Caring for People: MHS Community Benefit Program

MHS Employees: Report Your 2015 Community Benefit Hours NOW

Because Methodist Health System cares about our people in the community, our community benefit is a planned, organized and measured approach to meeting identified community health needs or increasing access to health care.

Community benefit may serve a specific group of persons who are economically poor, or may serve a broad cross-section of the community. Always, the intent is to address and improve the overall health of the community.

In determining what counts as community benefit, we look at our most recent community health needs assessment and determine if that need would follow the guidelines by the IRS. The need must be identified in at least one of the following criteria:

• Generate a low or negative margin.
• Respond to the needs of special populations, such as minorities, frail elderly, poor persons with disabilities, the chronically mentally ill, or persons with AIDS.
• Supply a service or programs that would likely be discontinued if the decision were made on a purely financial basis.

Examples of community benefit includes:

• Free or discounted health screenings (especially targeting diabetes, heart disease and stroke).
• Smoking cessation programs
• Mentoring health professionals (doctors, residents, nurses, other allied health)
• Programs such as the mobile diabetes unit through our college. This unit serves not only as a screening facility but also is able to give immunizations to the underserve population.
• Programs designed to reduce domestic violence
• Donations of food, supplies or in-kind services to help people who are poor or underserved

Community benefit does not include the unpaid cost of providing care to patients who have Medicare coverage, or patient bad debts.

During the 2014 fiscal year, Methodist Health System provided over $59 million in community benefit.

• This includes $13 million in financial assistance (free or reduced-cost services for people who cannot afford to pay).

Read more about our community commitment and view our Community Health Needs Assessment on our website: methodistcommunitybenefit.com.

Report Your 2015 Community Benefit Hours NOW
Please turn in your 2015 community benefit hours as soon as possible. A quick reporting form is available on mhsintranet. 

Questions?
Contact Bridget Rolenc, MHS Community Networking Manager, at @email or (402) 354-6295.