Passavant benefits the community

Passavant benefits the community

Nonprofit hospitals like Passavant are required to provide benefits to the communities they serve in order to maintain tax exempt status. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, most community benefit activity was in the form of uncompensated health care costs, such as charity care. New guidelines set by the Affordable Care Act have challenged hospitals to team up with community partners and assess their community’s true health needs every three years, then develop annual plans of work to ensure that their efforts address the greatest health needs in their communities.

Passavant completed its most recent health needs assessment in 2015. After reviewing data, assessing results of a survey taken by community members, and considering the potential for impact, three final priorities were chosen: obesity, mental health, and access to care.

To address obesity, Passavant is planning to introduce Memorial’s Weight Loss and Wellness Center program, in addition to continuing its commitment to improve healthy attitudes about healthy lifestyles through education and the support of local programs and initiatives such as Walking for Wellness and Girls on the Run. To address mental health, the hospital is committed to increasing access to mental health services through the opening of the inpatient Behavioral Health Unit. Passavant is also supporting community efforts to reduce the stigma of mental health. In response to the need for better access to care, Passavant recently partnered with the Morgan County Health Department and Southern Illinois University School for Medicine to apply for a Federally Qualified Health Center in Jacksonville, and will continue to support the Morgan County Health Department’s STD Clinic.

You can view the current Health Needs Assessment and the Implementation Strategy on Passavant’s website, in addition to past assessments, implementations plans, and results. https://www.passavanthospital.com/about-passavant/community-benefit-report-2/

Passavant provides $12.7 Million in community benefit
In fiscal year 2015, Passavant gave back nearly $12.7 million in community benefit. This amount included nearly $9 million in unpaid Medicaid costs, almost $1 million in traditional charity care, and $2.7 million to fund other community health services.

Some examples of Passavant’s community benefit efforts include:

The 5-2-1-0 program
Support groups
Speakers and educational programs
Free breastfeeding education
Medicare counseling services
Health screenings
PSA’s
Clinical training for students
Continuing medical education
Support of West Central Mass Transit
Cash donations
Economic development
Advocacy
Community nutrition education
Mental health first aid training

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