Continuing to Lead in a Changing Health Care Environment

In a dynamic health care environment that thrives on innovation, organizations like Swedish must continuously find ways to improve if we are to fulfill our mission to provide the best care possible for our patients.

At Swedish, our efforts at continuous improvement are currently focused around making the transition from a model of care that was traditionally centered around the hospital to a model we call “Healthcare 2.0” that focuses on providing the right care at the right time, and in the right place – which, more often than not, is somewhere other than a hospital.

In making this transition, we are committed to providing the full continuum of care to our patients through an integrated acute and ambulatory health system, one that is made even stronger through strategic partnerships in our local communities. At the same time, we are maintaining our core commitment to putting patients first and delivering safe, high-quality care.

I’m proud that we have the right leadership team in place to support Swedish in stewarding this strategic vision. Last month, I announced the addition of four outstanding leaders to my executive team, all of whom will serve important roles at Swedish. In addition, the Swedish Board of Trustees recently voted to add five new physician members to the Board, which will bring important perspective to our management and governance, and will also serve to strengthen communication between our caregivers and leaders.

I am honored to work alongside an incredible group of doctors, nurses and all of our staff as we move forward together as one Swedish.

This transformation will not happen overnight. We are taking a thoughtful, data-driven and methodical approach to our strategic planning process. Caregivers, leadership and our Board members will all work in partnership to build the model that is right for our patients and our communities. That is how Swedish will continue to lead in a changing environment, and transition into the next phase of our 100-plus-year history in the Puget Sound.