Gratitude for All that You Do

As 2021 comes to a close, I want to thank each of you for caring deeply and showing up every day for each other, our patients and our communities.

We’re nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic with no end in view. In 2021 alone, we treated 16 million COVID-19 patients. Of those, 12 million were in the emergency department (ED), which means we treated 10 percent of all ED COVID-19 patients in the United States. To our frontline clinicians, thank you. You are truly the backbone of Envision Healthcare and America’s healthcare system. To all those who support our clinicians, we couldn’t do it without you. You have our profound gratitude.

Yearend is also a time we can reflect on the difference we’re making in people’s lives. I recently traveled with 12 clinical and clinical support teammates to the Dominican Republic where we helped more than 500 patients in need. In that time of being truly present with our teammates, I saw firsthand the power of human connection and the impact of our work to heal and care for people.

Although we faced many challenges this year, from being out of network with insurance companies and nationwide clinician shortages to a prolonged pandemic, we have a lot to be proud of.

• We deployed 300 clinicians to areas hit hard by COVID-19 this year and more than 500 since the beginning of the pandemic, saving countless lives
• We advanced robust quality programs, operated a Patient Safety Organization certified by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and we were one of the largest submitters of performance data to CMS through our Qualified Clinical Data Registry
• We made progress in the fight against opioid misuse and abuse 
• We helped patients detect and prevent colorectal cancer, performing more than 900,000 colonoscopies this year
• We improved patients’ access to the right care at the right time through the Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport (ET3) program, which treated patients safely onsite more than 60 percent of the time, avoiding unnecessary transports to the ED
• More than 90 percent of our AMSURG patients rated us in the top box for overall patient experience
• We advocated for the fair and equitable treatment of all patients – regardless of their geographic location, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, religion, disability status or sexual orientation
• We advanced our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program with workshops, resources, awareness campaigns and research on healthcare disparities with the U.S. healthcare system
• We treated more than 2,000 Louisiana residents who needed medical care due to Hurricane Ida and traveled to Honduras to provide 28 free surgeries to those desperate for care
• We launched the National Clinical Advisory Board (NCAB) to help inform our strategy with more than 400 clinicians answering the call for 70 spots
• We launched organizational values that captured our aspirations to Care Deeply, Inspire Joy, Be Curious, Pursue Extraordinary, Embrace Teamwork and Instill Trust

Let’s celebrate our successes and, most importantly, continue to inspire and uplift one another as we care for those who need us most. As I wish you a happy holiday, I also recognize this time of year can be difficult for many. Please remember we have several resources available to support you.

I hope you all find connection and joy this season. I look forward to the great things we will accomplish together in the new year.