Greene County Medical Center provided $658,263 in uncompensated care and health care services to the Greene County area.
This figure comes from the recent Iowa Hospital Association’s (IHA) annual community benefits report and is based on 2015 figures. It includes $223,331 in charity care and $22,379 in free clinics.
Nearly half of the community benefit figure is derived from $318,346 bad debt for services billed, but not paid. Other community benefits include education, research and donations. The report shows that in all categories, 22,974 persons were served through community service programs in 2015.
“Our mission is to enrich our community by providing quality, compassionate care to every patient and contributing to the well-being of every family,” said CEO Carl Behne. “This includes providing community benefit services that may not otherwise be available.”
Community benefits are activities designed to improve health status and increase access to health care. Along with uncompensated care (which includes both charity care and bad debt), community benefits include such services and programs as health screenings, support groups, counseling, immunizations, nutritional services and transportation programs.
“Iowa hospitals are uniquely positioned to deliver these programs and services,” said IHA president and CEO Kirk Norris. “No other public or private entity could possibly fill in for hospitals in terms of both assessing and responding to specific community needs.”
Greene County Medical Center’s results are included in a statewide report by IHA that shows Iowa hospitals provided community benefits valued at more than $1 billion in 2015, including more than $246 million in charity care. Total uncompensated care was valued at nearly $520 million.
The survey also showed total Medicare and Medicaid losses (at cost) of nearly $370 million. All 118 of Iowa’s community hospitals participated in the survey.
