AHA recognizes Providence organizations for expansive palliative care approach

A group of Providence St. Joseph Health organizations in Southern California has earned a top American Hospital Association award for implementing palliative care programming that considers the needs of patients across the care continuum — not just at the end of life.

In giving a Circle of Life Award to the trio of Providence St. Joseph organizations, AHA said in award materials that they had taken on an ambitious goal "to provide 'whole person care' to every patient, essentially embedding the principles of palliative care throughout" Providence St. Joseph's operations in Southern California.

The awardees — Providence TrinityCare Hospice, Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, and the Providence Institute for Human Caring — received AHA's top recognition for palliative care providers at a July 28 ceremony in San Diego. CHA is one of the sponsors of the annual award.