More than $143.8 million provided in uncompensated care, charity care and funding to vital community programs in 2018
Spokane, WA—Answering a long-tradition of giving to those most in need, Providence Health Care invested more than $143.8 million in charity care, uncompensated care and funding for local community programs in 2018. This investment addresses many of the most urgent health and social issues impacting our local communities.
“We’re investing in the biggest, most urgent health and social needs of all, especially for those who are most poor and vulnerable in our communities,” said Elaine Couture, chief executive of Providence Health Care and executive vice president for the Washington and Montana region. “Thank you to our caregivers and community partners for all they do to serve those in need. Together, we are contributing to healthier communities.”
Providence Health Care’s 2018 community benefit investment included:
- Free and discounted health care for community members who are uninsured and under-insured
- Health education and research, including subsidizing medical residency programs
- Support for important health services such as the YWCA’s Domestic Violence Mobile Advocate program
- Community health improvement and strategic partnerships through grants and donations
- Unpaid costs of Medicaid and other means-tested government programs; this is the difference between the cost of care and what is paid for by state and federal government. Over the past five years, Providence Health Care’s investment in the community has increased more than 30 percent.
“With each investment we make and partnership we develop, we find ways to best address and prioritize our region’s most challenging needs as identified through our community health needs assessment,” said Couture.
The collaborative process includes a review of public health data and interviews with key stakeholders and otherwise under-represented populations. This past year, Providence Health Care focused on supporting community programs that addressed:
- Family violence and trauma
- Mental health and substance use services
- Social determinants of health and well-being, including housing and food insecurity
- Access to health care and services
Addressing the root causes of these conditions and identifying community-based solutions can help transform the health of our communities. In collaboration with community partners, Providence Health Care is working to increase the number of people who have access to health care, connect individuals with resources, and address core issues such as food and housing instability, social isolation, education and other factors that contribute to improved well-being.
To learn more about the many ways the community benefit fund touches lives in need, visit providence.org/CommunityBenefitEWA. To learn more about Providence St. Joseph Health’s investment across seven states, visit psjhealth.org/community-benefit.
About Providence Health Care Community Benefit Investment
Providence Health Care determines where help is needed most by conducting a local needs assessment in each of the communities it serves and identifying those programs and services that help create lasting solutions. Findings have shown the greatest needs across Spokane and Stevens counties include: mental health and substance use; food insecurity; housing and homelessness; and access to health care and services.
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