Founded in 1938 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine to minister to the community in both body and spirit, Providence Hospitals is known statewide for its compassionate care. The non-profit organization, which has been a staple in healthcare services in the Midlands for decades, is comprised of four entities: Providence Hospital, Providence Heart & Vascular Institute, Providence Hospital Northeast and Providence Orthopaedic & Neuro Spine Institute.
While these facilities and services have laid a solid foundation of innovation and quality, healthcare is changing and new challenges have led the current CEO, George Zara, to look ahead. Driven by the same spirit that inspired a pastor and a local businessman to establish a Catholic hospital in Columbia in the 1930s, Zara and his team continue to explore and implement necessary changes within the organization to stay ahead of industry factors that are out of their control.
“Our nation’s healthcare system is at a tipping point,” says George. “It is clear that its existing structure and fundamentals are not sustainable. In South Carolina, physicians and hospitals will see reduced payments for services. In addition, patients want to receive care differently. More procedures are converting from inpatient to outpatient.”
Governments at the national and state levels are reducing the revenue paid to both physicians and hospitals for providing healthcare. The future model of care must be provided in the lowest cost setting, it must demonstrate high-quality outcomes and a great personal experience, and it must be coordinated across all sites of care. Providence is committed to creating such a model of care and getting ahead of the healthcare changes that the entire industry faces.
“Providence is strong today, but in order to remain strong well into the future, we need to change our thinking and how we deliver care while ensuring that the patient remains our focus,” George says. “Sometimes, this will require making tough decisions.”
Among some of the tough decisions that have been made are staffing adjustments, streamlined procedures and reduced supply costs. These and other measures, along with George’s vision for the organization’s future, have positioned Providence Hospitals to continue to deliver the highest quality of care to patients for years to come.
For more information about Providence Hospitals, visit www.providencehospitals.com or Like them on Facebook at facebook.com/ProvidenceHospitals.
