Providence Health Magazine Spring 2016

April 1, 2016

There’s a TV show called The Knick about a turn-of-the-century hospital in New York City and the surgical procedures that were considered cutting-edge back in 1900. This issue of Providence touches on the history of our oldest Providence hospital in California and on the advances we’ve made that were unimaginable 90 years ago when what is now Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro opened.

The former San Pedro Hospital was founded in 1909 by Lillian B. Mullen, a graduate nurse and physician from New York—the era of The Knick! The very first patients were cared for in the old Clarence Hotel until the first hospital building was dedicated in 1925.

At Providence hospitals today, we provide the latest in health care. Inside these pages, you’ll read about TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement), a minimally invasive procedure to implant an artificial valve. The procedure is an alternative to open-heart surgery, created for high-risk patients for whom major surgery is not a viable option.

Another relatively new procedure, ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), has shown remarkable results for patients suffering heart or lung failure. ECMO involves removing the carbon dioxide from a patient’s blood and oxygenating red blood cells to improve respiration and heart function.

Our cover story is focused on thoracic services—treating conditions that affect the organs within the chest, including the lungs, heart and esophagus. Many of our physicians are leaders in new lifesaving and life-enhancing procedures. And we also offer a question-and-answer with one of our orthopedic surgeons and the successes he’s had treating carpal tunnel syndrome.

Finally, we’re very excited to announce a new partnership with Exer – More than Urgent Care, emergency care centers that provide a higher level of care for patients whose injuries or illnesses aren’t life-threatening. Exer has clinics in Northridge, Calabasas, Beverly Hills and Newbury Park in Ventura County. Together Exer and Providence plan to open more clinics in communities served by Providence to provide emergency patients with more appropriate and affordable care than a visit to a hospital emergency department.

Karl Carrier
Interim Regional Chief Executive

Previous Article
Infant BMI May Predict Risk of Childhood Obesity
Infant BMI May Predict Risk of Childhood Obesity

Next Article
GI disorders: Don’t ignore the symptoms
GI disorders: Don’t ignore the symptoms

Left unchecked, gastrointestinal disorders can be debilitating and potentially life-threatening. Learn more...