Two sisters and three lay people will become the sponsors of Providence Health & Services.
The new sponsors will form Providence Ministries, a church corporation entrusted with the responsibility for ministries of the church.
They are Charles (Chuck) Hawley, vice president for public affairs for PH&S; Anita Butler, SP, provincial treasurer of Mother Joseph Province; Barbara Savage, PA, a Providence Associate and vice president of mission leadership for Providence Health Care; Johnny Cox, a pioneer in ethics in theology and health care; and Barbara Schamber, SP, former provincial superior of Mother Joseph Province (2000-04) and a Sisters of Providence historian.
The Sisters of Providence requested and received Vatican approval of the change to an alternative method of sponsorship for the Catholic health care, education and social service ministries in Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon and Washington that are part of PH&S.