In changing times, our mission is our compass

Joseph Wilczek

Thanks to our dedicated physicians, nurses and other employees, our organization completed another successful fiscal year in June 2009. I am very proud of the Franciscan family’s many achievements. We provided care to a record number of patients at our hospitals, medical clinics, outpatient centers, and through our hospice program.

In Gig Harbor, we opened St. Anthony Hospital and created nearly 500 jobs in the midst of one of the worst economic recessions in decades. Construction continued on our state-of-the-art hospital in Enumclaw that will open in early 2011. Due to its numerous environmentally friendly features, it will be the first LEED-certified “green” hospital in the state.

We partnered with MultiCare Health System and TRA Medical Imaging to establish the Carol Milgard Breast Center in Tacoma where we now provide digital screening and diagnostic mammography and other state-of-the-art breast health services. This unique center provides outstanding care to everyone regardless of their income or socioeconomic status, and it is already one of the busiest centers of its kind in the United States.

During the recently completed fiscal year (July 2008-June 2009), our organization also provided nearly $53 million in community services and programs that benefited people from all walks of life. Of that, nearly $17 million was in unreimbursed (charity) care for individuals who were unable to pay for the medical care they needed and received.

For the sixth-consecutive year, the Franciscan Health System is ranked as one of the best-performing, most efficient health systems in the nation. We are No. 8 on the Top 100 list – an achievement that reflects the commitment to excellence that distinguishes our organization.

Looking ahead, health care will continue to be one of the most important and exciting fields in which to work. National health care reform is again a priority on the federal government’s agenda. This is reason for optimism, because reform is needed, and anxiety, because we don’t know at this writing what will result from the current national debate.

We at the Franciscan Health System and Catholic Health Initiatives, the national organization with which we are affiliated, have long been advocates for meaningful health care reform. We champion systemic change that will result in affordable health care for everyone regardless of race or socio-economic level. We also support fair payment to providers to cover the costs of providing quality care and maintain basic health programs for vulnerable individuals. These are key yardsticks by which we will measure the success of health care reform.