Though still in the early stages of discussions, St. Joseph Health and Providence Health & Services today announced their intention to pursue a partnership that would create a new entity. Sharing a common mission and a similar heritage, executives from both systems believe they will better serve patients as one organization.
“Providence and St. Joseph Health’s missions are aligned to improve the quality of care, increase access and make care more affordable for everyone,” said Rod Hochman, M.D., president and CEO, Providence Health & Services.
“We are two mission-focused organizations which truly have the potential of being better together, delivering outstanding clinical care and providing a compassionate presence in all the communities we serve,” said Deborah Proctor, president and CEO, St. Joseph Health.
Both systems maintain a strong foundation of Catholic health care, however both are also committed to including non-Catholic affiliates in order to be inclusive of all in need, especially the underserved.
The Sisters of St. Joseph established their healthcare system more than 100 years ago in Northern California and grew to serve other parts of the state including a strong presence in Southern California. Its services now extend to Texas and New Mexico. The Sisters of Providence, while originally established in Montreal, built its healthcare system in the Northwest, with a strong footprint in Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon and Washington. As a partnership both will continue to serve the regions in which they are established, but together they will form one of the largest health care systems in the Western U.S.
Details regarding how the partnership will be structured have not been finalized and will be the focus of discussions over the next several months.