About Us
About Us
Who we are
Providence Living is committed to improving both the environment and experience of older British Columbians living in long-term care. Driven by research and global best practices, Providence Living is a leader in creating innovative services, homes, neighbourhoods and communities in which people can imagine themselves and their loved ones living full and realized lives.
Created by Providence Health Care, but now a stand-alone, non-profit organization with its own board and management structure, Providence Living will remain closely aligned with Providence Health Care as it grows and expands.
We are bound by the common belief that compassion connected to faith-based principles results in resident care that feels like it comes from family, and is provided in a place that feels like home.
Our mission, vision & values
Our mission, vision & values
Our mission, vision & values
We are a Catholic health care community…
Inspired by the healing ministry of Jesus Christ, we are a Catholic health care community dedicated to meeting the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of those served through compassionate care, teaching and research.
Our values are rooted in the values, history and tradition of our Founding Sisters that arrived in British Columbia more than 125 years ago and established numerous Catholic hospitals and care homes.
At Providence Living, we create space for the individuality, joy and spontaneity that make life rich and fulfilling. We innovate, challenge conventions, and most of all listen long and hard to the real experts: the people living in our care communities and their families.
Our values guide the care we provide to your loved ones.
Spirituality
We nurture the God-given creativity, love and compassion that dwell within us all.
Integrity
We build our relationships on honesty, justice and fairness.
Stewardship
We share accountability for the wellbeing of our community
Trust
We behave in ways that promote safety, inclusion and support
Excellence
We achieve excellence through learning and continuous improvement.
Respect
We respect the diversity, dignity and interdependence of all persons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Providence Living (PL) is a Catholic-sponsored health care organization. Over the years it has changed in response to differing needs, broad social and political trends, and decreasing numbers of religious involved in the organizational ministry.
From the beginning of Providence Living, congregations of religious women courageously responded to the needs of the communities they were called to serve. Today, that same call to provide health and hope is being answered by the laity in unique and creative ways, including addressing social determinants of health and providing essential community benefit.
Catholic health care is a critical Church-sponsored expression of the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.
At the heart of Catholic health care is a deep respect for the intrinsic value and dignity of every human being and an unwavering commitment to serve all people, from all background and faiths, especially society’s most vulnerable (Catholic Health Alliance of Canada).
It is not a requirement for PL employees to be Catholic or people of any faith, however, all employees are expected to understand and support the mission, vision and values. This maintains the integrity of the organization and the governance model of our Catholic-sponsored organization.
Those with different religious or philosophical backgrounds are free to ground the values in their own traditions or worldviews. What is essential is that we demonstrate the values in our words and actions.
Respect for tradition includes participating in practices like reflections before meetings, celebrations of milestones in PL’s history (Long Service events are combined with Founders’ Days) and orientation and education programs that explain its heritage.
Respect extends in a particular way to the organizational and ethical principles. One does not need to personally agree with the principles and positions, but must show respect for them, and, consistent with their responsibilities, must follow them.
The governance context is that PL operates under an agreement between the Province of British Columbia and Denominational Health Association. The agreement recognizes the rights of owners of denominational care facilities to own, manage and operate their respective facilities and carry out their respective religious missions.
PL is both a ministry of the Catholic Church and operates under an affiliation agreement with Vancouver Coastal health. Our funding comes through VCH, the Ministry of Health and private donors, through the St Paul’s Foundation. The sponsor, PL, is canonically an entity of the Church and a civic entity and is accountable to both. Distinct from other health authorities, PL must provide assurance that the mission of the organization is understood and is driving all aspects of the ministry at all levels of the organization.
To support this ministry, PL collaborates with the other 128 Catholic health care organizations and 88,000 members across Canada through the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada (CHAC). Together we carry on the 400-year legacy of service serving communities across Canada and serve 5 million+ people.
Our organization operates under an agreement between the Province of British Columbia and the Denominational Health Association. The agreement recognizes the rights of owners of denominational care facilities to own, manage and operate their respective facilities and carry out their respective religious missions. It obligates the owners to meet provincial standards and national accreditation for health care, meet the conditions of any agreements with teaching facilities and plan and deliver health care services in collaboration with other health bodies.
Providence Living continues this legacy, guided by a Mission rooted in compassion, dignity, and holistic care, principles that align closely with the goals of the public system.
While PL adheres to ethical guidelines informed by its Catholic identity, we operate with transparency and ensure patients are referred appropriately when services fall outside our scope. The mission of faith-based organizations is much more than what they don’t do. PL is a leader in many areas, including the groundbreaking work at the Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, the Road to Recovery, and being home to BC’s only cardiac transplant program. Just as patients are referred to services that fall outside of PLs scope of care, patients from across the province are referred to PL sites to receive the specialized care we provide.
PL works in close partnership with regional health authorities to ensure continuity of care, uphold ethical standards, and contribute meaningfully to the broader health system. This collaborative approach allows us to live our Mission while remaining fully accountable within the publicly funded framework.
The governance context is that PL operates under an agreement between the Province of British Columbia and the Denominational Health Association. The agreement recognizes the rights of owners of denominational care facilities to own, manage and operate their respective facilities and carry out their respective religious missions.
As a Catholic health care organization, Providence Living is deeply attentive to the lived experiences of illness, suffering, dying, and death. We recognize that death is a natural part of life, and that there can be profound meaning during the dying process. Our commitment is to walk alongside individuals and families through these sacred moments with compassion, respect, and care.
PL upholds the Catholic belief in the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. We believe that every human life possesses inherent dignity, which is not diminished by frailty, vulnerability, or suffering. Rather, these human conditions call us to respond with even greater tenderness and support. We are committed to creating the conditions that affirm and uphold this dignity, especially at the end of life.
While we do not provide or permit Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) on our premises, we are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life through excellent palliative care, pain and symptom management, and holistic supports that address physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational needs. In the face of uncertainty and decline, there remain opportunities for healing, growth, and connection.
PL staff do not complete assessment, determine eligibility or participate in the provision of MAiD, in accordance with our ethical and religious values. However, we respect the personal beliefs and legal rights of our patients and residents. We do not impede access to the lawful MAiD request process. Instead, we work closely with the Ministry of Health’s MAiD Care Coordination Services to ensure that requests are addressed in a safe, respectful, and timely manner. If a patient is found eligible and wishes to proceed with MAiD, they are discharged from our care and transferred to a non-PL location.
PL is committed to being a place of sanctuary and we believe that death should not be faced in isolation, but within the embrace of a caring community. By approaching death and dying in this way, we humanize end-of-life care and affirm our shared responsibility to accompany one another with love, presence, and dignity.
Our organization has come to recognize the colonial abuses carried out against Indigenous peoples. Laws, policies, and practices aimed to eliminate Indigenous cultures. These included residential schools, “Indian” hospitals, and the Sixties Scoop in which Indigenous children were forcibly adopted out to non-Indigenous families. The harms from these abuses persist today, including widespread discrimination in the Canadian health system. As a Catholic-sponsored health care organization, we realize that Providence Living has both a responsibility and an opportunity to help repair those harms and support reconciliation.
Providence facilities are on the unceded territories of First Nations who have lived on these lands since time immemorial. These Nations had – and continue to have – vibrant cultural and spiritual traditions that nurture robust healing practices.
In 2022, Providence added reconciliation as a foundational principle to its strategic plan (Mission: Forward). In 2021, Providence Research released a research strategic plan (Discovery: Forward). Each plan included commitments to truth, justice and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples In 2022, PL announced its first-ever Indigenous Wellness and Reconciliation Action plan.
As an organization PL welcomes diverse traditions and all who choose to work here must demonstrate respect for the diverse backgrounds of its staff. The model is Jesus welcoming everyone.
Providence Living respects the beliefs of staff and does not intend to proselytize or indoctrinate. This means not suggesting any effort to convert them.
A welcoming attitude can be demonstrated in many ways. One way is to show how the Catholic tradition, its stories, language and practices share elements with other traditions. It can help to start with what is familiar.
All clinical professions share the humanitarian tradition of providing excellent, compassionate care and respecting patients, regardless of their personal or economic status. This humanitarian tradition includes working for the common good. Another way is to define terms like ‘ministry’, ‘canonical’, ‘sister’, ‘congregation’ or ‘encyclical’ into familiar terms.
Some practices, like starting meetings with a reflection, will also be unfamiliar. explaining that this isn’t just a formality, a few pious words, or a management quotation but a time to pause, be fully present and connect the meeting with the mission and values can overcome the misrepresentation. It’s a time to consider the ‘why’ of the work before diving into the ‘who, what, where, and when.
Visible expressions of Catholic identity in the built environment are integral to the fabric of Catholic-sponsored health care and intended to serve as a liberating demonstration of the enduring presence of God’s love and as an assurance of the principles and values of Catholic organizations. Within a broader commitment to person-centered care, we also need to consider the diverse needs of patients and residents in terms of what promotes or detracts from healing.
When asked about this, a good approach is simPLy to state that PL is Catholic sponsored health care and we recognize that for some, Christian symbols are healing and for others they are ‘triggering.’ And then take some time to listen to the impact on the patient/resident. In your role, a listening and caring approach will, in most cases, go a long way to helping the patient feel comfortable and heard.
Despite the best of intentions, it is highly probable that not everyone will be equally satisfied. This makes the process of dialogue and encounter even more important. Thank you for doing your part to care for patients in a sensitive way and uphold the Mission of PL as Catholic-sponsored healthcare
As a Catholic ministry, we affirm the inherent dignity and worth of every person and that healing is most effective in environments grounded in compassion, trust, and mutual respect. Our sites are committed to being places of hospitality, safety, and inclusion that honour the diverse cultural identities of all individuals. We are guided by principles that promote dignity, foster trust, and support equity and justice. These values shape our culture of welcome, and inform how we engage with patients, residents, families, and staff.
Updating our signage on washrooms and locker/change rooms is about hospitality. It’s a way of saying to any staff or medical staff who walks through our doors: You belong here. In the end, it’s not about washrooms – it’s about creating spaces where every person knows they are valued
In the context of Christian healthcare organizations, ‘ministry’ refers to the compassionate and holistic service provided by healthcare professionals and volunteers. It involves delivering medical care, spiritual support, and emotional assistance aligned with Christian principles to promote healing, well-being, and the dignity of individuals. These Christian principles are rooted in the healing mission of Jesus and carried on by religious congregations (groups of sisters) responding to the call to “Go and Do Likewise” (Luke 10:37). Individuals can ground their understanding of these principles in their own traditions and worldviews. The important thing is that we live them.
In healthcare, a “Catholic sponsor” refers to a religious entity linked to the Catholic Church that oversees and ensures a healthcare institution’s adherence to Catholic values, ethical directives, and mission. To a certain extent, sponsorship could be considered somewhat parallel to a franchise. Sponsorship connotes a responsibility of trust, of attending to something sacred. The root word of ‘sponsorship’ is derived from ‘spondere’ which means making a solemn pledge. *see governance model above.
In the context of Catholic healthcare, “canonical” signifies adherence to the established rules and principles outlined by the Catholic Church, particularly regarding ethical standards, religious directives, and mission integration within healthcare practices and institutions.
Catholic Social Teaching sums up the teachings of the Church and the wisdom about building a just society amidst the challenges of modern society. At the heart of Catholic health care is a deep respect for the intrinsic value and dignity of every human being and an unwavering commitment to serving all people, from all backgrounds and faiths – especially people disadvantaged by the system. With a focus on dignity, respect, and compassion, we advocate for service to individuals at times of their greatest need and strive to create culturally safe environments of health and healing.
See here for more information, including videos about CST: https://www.crs.org/resource-center/CST-101
