Patients will have the opportunity to transfer care to other local neurosurgeons while continuing to receive surgical services at St. Peter Hospital.
SOUTH PUGET SOUND — Across the country, health care organizations are taking important steps to adapt to post-pandemic challenges. These steps include streamlining operating models, reducing redundancy, and redesigning care teams to strengthen current business operations.
Providence Swedish, across the Puget Sound, has both acquired and divested in physician practices acknowledging the rapidly changing health care landscape. In response to these changes, we will sunset the Providence Medical Group Neurosurgery Clinic in Olympia and transition patients to other neurosurgeon practices in the community. Patients will continue to have the option of receiving neurosurgery at St. Peter Hospital. We are working with each patient, physician and caregiver to help ensure a smooth transition.
These changes are difficult. This decision is made with the knowledge that there are neurosurgery resources in our community. For us to continue to fulfill our Mission, it is imperative that we utilize all available resources and reduce duplication. Neurosurgery patients can continue with their current care team through the end of August 2023, and we will work with them to transition their care.
We are tremendously grateful to the caregivers and physicians who contributed to our Providence Medical Group Neurosurgery Clinic over the past few decades.
Please see below for FAQs. If you have any additional questions, reach out to swcommunications@providence.org.
FAQs
Why was the neurosurgery clinic chosen for this change? As part of regular programmatic reviews across Providence Swedish, we look for areas where we can improve the utilization of our resources for the greatest efficiency, impact, and patient care. Our community has excellent neurosurgeons who have the ability to scale their resources to treat more patients. We can better meet the needs of our patients by coordinating care through these programs.
Will St. Peter’s neurosurgery program be impacted? We have established relationships with other local neurosurgeons. We know that Providence Swedish patients will continue to get great care with our colleagues and at Providence St. Peter Hospital if surgical services are necessary.
Are other programmatic changes coming? We regularly review programs to make sure we are meeting the needs of our communities. With a challenging health care environment nationwide, and a Mission to care for all who come through our doors, we are called to be good stewards of our resources and programs. Programmatic changes occur frequently, including scaling up or down, or making other operational changes, to adjust for the changing needs in our communities and best support our caregivers.
