Providence Health & Services

Providence Health System and Providence Services joined in 2006 to become Providence Health and Services.  This integrated system includes 27 hospitals, more than 35 non-acute facilities, physician clinics, a health plan, a liberal arts university and numerous other health, housing and educational services. 

This new organizational structure has enabled staff to stay focused on their local communities with the added benefit of sharing expertise and best practices across the system.  Palliative Care and end-of-life care programs continue to grow to meet the needs of those living with or affected by life-threatening illness.   


System office:                  506 Second Ave., Suite 1200 
                                             Seattle, Wa  98104
                                             (206) 464-3355

Web site:                             www.providence.org

Coalition board members and primary contact:

Barbara Segal, Program Director, Providence Center for Health Care Ethics
(503) 216-1910
barbara.segal@providence.org

Jim Shaw, MD, Medical Director, Providence Center for Faith and Healing
(509)474-3097
ShawJ@shmc.org

Oregon EOL/Palliative Care Initiatives

Compassionate Volunteer Vigil Program
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Portland, OR 
     
This program ensures that no patient dies alone.  Volunteers are present with hospital patients who are actively dying but have no family or friends to support them during this important passage.  To date approximately 25 volunteers have been trained for this service.  Plans to implement this program at Providence Portland Medical Center are under way.

Cross Cultural Competency at the End of Life
Providence Health and Services, Portland Service Area

This curriculum has been developed by the Providence Center for Health Care Ethics for hospitalists in the Portland Service Area.  It includes video case studies as well as didactic presentations on the particular topic of each module, discussion, role play, and resource materials.  The first module of the curriculum was presented in spring, 2006. 

Bayer Institute Conversations at the End of Life
Providence Health and Services, Portland Service Area

In 2005, 79 Providence Portland Service Area staff were trained as trainers for these modules, which help staff to communicate competently and sensitively with patients and their families about the issues surrounding the end of life.  These trainers are now being asked to facilitate the modules on floors and units of the three hospitals in the Portland Service Area.

New Initiatives – California Region

Palliative/Supportive C.A.R.E. Team (Choices, Answers, Respect, Expertise)
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, CA

The team, which consists of a social work manager, RN clinician, certified hospital chaplain, and palliative care medical director, provided 483 hospital consultations in 2005, focusing on pain management, spiritual and emotional counseling, assistance with completion of Advance Directives, and community resource identification and referral (hospice).  Team members trained over 665 nurses and nursing assistants in palliative and end-of -life care, and worked closely with key hospital staff in revising and implementing a physician comfort care order set.

Dedicated Comfort Care Suite
Providence St. Joseph, Burbank, CA

Work began in late November for a designated Comfort Care Suite on the Transitional Care Unit, which opened in April and accommodates patients and their loved ones at the end of life. 

TrinityKids Care - Pediatric Palliative Care and Hospice
TrinityCare Hospice, Torrance, CA 
 
This is one of three pediatric palliative care/hospice programs in the state of California.  There is a growing need for pediatric palliative care nationally, but not enough board certified physicians to fill this need.

Regionwide Standard for Palliative Care
There is an initiative to create a regionwide standard for palliative care under the umbrella of TrinityCare Hospice.  There are three TrinityCare offices in the LA area to date.

Local End-of-Life Care Programs Include:

Providence Extended Care Center
4900 Eagle Street
Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) 762-2281
Pcollins@provak.org

Providence San Fernando Valley Service Area
501 S. Buena Vista
Burbank, CA 91234
(818) 238-2807
Web site: www.providence.org
E-mail (1): csettles@phsca.org
E-mail (2): teisenman@phsca.org

Compassionate Care Council (Hospice based palliative care consults in acute care setting); Community forums

Providence Health System - Portland, Oregon
1235 NE 47th, Suite 299
Portland, OR 97213
Numerous initiatives aimed at improving end-of-life care ranging from primary care physician practices, hospice bridge programs, music thanatology and long-term care.