In Orange County, Providence St. Joseph Health has more of a local flavor—its
local presence is best known as St. Joseph Hoag Health.
The local seven-hospital network is more fully integrated following the
Renton, Wash.-based healthcare provider’s September announcement
that it will create a single regional network comprised of 14 hospitals
in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties.
“We are the second largest provider in the region after Kaiser,”
said Erik G. Wexler, regional chief executive of Providence St. Joseph
Health, Southern California.
“The integration gives us additional opportunity to [provide] high-value
healthcare with extraordinary efficiency.”
The name of its Irvine headquarters is now Providence St. Joseph Health,
which used to be St. Joseph Health.
Priority Set
Unpredictability in the healthcare industry, including uncertainties with
the future of the federal Affordable Care Act and with payment reform,
present a challenge to hospitals and health systems. Providence St. Joseph
plans to stay ahead of the headwinds by expanding clinical efforts, which
include accelerating research and innovation; creating a data repository
for genomics; setting best practices by disease category; increasing ambulatory
care sites; and strengthening individualized care with a focus on care
close to home supported by digital technology. Targeted areas are musculoskeletal,
neurosciences, digestive health, cancer, cardiovascular and women and
children’s health.
“We are committed to come together to collaborate on how we can standardize
care and improve outcomes,” Wexler said.
He gave Irvine-based Hoag Orthopedic Institute as an example. “We
are going to take best practice from HOI and share that best practice
throughout the Providence St. Joseph [network].”
The model, a joint venture between Hoag Hospital and doctor owners, achieved
strong clinical outcomes as a result of doctors being vested as stakeholders.
The institute was ranked in the 98th percentile for overall hospital rating,
according to a report by Press Ganey, which provides healthcare organizations
with insights on patient experience and performance improvements.
Hoag Orthopedic is made up of a 70-bed hospital and two ambulatory surgery
centers with more than 300 doctors.
Wexler said he’s excited about his expanded role. “I no longer
see through my lens Orange County, Los Angeles and the High Desert. I
see through my lens Southern California and beyond.”
He joined Providence St. Joseph in 2016 as executive vice president and
chief executive of Providence Health & Services’ Los Angeles
region. He previously spent five years at Tenet Healthcare as chief executive
of the health system’s northeast region.
Leaders in Place
The new structure also includes a 14-person executive team to oversee the region.
“There are no duplicate roles on that list. We asked the team to
stretch themselves across Southern California, much like I have,”
Wexler said. “The new leadership will fulfill our goals of providing
outstanding clinical care, greater access and increased affordability
to those we serve.”
The new team includes Hoag Hospital’s Andre Vovan, MD, a Business
Journal Innovator of the Year in 2017, who will be chief clinical effectiveness
officer; Lisa Weaver, chief integration and external relations officer.
Wexler is recruiting for a health network executive to take the roles of
chief operating and financial officers. Lee Penrose, interim chief financial
officer and chief operations officer for OC and the High Desert, has announced
his intention to leave the organization in April.
Other roles filled cover strategy, quality, mission integration and human
resources for the SoCal division and philanthropy, finance, and chief
executive roles over specific portions within it.
“The key to the team composition is to create unity and create collaboration
across all Southern California. We’ve taken an outstanding group
of executives … the best and the brightest,” Wexler said.
“We don’t expect any further add at this point.”
Hoag
St. Joseph and Hoag came together in 2013 to form a regional affiliation,
retaining their individual identities and faiths, Catholic and Presbyterian,
respectively. That relationship structure continues after the merger with
Providence.
“Hoag retains its own name, unique identity and culture, respecting
Hoag’s Presbyterian roots. Hoag has its own fiduciary board of directors
that is directly responsible for Hoag,” said Hoag Chief Executive
Officer, Robert Braithwaite.
The St. Joseph Hoag Health name is used for the St. Joseph Hoag Health
Wellness Corners and for marketing the St. Joseph Hoag Health network
of care to employers, according to a Hoag spokesperson. There’s
been no decision to change that name.
Wexler said, “The St. Joseph Hoag Health brand is not going away
at this time but we will continue to explore how we create a common brand
across all of Southern California.”
Braithwaite said Hoag will collaborate with Providence St. Joseph Health
Southern California region. “Where there are best practices, we
will collectively work together to leverage those practices to drive the
best quality and outcomes for the communities we serve.”
Article originally published by
Orange County Business Journal January 22, 2018