Providence Releases 2019 Report Showcasing Commitment to the Health of our Communities

RENTON, Wash., May 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Providence, one of the largest health care systems in the nation, announced today its inaugural Annual Report to our Communities. This report highlights how Providence benefited the community by focusing on upstream health. Providence chose these focus areas because they are the foundations to health and well-being, representing needs that are integral to improving quality of life.

"Across our seven states, we are working to address a homelessness and housing insecurity challenge that has reached crisis proportions. Additionally, access to physical and mental health services remain areas of great need and priorities for investment," said Joel Gilbertson, executive vice president of Community Partnerships at Providence. "As we serve millions of people, we recognize our environmental impact and are committed to modeling greener, more sustainable ways to operate and provide care. Making education a priority reflects its function as an undisputed social determinant of personal and societal health. And beyond our borders, our international program serves in solidarity with marginalized communities," said Gilbertson.

Why Providence Addressed Each Key Initiative in 2019:

• Housing and Homelessness: Providence sees a vital intersection between health care and housing and believes both are basic human rights. Finding manageable pathways to permanent housing requires comprehensive reform and a serious commitment from private and public sector entities to pool talent and resources.
• Health Access: Health care is about ensuring equity of care for everyone by providing access to a comprehensive suite of social and health services. Access to health care impacts one's overall physical, social, and mental health status and quality of life. In a changing health care landscape, Providence has formed intentional partnerships and made targeted investments that improve care outside of hospitals.
• Mental Health and Well-Being: There are unique challenges to addressing mental health and substance use disorders in every community. Providence is partnering with local organizations that understand the landscape and needs of the community that supports a coordinated ecosystem to support optimal mental health.
• Environmental Stewardship: Providence recognizes that the U.S. health care system collectively generates 10 percent of national greenhouse gas emissions, leaving a substantial footprint. Our family of organizations has committed to making significant, measurable improvements to our environmental footprint between now and 2030.
• Education: Providence knows that disparities in education are intimately linked with health challenges, especially for those who are poor and vulnerable. There is an expected nationwide talent shortage for clinical areas from technicians to nurses and physicians. Providence is addressing this concern by operating 12 education organizations.
• International Impact: Providence's Mission, which includes a commitment to serve the poor and the vulnerable, reaches beyond our borders to address the issues of our time. We live in a global society and it is our responsibility to address the root causes of health disparities in our back yard and across our border. Leveraging our unique scale and resources allows us to meet the community and address some of its most basic needs.

"With community voice, public health expertise, and data guiding our investments we are improving the social and economic factors that contribute to healthier communities and better health outcomes," said Dora Barilla, group vice president, Community Health Investment at Providence. "In partnership with like-minded organizations, we have been able to serve our Medicaid and uninsured populations by shifting care toward appropriate settings and serving our communities experiencing the greatest health disparities."

This report also highlights the organization's 2019 community health investment. Providence contributed $1.5 billion in community benefit investments across our seven states. These 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 the community investment by state, visit the Annual Report to our Communities website to view regional reports.

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 51 hospitals, 1,085 physician clinics, senior services, supportive housing and many other health and educational services, the health system and its partners employ more than 119,000 caregivers serving communities across 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. 

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SOURCE Providence