June 7, 2013

John ThomasChief of Editorial OperationsModern Healthcare150 N. Michigan Ave.17th FloorChicago, IL 60601

Dear Mr. Thomas,

I am proud to nominate Tim Serban, chief Mission integration officer for Providence Health & Services Oregon, for Modern Healthcare’s 2013 Community Leadership Award.

As a vital member of the Providence leadership team, Tim is responsible for assuring that everything we do today is guided by our Mission to serve everyone, especially those who are poor and vulnerable. Tim’s passion for this work extends out beyond the walls of health care settings to serve in communities both locally and nationally. As the volunteer chief for the American Red Cross disaster spiritual care team, Tim touches lives when relief and comfort are needed in the most difficult times. He has helped lead and coordinate teams providing emotional and spiritual care at disaster sites including the recent Boston Marathon bombing, Superstorm Sandy and the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He has also served in response to historic events of devastating impact such as the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center, Hurricane Katrina and the 2009 tsunami in American Samoa (video interview). His work in this field contributes to community health and healing in a significant and lasting way.

Extent of departure from core job responsibilities:

In his role with Providence, Tim oversees Mission integration, community benefit programs and chaplain services for Providence Oregon. There are similarities in the skills needed for Tim’s professional work – compassion, respect and integrity – but responding to natural and man-made disasters requires a uniquely qualified person. This skill set is not found in every person or every health care setting. A national tragedy can require him to depart from his job at a moment’s notice. Typically when Tim is deployed to disaster sites, the duration of his service is two weeks but varies depending upon the needs of a community.

After the bomb attacks at the Boston Marathon on April 15, many volunteers immediately sprang into action to assist the wounded, their families and the larger Boston community. Tim was at the heart of those volunteer efforts; deployed immediately to the Red Cross headquarters in Cambridge,

Providence Health & ServicesSystem Office1801 Lind Avenue SW, #9016Renton, WA 98057-9016(425) 525-3355www.providence.org

Massachusetts to serve as the chief of disaster spiritual care. For a total of eight days, he directed the operation to provide emotional and spiritual care to families of survivors and those 270 people directly impacted by the bomb blasts.

Tim volunteered nearly a month of service following the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. He managed the deployment of the spiritual care response team’s highest trained chaplains to support families at the Sandy Hook national memorial service and presidential visits to survivors. Before this tragic event in Connecticut, Tim had previously spent two weeks providing relief from the devastating damages of Superstorm Sandy in New York and New Jersey. Upon his return home on November 16, he remained an important member of the team by continuing to organize spiritual care deployment for the operation concluding in December.

Tim’s volunteer leadership role with the American Red Cross requires ongoing training and meetings. He directs two national conference calls totaling four hours each week.

Voluntary nature of the work individually or through the organization or corporation:

As the volunteer chief, Tim’s role is to support people in the midst of overwhelming loss and train his volunteer team for the complex nature of disaster response. When trained professional health care chaplains and spiritual care providers are deployed, the needs of families and survivors are supported in short and long-term grief and recovery. This type of work requires the utmost sensitivity and respect, delivering a non-biased and protected space for families to feel the “emotional aftershock” of their loss. Providence realizes the significance of Tim’s ability and talent to care for those in distress, and supports his responsibility to leave when prompted for this compassionate work.

When Tim was deployed to Boston to lead the spiritual care response operation, he spent the first three days organizing vigils for victims, caregivers and emergency personnel, including those vigils attended by the president and vice president. It is an important part of disaster spiritual care to honor the lives lost through rituals, memorials and events that respectfully care for our need to remember and connect with each other. Another part of the response process involves establishing a family assistance center to support the many wounded and their families as they transition between meetings with victim advocates from the FBI and local law enforcement. Tim trains the chaplains providing these services, ensuring that people are supported in the painful process of providing information to medical examiners or investigators.

Understanding the value in community collaboration, Tim develops partnerships with key faith leaders, first responders and local volunteers and organizations to respond to the unique needs that arise. In Boston, many of the injured were marathon runners from around the globe but remained admitted patients in nearby hospitals. Families sought out other members of their family to come to Boston to help with care. By collaborating with local resources, support was provided upon arrival of these traveling family members.

Demonstrated positive impact of the work:

The positive impact of Tim’s volunteer work has not only helped countless families experiencing some of the greatest losses, but has put into motion the building of an infrastructure that changes the future of Red Cross disaster response operations. With Tim’s expert guidance, the Red Cross has been able to integrate disaster spiritual care services into all of its chapters across the nation in the past year. Tim leads this work, directing a team of more than 500 chaplains around the United States to help the Red Cross and its partners meet the needs of people experiencing loss and trauma. Uniting the work of the Red Cross with trained professional chaplains and spiritual care providers helps provide the best care for people in grief and facilitates community healing. This collaboration means more and more communities will have access to desperately needed services at times of great change. He says, “Our hope is that we will not ever be needed, however, when a disaster happens we are proud to know that our teams are there to support the American people.”

Even this snapshot of his volunteer experience doesn’t capture the passion of his work and dedication to helping communities. Thank you for your consideration of honoring Tim Serban with Modern Healthcare’s Community Leadership Award.

Sincerely,

Rod Hochman, MDPresident & CEOProvidence Health & Services