Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1508233
2 | Health Matters: Providence Saint John's Health Center Letter to the Community T here is nothing more important to our patients than knowing they are being listened to. It's the essence of our Providence Promise: "Know me, care for me, ease my way." Listening to and engaging with our patients, and often with their loved ones, are our priorities at Providence Saint John's Health Center, because this ensures the best possible whole-person care. Delivering an outstanding care experience starts with knowing our patients and their values, cultures, expectations, preferences and concerns. In this edition of Health Matters you will find stories that reflect Providence Saint John's commitment to delivering personalized care that recognizes the patient. On page 4 you'll meet Penny White, a vibrant 70-year-old grandmother who had open heart surgery at another hospital a decade ago. "It was not a good experience," says Penny. In addition to acquiring a life-threatening bacterial infection, Penny 's complaints about ongoing symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath were dismissed. At Providence Saint John's, however, her doctors listened, and that ultimately led to a shocking diagnosis. Thanks to the extraordinary, leading-edge care she received, Penny 's story has a happy ending. On page 6 you'll read about Mike Cruz, who also got a surprise diagnosis when he sought help for hip pain that threatened to end his passion for figure skating. Mike says that his initial phobia about doctors faded away after he met orthopedic surgeon Dr. Andrew Yun. "I relaxed because I knew he cared. He listened to me and allowed me to share my story and my concerns," says Cruz. And on page 10 you'll learn about our mission-driven initiatives to address health care disparities. Find out how Providence Saint John's has committed to improving care and outreach for underserved groups, including some Black, Latino/a and Native American communities. We believe health care is a human right and everyone should have access to compassionate, top-quality care from providers who listen and understand. We hope this edition of Health Matters leaves you with a sense of the extraordinary care and healing we provide in a community hospital setting that is dedicated to treating everyone with compassion and dignity. Take care and stay well, Stephanie Nolan, RN, Chief Nursing Officer Providence Saint John's Health Center