Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1482622
2 | Health Matters: Providence Saint John's Health Center Letter to the Community I n June, we held a special ceremony at Providence Saint John's Health Center that resonated with so many of us and reminded us of the mission and values that define our health center. After 80 years of service, our foundresses—the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth— said farewell to Providence Saint John's and returned to the Mother House in Leavenworth, Kansas, where they were called to serve. Throughout their tenure at our health center, the sisters applied compassion, love, determination and savvy to make Providence Saint John's what it is today. They lived the values of compassion, dignity, justice, excellence and integrity that we embrace. While the last of the sisters have returned home, their spirit, wisdom and examples remain ever present through the healing work of our caregivers. The ceremony for our sisters marked the beginning of a time of reflection as our health center celebrates its 80th anniversary and acknowledges the resilience that has allowed us to serve the Westside community for eight decades. That strength was evident in the wake of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, when we began plans to rebuild the hospital the very next day. Today, our state-of-the-art, 266-bed health center stands as a testament to the bright future ahead of us. Our anniversary also prompts us to renew our commitment to our community over the next 80 years. At Providence Saint John's, we have a unique ability to offer university-level research and leading- edge care in a community hospital setting — a unique blend not often found in health care organizations around the country. Another thing that differentiates us from other hospitals is our promise to care for patients in an individualized and personalized way. We have patients who were born here, had their children here and welcomed their grandchildren into the world here. We often see these generations and hear them praise their positive experiences at Providence Saint John's. As we enter our ninth decade, we are committed to building new institutes and programs, recruiting the nation's finest physicians and upholding the values established by the Sisters of Charity. This is what the community expects and deserves from Providence Saint John's. Take care and stay well, Michael Ricks, Chief Executive Providence Saint John's Health Center