(Denison, IA) – Crawford County Memorial Hospital (CCMH) provides $1,803,260 in community benefits to Denison and Crawford County, according to a recently completed assessment of those programs and services. That amount, based on 2018 figures, includes $1,437,682 in uncompensated care and $365,578 in free or discounted community benefits that CCMH specifically implemented to help Crawford County residents.
Community benefits are activities to improve health status and increase access to health care. With uncompensated care and charity care, community benefits include such services and programs as health screenings, support groups, counseling, immunizations, nutrition services and transportation programs.
The results for CCMH are included in a statewide report by the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA) that shows Iowa hospitals provided community benefits in 2018 valued at more than $945 million, including more than $253 million in charity care.
Erin Muck, CCMH CEO, said the hospitals and clinics are committed to provide care for all residents of Crawford County.
“Our mission at CCMH is to provide the highest quality healthcare and provide the best experience for all our patients in our community. We also strive to increase access to care and improve population health status and outcomes. The community benefits provided by CCMH help us meet our health care mission.”
The programs and services accounted for in the survey were implemented in direct response to the needs of communities, counties and regions. Many of these programs and services would not exist without hospital support and leadership.
Uncompensated care and charity care also play roles in the community benefit for services provided by hospitals. Total uncompensated care at Iowa hospitals in 2018 was valued at $537 million. The survey also showed total Medicare and Medicaid losses (at cost) of $232 million.
The charity care and uncompensated care totals at CCMH also continue to grow. In the past year, charity care and uncompensated care grew by over $600,000.
Iowa hospitals, which employ more than 76,000 people, continue implementing strategies that increase value to their patients and communities by offering high-quality care, addressing the health needs of communities and employing process improvements that bend the cost curve. By seeking ways to raise quality, reduce waste and increase safety, Iowa hospitals have become value leaders, as shown in multiple studies, including those by the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care and the Commonwealth Fund.
CCMH provides employment to 270 individuals with an annual payroll in excess of $17 million. The total economic impact of CCMH in Crawford County is more than $23 million.