Community Benefit Programs July 2013 June 2014 (Fiscal Year)
HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital in Highland is an affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), a health care ministry that includes 14 hospitals, scores of community-based health centers and clinics, along with hundreds of physician partners across Illinois and Wisconsin. Our Mission which is shared with our HSHS sister affiliates and colleagues is to reveal and embody Christ s healing love for all people through our high-quality Franciscan health care ministry. We live our Mission by healing those who seek our care, as well as through our Community Benefit initiatives. Utilizing the resources readily available to us on a daily basis, as well as calling on the spirit of our Franciscan Heritage to publicly demonstrate our Core Values of Respect, Care, Competence, and Joy, our Community Benefit efforts are successfully expanding access to care, improving the health status of residents and furthering medical education and knowledge. During the previous fiscal year, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital cumulatively provided $3.371 million in Community Benefits (FY2014). Included in this amount was $745,447 provided for Charity Care and $1,573,637 for unreimbursed care provided under the Medicaid program. Beyond the dollars invested in our Community Benefit programs, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital also continues to reinvest any surplus revenue from operations and investments into new medical technology, facility infrastructure and health care services in our communities. By doing so, we ensure we are able to meet the ongoing demand for high-quality, efficient and easily accessible health care. Recognizing that the health care delivery model in the U.S. is evolving, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital remains focused on coordinating the delivery of care around the needs of each patient. Greater Access to Care As a Franciscan health care ministry, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital is deeply committed to serving those who are most in need. We not only provide care to every patient who walks through our doors, but also reach out beyond the walls of our hospitals and clinics to care for the individual. Benefits for the poor: Charity care at cost $ 745,447 Unpaid cost of Medicaid and other public programs 1,573,637 Community health services 11,735 Other 107,877 $ 2,438,696 Benefits for the broader community: Community health services $ 2,259 Health professions education 842,447 Other 88,561 $ 933,267 Total community benefit $ 3,371,963 1
Our efforts ensure residents in the communities we serve receive the right care at the right time. Friends of St. Joseph s Van Many local residents do not have a reliable means of transportation so being able to get to the doctor s office or have tests conducted at the hospital can be difficult. The Friends Van, a free transportation service fully supported by the Friends of St. Joseph s Hospital, provides free rides to medical, dental and other personal appointments within a 20-mile radius of Highland. In FY2014, the Friends Van transported 1,837 individuals for a total of 16,361 miles. St. Joseph s PrimeCare St. Joseph s PrimeCare provides additional access to primary care health services. St. Joseph s PrimeCare is designed to treat minor injuries and illnesses that require immediate attention, such as sprains and strains, aches and pains, and minor lacerations. Adults and children of all ages, races and ability (as well as non-ability) to pay are diagnosed and treated at St. Joseph s PrimeCare. No patient is ever turned away. St. Joseph s PrimeCare offers both walk-in and primary care services depending upon the patient s needs. Since opening its doors to the community in November 2009 (formerly known as Highland Priority Care), St. Joseph s PrimeCare has treated more than 34,000 walk-in patients. St. Joseph s PrimeCare was planned, implemented and continues to be operated as a natural way for HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital to extend itself to the community in continuing to promote the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Financial Assistance In addition to programs such as these, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital makes sure that those who need financial assistance for care receive it. Our Charity Care program covers 100% of hospital charges for individuals and families who earn less than 125% of the federal poverty level. SJH Charity Care programs have a sliding scale, in some instances providing up to a 15% discount on charges for those earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level. Counselors are available in our hospitals to explain our charity care policies to patients, provide them with assistance in filling out a simple application form or help them enroll in publicly funded health care programs. 2
Better Community Health As part of our Mission to embody Christ s healing love, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital understands that we have a responsibility to improve the overall quality of life in our communities by supporting initiatives that promote health and wellness. HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital also understands we need to listen closely to the residents of the communities we serve to ensure the health care needs of all are being met. To that end, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital completed a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) in June 2012. The information gathered from this assessment has been used to help us develop new, and enhance existing, programs and services that best address the needs of the community. The assessment detailed five areas of opportunity where HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital could enhance the overall health within the hospital s service area: Access to care Obesity Senior services Diabetes Cardiovascular health HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital also provides numerous opportunities to our service area residents to gain access to wellness and health care information and services. On a monthly basis, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital continued providing the following support groups, activities and events as examples of community benefit: Diabetes Support Group Alzheimers Support Group Diabetes Self-Management Series Cancer Support Group Blood Drive Sponsorship Look Good, Feel Better Cancer Support Group First Aid & CPR Training Sessions New Day Grief Support Group Gluten-Free Support Group To view the HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital Community Health Needs Assessment in its entirety, visit www.stjosephshighland.org. 3
During the fiscal year, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital continued to offer and promote programs or activities that provide treatment or promote health as a response to identified community needs and that: Improve access to health care services Enhance the health of the community, and/or Advance medical or health care knowledge Community Benefit is a mission imperative for HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital we do it because of who we are To reveal and embody Christ s healing love for all people through our high quality Franciscan health care ministry. Two prime examples of this are: Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) Among the issues surveyed in the hospital s CHNA was that survey participants were asked to identify under-served/un-served populations. One of the most cited groups in the CHNA was the elderly population. In addition, a supporting issue identified through the hospital s CHNA was a statement that more than 26% of survey participants experienced difficulty dealing with health insurance issues. Having this knowledge led HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital leadership to develop a partnership with the Illinois Department of Insurance to be a sponsoring organization participating in SHIP a FREE health insurance counseling service for Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers. SHIP counselors educate citizens about Medicare, Medicaresupplement, Medicare managed care and long-term care insurance. Available on the third Thursday each month from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the hospital, the HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital-sponsored SHIP counselor is available for Medicare consultation; the average counseling session lasts about one hour. HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital provides this service to local seniors in an effort to help them with any questions, issues or concerns related to their Medicare enrollment and benefits. From September 2013 June 2014, 58 local seniors took advantage of this FREE service at the hospital. During the first two years of offering the SHIP program, more than 111 local Medicare-eligible residents have taken advantage of this free service. 4
HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital and Madison County Health Department Partnership Provide Access to Health Insurance Marketplace Although the comprehensive health care reform law (also known as the Affordable Care Act or ACA) was officially enacted in March 2010, October 1, 2013 brought about a significant step in implementation of the law as the Health Insurance Marketplace was introduced as a resource where individuals, families and small businesses could learn about their health insurance options; compare health insurance plans based on costs, benefits and other important features; choose a plan; and enroll in insurance. In an effort to help those who qualified for insurance coverage through the ACAsponsored Health Insurance Marketplace, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital and the Madison County Health Department (MCHD) teamed up to provide a community outreach service for local residents and small businesses who were eligible to enroll in insurance plans available through Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace. From October 15, 2013 through March 31, 2014, eligible local residents and small business executives were able to schedule appointments to meet with a certified application counselor (CAC) at the hospital to learn more about Health Insurance Marketplace eligibility and other options such as eligibility and enrollment in Medicaid. A CAC was on-site at the hospital every week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as on the third Saturday of every month through March 31, 2014 to provide this community outreach service (a minimum of 16 hours a week). As a Catholic health care organization, SJH has a commitment to provide access to quality health care services, says Peggy Sebastian, President and CEO, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital. Our partnership with the Madison County Health Department was a tangible demonstration of this commitment and a reflection of our Franciscan heritage in an effort to help those who were uninsured gain access to the health care services they need. Overall, the SJH/MCHD partnership produced the following results: 223 CAC appointments were conducted 123 individuals enrolled in Medicaid 60 enrolled in insurance plans through the Marketplace 5
Also, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital sponsors annual health fairs, immunization clinics and community health/wellness guest speakers that are open to the public in addition to holding health fairs and immunization clinics for local employers and organized labor groups. Community Building Activity For more than 37 years, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital has been a lead collaborator in the Highland Area Meals on Wheels Program. In April 1977, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital partnered with the now defunct Highland Area Council of Churches to introduce the Meals on Wheels Program. Today, HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital partners with the civic organization Highland Area Meals on Wheels Program to prepare and deliver nutritious meals to the elderly, those who are recuperating from illness or hospital stays or anyone wishing to participate in the program. The Highland Area Meals on Wheels Program serves residents within a 15-mile radius of HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital. Meals for program participants are prepared and delivered Monday-Friday every week including holidays falling on weekdays. Each day, an average of 60 meals are delivered by volunteer drivers covering 12 routes which amounts to an estimated 15,840 meals being delivered annually. Each meal is prepared and packaged in the Food and Nutrition Services (FANS) department. Every weekday (totaling 260 days each year), five FANS colleagues devote four hours of their time to the preparation and packing of meals for the program. The total hours worked annually for this program amounts to 5,280. Expanded Medical Knowledge HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital has students from local community colleges and universities participate in a variety of clinical training programs, including nursing, laboratory, physical therapy and radiology. In FY2014, 41 area students participated in over 35,656 hours of clinical education valued at more than $842,447. Higher Level of Care HSHS St. Joseph s Hospital s Community Benefit initiatives are a vital part of our overall Mission. We believe that through our work to create greater access to care, better community health and expanded medical knowledge we made a positive difference in the lives of tens of thousands of people during Fiscal Year 2014. Our commitment to Community Benefit stems from the Franciscan and Catholic values shared by our colleagues. There is still more to do and we remain dedicated to continuously improve our Community Benefit work so that we can help more people live healthier lives. 6
12866 Troxler Avenue, Highland, IL 62249 (618) 651-2600 www.stjosephshighland.org