Community Hospital-Fairfax (CH-F) and the Community Healthcare Foundation have released their 2016 Community Benefit Report. According to the report, Community Hospital – Fairfax provided over $2 million dollars in community benefit to residents of Atchison, Holt and Nodaway Counties in 2016.
What is Community benefit?
According to Missouri Hospital Association, “Hospitals’ community benefit includes support of programs like Medicare and Medicaid – which seldom pay the full cost of providing care – to building a strong healthcare work force for the future. In addition, hospitals donate to local causes and hold clinics and health events to screen for health problems and provide health improvement guidance.
Hospitals provide a lifeline to the uninsured and underinsured. Hospitals’ annual contribution to providing this care and supporting other programs is known as ‘community benefit’. Although this is not the only way hospitals support their communities, it is a powerful reflection of their commitment.”
Of the $2 million, $1.8 million was provided to the community in Charity Care, Uncompensated Care and Bad Debt. In addition, $24,337 was provided in free or reduced cost primary care visits and $8,378 was provided in community healthcare education, and free or reduced cost screenings.
“These are our friends and neighbors and we want to provide them with quality, compassionate care. Our patients and their families are already facing a healthcare crisis. We do not want to compound that with a financial one,” Ann Schlueter, Chief Operating Officer of Community Hospital – Fairfax said.
CH-F also invested in the future of healthcare providers in our community by providing $102,816 in loan reimbursements and scholarships to students pursuing careers in healthcare in 2016.
CH-F continues to be more than a provider of healthcare services. As one of the largest employers and spenders in our community, CH-F continues to be an economic engine for the local economy. In 2016, CH-F employed 109 people and salaries totaled $5.08 million with addition one million dollars paid in benefits. Employees generated a total of $1.5 million in local, taxable sales and CH-F spent a total of $297,276 in area communities. It is estimated that Community Hospital – Fairfax contributed to the circulation of over $8 million dollars through the local economy.
Community Hospital – Fairfax also completed the Community Health Needs Assessment in the spring of 2016. Through its finding, CH-F identified areas for improvement and opportunity in the health needs of our community. The action plan born out of those finding has resulted in the opening and grown of Senior Life Solutions, the welcoming of Dr. Lindsay Williams, and the expansion of clinics within CH-F’s service area.
“We are implementing new strategies and services based on the Community Health Needs Assessment that was completed in 2016. The ability to receive and pay for care, caring for our aging population and the mental health of our community are all high priorities for action. The community is just beginning to see the strategies we have laid out and we have so much more we want to achieve in those areas,” CH-F Chairman of the Board of Directors, Bob Jackson, said.
Find the full report at www.FairfaxMed.com.
Community Hospital-Fairfax 2016 Community Benefit Report
November 28, 2017