Stories

New milestones in care made possible by our generous donor community

Our year of transformation was the culmination of a vision penned just as COVID-19 was gaining a foothold. In March 2020, less than a year into his tenure as chief executive, Randy Castillo wrote a five-year strategic plan for Providence St. Mary Medical Center. His goal was to bring essential services and more physicians to the High Desert. Despite a pandemic delay of over two years, 2024 saw Randy’s vision unfold a year ahead of schedule.

“I shared my plan with the board, and we started talking about it in the community,” says Randy. “That’s when things started to happen. The generosity of our donors allowed us to make significant strides in building a healthier community for everyone.”

Read on to learn about three important health initiatives you helped us achieve.

Providence St. Mary Medical Center has officially become a Level IV trauma center

Patients now have access to advanced trauma life support and stabilization right here in our community. Critically injured patients can be treated here or safely transported to a comprehensive trauma center (Levels I and II) when necessary. This critical step in the care continuum makes all the difference in the outcome of a traumatic injury.

“Until now, there hasn’t been a trauma center serving our area,” says Randy. “As a Level IV trauma center, we are better equipped to handle a wide range of trauma cases, enhancing our community’s safety and well-being.”

The recruitment of the Cutting Edge Surgical Medical Group was an unexpected boon to our community, including the addition of five highly qualified trauma surgeons.

“When we heard that Providence St. Mary was getting certified as a trauma center, we reached out to let Randy know we were interested in serving as the surgical team,” says Paul Wisniewski, M.D., chief executive officer of Cutting Edge Surgical Medical Group. “We believe that every individual deserves access to high-quality surgical care when they need it most. We are delighted to serve as trauma surgeons for the medical center and work together to restore and save lives.”

Providence St. Mary launched an internal medicine residency program to train residents to become outstanding physicians and patient advocates

To date, over 1,000 applicants from across the U.S. and around the world have applied for 10 openings in our new internal medicine residency program, which begins in early 2025.

“We are honored to launch our residency program to educate physicians intending to build careers that make a difference in the communities they serve,” says Randy.

As a faith-based nonprofit and mission-driven ministry, Randy adds that Providence St. Mary is invested in solving community health problems and committed to serving all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

“The residency program will improve access to primary care physicians in the High Desert,” he says. “It will help us retain physicians in the area and, importantly, focus training on local needs, particularly caring for the underserved.”

We are pleased to offer trauma-informed care for survivors of sexual assault through the newly launched SART program

Proper care of sexual assault victims requires sensitive and effective evaluation, treatment and support by a highly trained, multidisciplinary team. To offer this vital service close to home, Providence St. Mary joined the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and created a trauma-informed approach delivered in a specialized environment.

Led by Katie Berrios, MSN, FNP-C, our SART program works alongside law enforcement, community-based victim advocates, prosecutors, mental health services and others to improve the coordination of services needed for those who courageously come forward. Katie, who is working toward earning her sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) certification, was inspired by a deep desire to care for those in crisis.

“I heard about the SART program, and I knew I wanted to do this work,” says Katie. “Until now, the closest location for trauma-informed care was 50 miles down the Cajon Pass. We can now sensitively care for and empower survivors close to home.“

The return on investment of the SART program is found in serving our mission to care for the vulnerable. “We are doing the right thing for the right reasons,” says Randy. “In this situation, the first thing we need to think about is the victims and how we can help.”

Powered by philanthropy

Thanks to you, our generous donors, we’ve significantly improved access to vital care. “As we plan for the next five years, we know we can count on the community to partner with us to provide access to new and improved services,” says Nicole Orr, chief philanthropy officer, Providence St. Mary Medical Center Foundation. “We are grateful for your commitment to this community. Together, we are transforming the trajectory of care in the High Desert.”