St. Claire Regional (SCR) provided $14.7 million in community benefits to its service region last fiscal year, according to its 2016 Community Benefit Report.
“Community benefit activities are an integral part of St. Claire Regional’s mission and vision,” said Tom Lewis, St. Claire Foundation Executive Director. “They focus on collaboration and improving the health and well-being of our region in ways that go above and beyond what would be expected of any healthcare provider.”
SCR’s community benefit reporting is based on the Catholic Health Association and American Hospital Association guidelines, Lewis said. They generally respond to a community need and meet at least one of the following criteria:
* Do not generate profit.
* Respond to needs of special populations, such as the underinsured or uninsured, the elderly, or minorities.
* Involve education or research.
* Supply services that would likely be discontinued if the decision were made on a purely financial basis.
Last year, SCR provided $5.6 million in benefits to the medically uninsured and underinsured and the elderly. That included $3.5 million in charity and uncompensated care (at cost). “SCR treats a high percentage of patients who receive Medicaid and Medicare benefits, and last year’s government reimbursement for those services fell $2.1 million short of the actual cost of care,” says Lewis.
SCR also provided another $9.1 million in benefits to the broader community, including community support and partnerships, donations, health professions education and research. And another $139,640 in community support and partnerships that SCR provided encompassed activities and programs to improve community health, such as health fairs and screenings, free sports physicals for area students and support groups for patients and families in areas like hospice and diabetes education.
“The educational development and continuing professional training of healthcare personnel is crucial in improving our community’s health,” Lewis said. To that end, SCR provided $3 million in health professions education, including physician and medical student training, nurse development, scholarship support and professional medical education.
In addition, SCR provided $5.9 million in subsidized health services, which means health services were offered despite a negative margin because they were needed in the region and otherwise would not have been available, Lewis said.
SCR also gave more than $50,300 in cash and in-kind donations directly to programs, organizations and foundations serving this region. To view SCR’s detailed Community Benefits Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, go to www.st-claire.org/cbr. For a printed copy, contact Lewis at (606) 783-6511 or Thomas.Lewis@st-claire.org.
(story provided by St. Claire Regional Medical Center)
