What Care Networks Mean for South Division. This is being sent to South Division core leaders.

Dear core leader,

I am following up on COO Darryl Elmouchi’s message introducing care networks and what this new model means for how we will work together across Providence. I hope you will be able to attend our division-wide core leader forum on this topic, which will take place at noon tomorrow, Oct. 15. Add it to your calendar by visiting this link. (We will share a recording of the webinar in next week’s Core Leader News.)

For South Division, this is an important step that continues our work to organize care around the people and communities we serve. As Darryl pointed out in yesterday’s update, patients do not experience Providence as separate hospitals, clinics or outpatient centers. They experience one care journey, and they expect us to seamlessly coordinate their care at every step, irrespective of where the members of their care team are listed on org charts.

Bringing our physician networks and our acute care ministries together under an aligned leadership structure will help us deliver on that expectation. It will give local leaders and teams greater ability to make decisions, remove barriers between care settings and share accountability for the health outcomes of our patients. And while it will be a big adjustment, discontinuing the use of the Providence Clinical Network name will demonstrate our commitment to acting as one Providence, one ministry, and one unified health partner for the communities we take care of.

Note that the term care network is an internal label for what we used to call service areas and integrated delivery networks. There are no changes to the externally facing Providence brands, nor are we changing the facility or medical group names in use today.

In South Division, we will organize around three care networks:

• Orange County/High Desert Care Network, led by Brian Helleland
• Northern California Care Network, led by Garry Olney
• Los Angeles Care Network, led by Karl Keeler

As the LA-Coastal and LA-Valley service areas come together to form a single care network, Michael Ricks will continue to support Providence SaintJohn’s Health Center as that ministry’s chief executive.

Within each care network, acute and ambulatory clinicians and support staff will work closely as a single integrated team. This model will strengthen the voice of physicians, advanced practitioners and clinicians in shaping how care is delivered locally.

Another step toward integrating the delivery of care is a change in clinical leadership at the division level. The newly established position of chief physician executive will oversee the division’s acute CMO as well as the CMO for our physician network. Quality, care management, the clinical institutes, value-based care, access, physician services, and other key departments will also report to the South Division chief physician executive. Brendan Lloyd, M.D., who has been serving as our division’s interim PCN CE, will serve as our division’s interim chief physician executive while a search for a permanent leader is conducted. (Dr. Lloyd is also now serving as Providence’s CMO for care delivery.)

Shared services here in South Division—including Mission Integration, Human Resources and Finance, along with clinical services such as imaging, laboratory and pharmacy—will align with this coordinated approach. Look for updates as these teams organize around the care network model.
Over the coming weeks, we will share more about South Division care network and ministry leadership, how teams will work together and what you can expect as this model takes shape.

Thank you for your leadership, partnership and continued commitment to our Mission. Together, we have an opportunity to make care more connected, more local and more responsive to the people who depend on us.

With gratitude, 
Laureen Driscoll
Chief Executive, South Division