In 2014 Dr. Byock joined the Providence Health System and founded the Providence Institute for Human Caring.

The institute represents a major commitment by Providence to accelerate value-based and whole-person health care for frail elders, seriously ill or otherwise vulnerable patients and their families.

In 2014 Dr. Byock joined the Providence Health System and founded the Providence Institute for Human Caring.

The institute represents a major commitment by Providence to accelerate value-based and whole-person health care for frail elders, seriously ill or otherwise vulnerable patients and their families.


Greater attention to the personal side of illness, dying, caregiving and grieving.

Our goal is to offer clinicians the resources, training and support they need to have meaningful conversations with patients and families about underlying worries and desires related to a medical condition, so that together they can develop the best approach to care.


A national resource based in Southern California

The institute is based at Providence TrinityCare Hospice in Torrance, California, and supports clinicians, patients and families across the five states Providence serves and others nationwide.

We focus on these key areas:
• Sharing expertise and best practices among our clinicians

• Offering educational programs for our clinicians and those from other health care providers

• Increasing training and support services among community organizations

• Supporting and accelerating community-based care through grants and educational forums

• Elevating the importance of this issue nationally through news media, academic publications, and live presentations before both professional and public audiences



Community Outreach

The Institute for Human Caring also reaches out to communities to help people understand how they can be more engaged in their own care, how to support loved ones who are experiencing medical issues and how best to cope with the strains of caregiving and, later, the strains of grief.

Learn more with Dr. Ira Byock

In these videos, Dr. Byock shares his expertise on improving care for people through the end of life. He explains the need to extend attention beyond state-of-art disease treatments to the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being of every ill person with his or her family.