Medical innovations brought to you by philanthropy

Health care providers from early in the last century would be astonished by what’s become routine for us today. With the future of health care taking shape before our eyes, Providence St. Joseph Hospital’s future lies in partnering with our donors and physician leaders to bring the latest technologies to our community. Our donors are answering the call.

“Continuing to build upon our comprehensive programs with new technologies is critical,” says Alex Ramirez, M.D., medical director of both surgical services and the Pavilion Surgery Center at Providence St. Joseph Hospital. “We are grateful to our forward-thinking donors who’ve helped us bring the latest advances to Providence St. Joseph. They have a real and direct impact on our patients’ lives and their healing.”

What we’ve accomplished together

In close collaboration with its clinical leaders, also known as the Physician Leadership Council, the Foundation identified the needs and opportunities for adding new lifesaving therapies to our comprehensive programs. Thanks to the philanthropic support of our community, Providence St. Joseph acquired the following minimally invasive technologies in the last year alone:

Aquablation® System

Aquablation® therapy is a new surgical treatment for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. It uses a heat-free waterjet controlled by robotic technology to remove prostate tissue with no incision.

NuVasive® Spine Pulse™ Platform

NuVasive® Spine Pulse™ is a single platform that combines several critical functions into one tool, including monitoring, surgical planning, rod bending, radiation reduction, imaging and navigation.

Xoft® Axxent® Electronic Brachytherapy System®

The Xoft® Axxent® Electronic Brachytherapy System® uses breakthrough electronic brachytherapy technology to provide expanded treatment options for a range of cancers. The radiation dose is directed to the size and shape of the cancerous area, sparing healthy tissue and organs.

NICO BrainPath® Neurosurgery System

BrainPath® enables neurosurgeons to safely navigate between the natural folds and structures in the brain to map the exact location of a tumor or blood clot. Through an opening no larger than a dime, neurosurgeons can reach and successfully remove a clot or tumor from the brain’s deepest recesses — including tumors once thought inoperable.

ION System

The ION System, used for early diagnosis of lung cancer, is a sophisticated robotic platform that eliminates the need for invasive needle biopsies of the lung — associated with increased pain and complications — in some of the most hard-to-reach areas of the lung where malignant cancers frequently begin.

Extraordinary philanthropic vision

The combined impact of these new technologies allows us to treat formerly untreatable conditions, detect cancers earlier and apply groundbreaking treatments more precisely without damaging surrounding tissues.

Each of these individual technologies is a miracle to the patients who need them. Collectively, they represent miraculous health care that was unimaginable a few short years ago.

Learn how you can help Providence St. Joseph Hospital keep pace with medical advances by contacting the Foundation at 714-347-7900 or sjofoundation@providence.org.