posted
on 10/10/2018
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Press Releases
The Iowa Hospital Association (IHA) recently released the results of its Community Benefits Survey, which identifies the benefits that IHA member hospitals provide to their respective communities.
As a member of IHA, St. Anthony Regional Hospital and Nursing Home has contributed to the benefits provided to Iowans by local hospitals statewide. St. Anthony’s community benefits contributions in 2017 included charity care, free clinics, donations, education, community-building activities, and more. In total, St. Anthony Regional Hospital provided benefits and services that impacted more than 96,000 people in fiscal year 2017. This included: providing more than $1,148,252 in charity care; nearly $12 million in subsidized health services; and millions of dollars in unpaid Medicare costs. The total net benefit provided to the community by St. Anthony equaled more than $12.8 million.
“The report released by IHA demonstrates the social and economic importance St. Anthony and other hospitals hold in today’s health care environment,” said Ed Smith, St. Anthony President and CEO. “Every year, we go above and beyond the essential needs of our patients and contribute to the community in a number of different ways. We are not only a major employer here in the region, we also provide a wide array of health-related services that benefit the community.”
As highlighted by the IHA, community benefits are programs and services that address specifically identified community health needs, no matter the source or availability of payment. They also provide measurable improvement in health care access, health status, and the use of health care resources. In short, community benefits are those services that go beyond direct, mission-driven patient care activities.
“Stepping-in and proactively filling community needs in health care is part of what we do, as it fits with our mission of improving the overall health of the people we serve,” Smith said. “Our focus remains on health, healing, and hope so the results of the community benefit report reflect the effectiveness of our ongoing efforts.”