RENTON, Wash., May 4, 2021 – Today Rod Hochman, M.D., President and CEO of Providence, one of the largest health care systems in the nation, joined with other CEOs from across the United States to set new standards of safety for the nation’s healthcare workers. Ten health system leaders launched the CEO Coalition to spark a movement for meaningful change and catalyze a future in which all healthcare team members feel more protected at work.
The CEO Coalition’s Declaration of Principles expands the definition of safety to include safeguarding psychological and emotional well-being of all team members, promoting health justice by declaring equity and anti-racism as core components of safety, and protecting the physical safety of staff, which includes a zero-harm program to eliminate workplace violence, both physical and verbal.
“Health care professionals instinctively step up to help others whenever there is a need, which we saw throughout the pandemic. This declaration is about caring for our caregivers. It’s about setting new standards for their safety and well-being, and ensuring we are creating an inclusive and equitable environment for our nation’s diverse health care workforce,” Dr. Hochman said.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought new visibility to the selfless acts of courage and the fierce dedication of healthcare team members. It also amplified the physical and emotional risks team members face, as well as systemic inequities. Together, the co-founders the CEO Coalition can increase awareness and help accelerate needed change.
About Providence
Providence is a national, not-for-profit Catholic health system comprising a diverse family of organizations and driven by a belief that health is a human right. With 52 hospitals, over 1,000 physician clinics, senior services, supportive housing, and much other health and educational services, the health system and its partners employ more than 120,000 caregivers serving communities across seven states – Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, with system offices in Renton, Wash., and Irvine, Calif. Learn about our vision of health for a better world at Providence.org.
About the CEO Coalition
The CEO Coalition, co-founded by 10 health system CEOs across the U.S., is on a mission to protect the physical safety, emotional well-being, and just treatment of all who work in healthcare. Focused on the heart of safety, the CEO Coalition published a Declaration of Principles outlining three pillars of change needed to build a future of caring, trust, and health justice. The co-founders of the CEO Coalition have sparked a national movement and are turning the Declaration into an action plan for meaningful and sustainable change. For more information, visit www.CEOCoalition.com.
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