Palliative care expert joins Providence Health & Services

One of the nation’s foremost experts in palliative care and a leading advocate for transforming care through the end of life is joining Providence Health & Services to lead its new Institute for Human Caring.

Dr. Ira Byock, the former director of palliative medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and author of “The Four Things That Matter Most,” “Dying Well” and “The Best Care Possible,” will serve as chief medical officer of the institute, which will further Providence’s longstanding commitment to providing “whole person” care. Providence, the third largest not-for-profit health system in the country, is widely recognized for its premier hospice and palliative care programs across the West Coast.

“Providence lives its values every day and genuinely delivers on its commitment to patient-centered, family care,” Dr. Byock said. “I was attracted to this role because of Providence’s core values, mission, vision, reputation for quality, geographic impact, and quite frankly, gumption — all of which are vital elements to leading a national revolution around whole person care.”