|
 | |||
  |
||||
Site FeedbackOur Contributions
Community Benefit—What Does It Mean?
Community benefit is a term used to describe the many health programs and medical services supported totally or in part by John Muir Health that provide tangible benefits to the community and improve the health of its residents. These benefits cover the entire spectrum of health care including high-tech procedures, trauma services, primary care and educational classes. They are services to the community for which we receive little or no payment. Collectively, this is our contribution of services to improve the health of the communities where we live and work.
In 2008, John Muir Health contributed more than $34 million in community benefits.
Uncompensated Medical Care
Other Community Programs
2008 Total: $34,636,000
In addition John Muir Health provided care to Medicare inpatients and outpatients whose costs exceeded payments made by the Medicare Program. The Medicare shortfall is not included in the above total. The focus of our Community Benefits program is the vulnerable populations. 76% of our total contribution was spent on programs for vulnerable populations in 2008.
Charity Policy; Our Policy of Assistance
John Muir Health has a number of programs to help our patients with their medical bills for services they receive at one of our medical centers. These programs include assistance to establish eligibility for a number of insurance programs, extended payment plans and a Patient Assistance Program to absorb part or all of the bill based on income and other program guidelines. For more information about our Patient Assistance Program, please contact the Business Office at: (925) 947-3336.
Charity Care
The largest proportion of our community benefit services are devoted to the most vulnerable individuals of our community. This means we provide health care through John Muir Medical Center at our Walnut Creek and Concord Campuses and the John Muir Behavioral Health Center for people regardless of their ability to pay. This includes the critical emergency and trauma services at our medical center campuses. Charity care is a community benefit, providing health care services for those that have no insurance and are otherwise unable to pay. Amounts listed here are costs not charges. We believe that a portion of our bad debts would be classified as charity care if we had more complete information from our patients regarding their economic status. Without the regulatory required information John Muir Health is not able to classify the write-off of an account as charity care and must classify the write-off of the account as a bad debt. Bad debts also include the cost of care provided to those who can but don't pay for services received. However, any account write-offs that are classified as bad debts are not included here.
Medi-Cal Shortfall
We provide care for patients who participate in government-sponsored programs such as Medi-Cal. The payment we receive from these programs rarely covers the full cost of services provided to these patients. As a community benefit, John Muir Health absorbs the difference between the cost (not charges) and the payment. In addition Medicare does not cover all the health care costs for patients over 65 years old. The Medicare costs are not included here.
Subsidized Medical Care
These services are underwritten by John Muir Health. In some cases services are provided by John Muir Health even at a loss because the service is only available to the community at JMH. We consider these losses a community benefit. Subsidized services include the Emergency Medical Services ambulance base station for the county at the Walnut Creek campus.
Health Improvement
John Muir Health also supports a wide range of activities and resources that promote health and wellness, including health education, libraries, health fairs, screening and support groups. The John Muir Community Health Alliance brings to the community an array of resources from John Muir Health, including health care professionals, mobile health services, and information and education services. The John Muir Community Health Alliance also works in partnership with local communities, other nonprofit health systems, public health providers, nonprofit organizations and school districts to identify and address unmet health needs among uninsured and underserved populations.
Community Building
This includes workforce development and community collaborative development. It includes John Muir Health support for the Monument Community Partnership.
Financial and In-Kind Contributions
The John Muir/Mt. Diablo Community Health Fund is a unique grant program that provides funds for health projects and initiatives conducted by community-based organizations. With an annual contribution of over $1 million from John Muir Health, and through partnerships with other grant making foundations, the Community Health Fund focuses on ways to achieve fundamental improvements in the health status of uninsured, underserved and overlooked families, children and seniors. Also included in this area are grants to fund instructors for nursing and other health careers, donations to community based-organizations focusing on diseases such as heart, cancer, stroke and diabetes and in-kind donations of supplies, facilities and staff time.
Health Professions Education and Research
Community benefits also include health professions education and research programs such as cancer clinical trials and formal education programs in the areas of nursing, physical therapy, ultrasound technology, radiologic technology, rehabilitation and clinical pastoral care.
Community Benefit Operations
A small dedicated staff manages the Community Health Alliance and the John Muir/Mt. Diablo Community Health Fund.