Adventist Health

Adventist Health
Type Operates health care facilities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington
Founded 1980
Headquarters Roseville, CA
Affiliation Seventh-day Adventist Church
Employees 17,500
Mission Statement To share God's love by providing physical, mental and spiritual healing.
Website http://www.adventisthealth.org/

Adventist Health is a not-for-profit health care organization which operates facilities throughout the United States states of California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

As of 2009, the system includes 17 hospitals, and is headquartered in Roseville, California.[1]

Contents

Abortion Controversy

Since 1973, many Adventist hospitals perform elective abortions under any circumstance.[2]

Though some hospitals refrain from performing any abortions, the majority of those those that do not perform elective abortions offer "therapeutic" abortions under "extreme circumstances".[3]

Since the Seventh-Day Adventist Church does not officially take a strong stance against abortions there is wide variety of opinions on this subject within the church.[4]

History

Adventist Health’s heritage dates back to 1866 when the first Seventh-day Adventist health care facility opened in Battle Creek, Michigan. There, pioneers promoted the “radical” concepts of proper nutrition, exercise and sanitation in a facility devoted not just to the healing arts but also to the prevention of disease. They called it a sanitarium, a place where patients and their families could learn to be well.[5]

More than a century after Battle Creek, the health care system sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church operates 160 hospitals and nearly 500 clinics, nursing homes and dispensaries worldwide. From Michigan to California and throughout the West, this early vision to treat the whole person—mind, body and spirit—is the foundation for their approach to health care.[5]

Originally, Adventist hospitals were governed by regional church leadership. As health care became more complex, however, the need arose for more time and specialized expertise than church administrators could give. In the 1970s the Seventh-day Adventist Church authorized centralized control and operations of its health care institutions at the Union (multi-state) level.[6]

One-year later, regional divisions formed corresponding to the church’s infrastructure. These divisions were known in the North Pacific Union as Northwest Medical Foundation and in the Pacific Union as Adventist Health Services. In 1980, the two western entities joined to form Adventist Health System/West, now known simply as Adventist Health.[5]

Today, Adventist Health is a not-for-profit, faith-based health system operating in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Founded on the Seventh-day Adventist principles of Christian health care, Adventist Health comprises 18 hospitals with more than 2,800 beds, nearly 18,000 employees, many clinics and outpatient facilities. It operates the largest system of rural health clinics in California, 15 home care agencies and three joint-venture retirement centers.[5]

In 2009, Adventist Health secured $187 million in bond funding to pay for construction and improvements.[7]

Hospitals

Adventist Health oversees the operations of 17 hospitals:

Organizational structure

At Adventist Health, their facilities enjoy the benefits (pooled services, purchasing and bargaining power) of belonging to a larger system. The Adventist Health corporate office takes a leadership role in this process.[9]

Church Affiliation

Adventist Health owes much of its heritage and organizational success to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which is a promoter of prevention and whole-person care. Inspired by the belief in the healing power of Jesus Christ, they aim to bring physical, mental and spiritual health and healing. Every individual, regardless of his/her personal beliefs, is welcome in Adventist Health's facilities.[10]

See also

References

External links