Following the approval by church and state officials, Providence Health & Services, Southern California, will assume sponsorship Saturday of Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica from the SCL Health System.
The California Attorney General’s Office approved the transaction after the Holy See, the governing office of the Catholic Church, had granted its permission to the change in sponsorship between the two Catholic, not-for-profit healthcare organizations.
Founded in 1942 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Saint John’s will be renamed Providence Saint John’s Health Center. It will become the sixth Providence hospital in the Los Angeles Area and the 33rd in the five Western states served by Renton, Wash.-based Providence Health & Services.
“The Sisters of Charity have entrusted to Providence a nationally recognized center of healing,” said Michael Hunn, senior vice president and chief executive of Providence Southern California. “We pledge to continue their mission in Santa Monica and the neighboring Westside communities.”
A private ceremony was held Feb. 28 to mark the transition and to welcome Providence Saint John’s and the John Wayne Cancer Institute to Providence. Aside from cancer care, Providence Saint John’s is widely known for excellence in women’s health, orthopedics, neuroscience and cardiology.
“We are thrilled with the attorney general’s decision and look forward to joining Providence,” said Michael L. Wall, acting president and chief executive officer of Providence Saint John’s. “This is a great opportunity for us to expand our award-winning care to new communities and to provide those we serve with additional resources as well.”
The 266-bed Providence Saint John’s has been named among America’s 50 Best Hospitals for the past eight years by Healthgrades, a leading consumer ratings agency. The hospital has approximately 1,600 employees and 1,000 physicians on staff.
Additionally, for more than 30 years, the physicians and scientists at the John Wayne Cancer Institute have made groundbreaking discoveries that fundamentally have changed the way cancer is detected, diagnosed and treated. The institute’s translational research programs focus on melanoma, breast, neurologic and gastrointestinal cancers, as well as innovative research in cancer genomics, molecular biomarkers and immunotherapy. The John Wayne Cancer Institute also trains the next generation of national leaders in cancer research and treatment through its renowned Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program.
“The John Wayne Cancer Institute has a unique ability to rapidly turn scientific discoveries into novel approaches for early detection and effective treatments, and we look forward to working with Providence to expand our efforts to reach new horizons in cancer research that can improve care for patients everywhere,” said Patrick Wayne, chairman of the institute’s board of directors.
Providence Saint John’s sister hospitals include Providence Saint Joseph, Providence Holy Cross and Providence Tarzana medical centers in the San Fernando Valley and Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers in Torrance and San Pedro.
“We are grateful to our new sponsors for their commitment to continuing the great tradition of our founding sisters and for bringing a new energy to our philanthropic efforts,” said John M. Robertson, M.D., chairman of the Saint John’s Health Center Foundation. “Providence has a very good reputation for working with its communities to enhance its hospitals with the latest equipment to ensure quality and to fund programs that serve our patients and their families when they’re most vulnerable.”
In May, SCL Health System chose Providence to join in exclusive discussions for the proposed sponsorship transfer because of its expertise in managing Catholic hospitals and its extensive physician network. Catholic hospitals are sponsored, rather than “owned,” by not-for-profit religious ministries.
For information about Providence, visit California.providence.org; for information about Providence Saint John’s, visit newstjohns.org.
