, US. The hospital has 377 beds, and is part of Providence Health & Services. History Holy Cross Medical Center was founded in 1961 by ...

* Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center (San Pedro) * Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center (Torrance) * Petaluma Valley Hospital *

Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center is a Catholic hospital in Burbank, California. The hospital has 446 beds, and is part of Providence Health & Services. Its address is 501 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California 91505. On the oppo ...

* Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center * Providence Medical Institute * Providence Saint John's Health Center *Providence Redwood Memorial Hospital *

Queen of the Valley Medical Center Queen of the Valley Medical Center is a medical center located in Napa, California operated by Providence Health & Services. The hospital first opened its doors in 1958 when it replaced Parks Victory Memorial Hospital. It is a Level III adult trau ...

* Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital *St. Mary's Medical Center-Apple Valley * Providence Mission Hospital Mission Viejo *Providence Mission Hospital Laguna Beach *St.Joseph Hospital Orange *St.Jude Medical Center (Fullerton) *St.Joseph Hospital - Eureka

Montana

* St. Joseph Medical Center *

St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center Providence St. Patrick Hospital, is a health care facility in Missoula, Montana. Overview Providence St. Patrick Hospital is the only level II trauma center in western Montana, northern Idaho, and Southwest Montana. The hospital employs more than ...

Oregon

* Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital * Providence Medford Medical Center * Providence Milwaukie Hospital *

Providence Newberg Medical Center Providence Newberg Medical Center is a not-for-profit acute care hospital in Newberg, Oregon, United States. Opened at a different location as Newberg Community Hospital, a new 40-licensed-hospital-bed and Leadership in Energy and Environmental D ...

Providence Portland Medical Center Providence Portland Medical Center, located at 4805 NE Glisan St. in the North Tabor neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, is a full-service medical center specializing in cancer and cardiac care. Opened in 1941, the hospital is licensed for 483 beds, ...

* Providence Seaside Hospital *

Providence St. Vincent Medical Center Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, is a non-profit, acute care teaching hospital in an unincorporated section of Washington County, Oregon, in the West Haven-Sylvan area north of Beaverton, Oregon and west of Portland, Oregon, United States � ...

Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center (Willamette Falls) is a not-for-profit acute care hospital operated by Providence Health & Services in Oregon City, Oregon, United States. Established in 1954 as Doctors' Hospital, the hospital moved to it ...

Washington

* Providence Centralia Hospital *

Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Providence Regional Medical Center Everett is a full-service medical center and the flagship hospital of Providence Health & Services, the largest faith-based healthcare system in the Northwestern United States. It serves patients from Snohomish ...

Providence St. Peter Hospital Providence St. Peter Hospital, located in the Lilly Road Medical District of Olympia, Washington is Providence Health & Services’s second largest Washington state hospital. Providence St. Peter features 390 beds in the medical/surgical tower with ...

The following were originally part of the Dominican Network and came into Providence Health & Services upon its formation in 2006 * Deer Park Health Center & Hospital * Holy Family Hospital of Spokane * Mount Carmel Hospital of Colville *

Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devo ...

of Spokane * St. Joseph's Hospital of Chewelah * St. Mary Medical Center of Walla Walla

Texas

* Covenant Medical Center - Lubbock * Covenant Children's Hospital - Lubbock * Grace Medical Center - Lubbock * Covenant Health Plainview * Covenant Health Levelland

References

External links

Providence Health & Services
(official website)
Providence Archives
(official archives) {{DEFAULTSORT:Providence Health and Services Catholic health care Companies based in Renton, Washington Healthcare in Washington (state) Hospital networks in the United States Companies established in 1859 1859 establishments in Washington Territory Medical and health organizations based in Washington (state) Catholic hospital networks in the United States