Sacred Heart Hospital Provides More Than $21 Million in Community Benefit
Media Contact: Shannon Portell, Sacred Heart Hospital, (715) 271-2681
Eau Claire, WI – Through a series of programs and services offered in fiscal year 2012, Sacred Heart Hospital increased access to care for the underserved, enhanced health and wellness in the community, and advanced medical education and knowledge. These efforts, collectively known as Community Benefit, were outlined in Sacred Heart Hospital’s annual Report to the Community, released today.
“The mission of Sacred Heart Hospital is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality Franciscan health care ministry. One way we measure how we successfully we fulfill this mission is through our Community Benefit activities,” said Julie Manas, President & CEO, Sacred Heart Hospital. “All of us at Sacred Heart are proud of the work we do caring for the patients who seek our care. We are equally proud of our efforts to promote healthy lifestyles and proactively assist those most in need.”
During the 12 months than ended June 30, 2012, Sacred Heart Hospital provided $21.8 million in Community Benefits. Included in this amount was $5.6 million provided for Charity Care at cost and $8.3 million for unreimbursed care provided under the Medicaid program. The remaining amount of Community Benefit funds were invested in areas such as research, education for health professionals, and other community health services.
Examples of Community Benefit programs and services offered by Sacred Heart Hospital include:
- Lab and imaging services, unused medical supplies and volunteer hours provided by Sacred Heart colleagues to the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic at no cost
- Free health-related educational events, programming, support groups and outreach provided by the hospital’s Center for Healthy Living
- Free palliative care services for end-of-life patients
- Hot meals delivered to the homebound, prepared by Sacred Heart Hospital
In addition to these investments in Community Benefit, Sacred Heart Hospital also subsidizes care for Medicare patients. The cost of providing services to primarily elderly beneficiaries of the Medicare program – in excess of governmental and managed care contract payments – was $21.6 million in fiscal year 2012.
“As a health care leader in the Chippewa Valley region, we take our responsibility to care for others, particularly the less fortunate, very seriously,” added Manas. “Beyond the investments we make in Community Benefit programs each year, Sacred Heart Hospital also continues to reinvest any surplus revenue from operations to purchase new medical and information technology, improve our facility infrastructure and enhance the health care services we offer. In this way, we ensure we are able to meet the ongoing demand for high quality, efficient and easily accessible health care.”
To learn more about our Community Benefit efforts, or to download Sacred Heart Hospital’s 2012 Report to the Community, visit http://www.sacredhearteauclaire.org/report-to-the-community.
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About Sacred Heart Hospital
Sacred Heart Hospital is an affiliate of the Hospital Sisters Health System. Since 1889 it has been meeting patient needs in western Wisconsin with the latest medical innovations and technology, together with a Franciscan whole-person healing tradition. For more information about
Sacred Heart Hospital, visit www.sacredhearteauclaire.org.
About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System is a Roman Catholic health care mission founded to continue the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Sponsored by the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care framed in traditional values taught by St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. It is dedicated to serving all people, including the poor and the needy, at each of its 13 Local Systems in Illinois (Belleville, Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Highland, Litchfield, Springfield and Streator) and in Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Sheboygan and two in Green Bay). For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org.
