Providence Health & Services, Southern California, and Pacific Heart Institute, a Santa Monica-based cardiology practice, approved the formation of a strategic affiliation aimed at enhancing patient care.
Pacific Heart Institute provides comprehensive cardiology services including preventive cardiology, heart failure diagnosis and management, cardiovascular interventions, advanced arrhythmia management and the treatment of women with heart disease.
The nine-physician practice includes 42 advanced practitioners and staff members.
Providence Saint John’s Health Center chief executive Marcel Loh said Providence Saint John’s was fortunate to have extremely talented cardiologists on its staff and it was excited for this opportunity to expand its relationship with one of these groups.
“Our goal is to collaborate in research as we continue to enhance the care we provide,” Loh said. “PHI is a group of highly respected physicians, nurses and support people with strong roots in Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu and other Westside communities and we welcome them to our growing Providence family.”
PHI physicians collaborate to ensure comprehensive care for every patient. The practice includes board-certified cardiologists with advanced training in multiple cardiology subspecialties.
Glenda Dennis, chief executive officer of PHI, said the strength of the Providence system in Southern California and throughout the Western states would give PHI access to an expanded base of patients, as well as opportunities for greater collaboration and sharing of cardiology ‘best practices’ with its colleagues.
Providence Southern California is the second largest health care system in Los Angeles County, operating six hospitals, numerous outpatient clinics and a regional hospice program.
To meet the goals of health care reform, Providence has sought innovative partnerships as it strives to expand access to quality and affordable care and to improve the health of the communities it serves.
PHI is located adjacent to Providence Saint John’s Health Center, a 266-bed hospital that became part of Providence earlier this year.
Providence Saint John’s has a tradition of leading-edge cardiovascular care.
Just this week, the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a landmark four-year trial demonstrating the effectiveness of WATCHMAN, an implantable heart device as an alternative to traditional blood thinning medicine to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.
