sample-community-benefit-orientations.ppt

For Community Development

1. 1
Instructions
This slide deck contains two presentations:
•An Orientation to Community Benefit for
Organizational Leaders (starts slide 2)
•An Orientation to Community Benefit: What
Frontline Staff Need to Know (starts slide 27)
•The content in these slides may be copied into
existing presentations or used on their own.

2. An Orientation To
Community Benefit For
Organizational Leaders

3. 3
Our Tradition
•Catholic health care has a rich tradition of
serving our communities
•Founding sisters came to this country to care for
the sick and start hospitals, nursing homes,
schools and orphanages
•We follow the tradition of Jesus who had special
affection for poor and vulnerable persons
•Providing community benefit is an essential part
of our mission

4. 4
(Organization’s Name) Tradition
•(the story of this organization)

5. 5
Our Tradition
Our Gospel values commit us to:
–Promote and defend human dignity – treat every
person with respect
–Care for poor and vulnerable persons – reach out to
underserved persons
–Promote the common good – always look for what is
in the best interest of the community
–Steward resources – use our financial and human
resources wisely
–(add values of this organization)

6. We Need To Be Accountable
Affordable Care Act (ACA)
The ACA added requirements for tax-
exempt hospitals related to:
Community health need assessment
Implementation strategy
Financial assistance
Charges
Billing/collections
6

7. Affordable Care Act
ACA requirements for community health
needs assessment (CHNA):
At least once every three years
Include input from persons who represent the
broad interests of the community
Include input from persons having public health
knowledge or expertise
7

8. Affordable Care Act
ACA requirements for implementation
strategy:
A written plan that addresses each of the community
health needs identified through a CHNA for the hospital
Describes either:
•How the hospital plans to meet the health need, or
•Why the hospital does not intend to meet the health
need
Adopted by governing body
8

9. We Need To Be Accountable
Mandated Reporting
The Internal Revenue Service and 20
states require annual reporting of
community benefit information.
9

10. We Need To Be Accountable
IRS Reporting
Hospitals must report on the IRS Form 990, Schedule H:
•Financial assistance and other community benefit
information
•Information about:
-- Financial assistance policies
-- Collection policies
-- Community need assessment
-- Other information about how the
organization benefits the
community
10

11. 11
We Need To Be Accountable
We are being asked if we are still
charitable, community oriented
organizations:
•By the sisters (or others) who sponsor our
organizations
•Our board, donors, and others to whom we are
responsible
•Our communities
•Those who grant us exemption from taxes

12. 12
We Need to Be Accountable
To be accountable, we:
•Plan community benefit programs in an
organized way
•Design community benefit programs to respond
to community needs
•Work closely with people and organizations in
our communities
•Keep track and report what we do for our
communities

13. 13
Principles of Our Community
Benefit Programs
The economically poor have a moral priority for services
We have a responsibility to work to improve health in
communities by focusing on prevention as well as
treatment
Community members and organizations are invited to be
actively involved in all phases of our community benefit
program
It is important to demonstrate the value of community
service
Commitment to community health improvement should be
reflected throughout our organizations
Leadership commitment is needed for successful
community benefit programs (active support of senior
management and governing board)

14. 14
To Be Sustainable, Our Program
Needs Organizational Support
A culture that sets the tone
Commitment of leaders
Sufficient staff
Adequate budget
Collaborative relationships with community
members and groups

15. 15
To Be Sustainable, Our Program
Needs a Strong Infrastructure
Clear and visible policies, including:
•Financial assistance for uninsured and
underinsured
•Involvement of physicians in serving low-income
persons and participating in community benefit
programs
•Encouraging employees to always act charitably
and respectfully and to participate in community
benefit programs

16. 16
To be Sustainable, Our Program
Needs a Strong Infrastructure
Integration with other critical functions:
•Planning
•Operations
•Clinical Services
•Communications

17. 17
Steps in Our Community Benefit
Program
Assessing needs and resources in
the community:
•Use existing and new information
•Focus on service gaps, risk factors and health
problems
•Work with others in our community
•(Present greatest needs in this community)

18. 18
Steps in Our Community Benefit
Program
Setting priorities for what services to
engage in:
•Look at seriousness and scope of problem,
determine whether this is a problem to the
community
•Consider our organization's strengths and what
we can contribute
•Put priority on services related to access to care
and other services for the economically poor

19. 19
Steps in Community Benefit
Program
Planning
•Our strategic plan includes information on health
problems in the community and our role in
addressing them
•We are part of community-wide programs to
improve health and health services in our
community (insert examples)
•We have our own implementation strategy
describing our specific community benefit efforts
(insert examples)
•Each program has a specific objective so we can
track whether it is making a difference

20. 20
Steps in Our Community Benefit
Program
Tracking community benefits
•We have an organized way of keeping track of
community benefits that is used throughout
Catholic health care and by many other
organizations

21. 21
Tracking Community Benefits

Community benefits include:
–Financial assistance and discounted services to
uninsured and low-income persons
–Participation in Medicaid programs
–Losses from programs we subsidize because they are
needed in the community (i.e. mental health services)
–Community health services (clinics, health education)
–Training for physicians, nurses and others
–Research
–Contribution: cash and in-kind
–Community building activities (advocacy for early
childhood development programs, housing for low-
income seniors)

22. 22
Steps in Our Community Benefit
Program
Evaluation – we look at:
•Are we giving resources to the right places?
•Are our programs effective in making a
difference?
•Are we a good partner in the community?
•Is our program well run and of high quality ?

23. 23
Steps in Our Community Benefit
Program
Telling the story
•Shows staff, physicians, board and
community members we are a mission-driven
organization
•Invites community members and groups to
support our programs – as program partners,
as volunteers, as donors
•Demonstrates that our tax exempt purpose is
still being fulfilled

24. 24
Steps in Our Community Benefit
Program
Telling the story
•We tell our community benefit story in all
communications:
•Reports to the community and others
•Orientation and education of staff
•Board meetings
•Talks to community groups
•Media contacts
•Advocacy visits to policymakers

25. 25
What Community Benefit Programs
Need from Organizational Leadership
Visible and vocal commitment that
community health improvement and
community benefit is an important part of this
organization
Inclusion of community needs and
community benefit programs in strategic and
operational plans
Appointment of staff, committees, other
needed resources
Incentives for all managers, staff, and
physicians to participate

26. 26
Summary
We provide community benefits because this is an
important part of our mission
Our communities need us to provide services to
uninsured and low-income persons and to help
improve health in our communities
We provide community benefits in an organized way
We need the support of executive and trustee
leaders
Community benefits demonstrate that we continue
the faith-inspired tradition of our founders

27. An Orientation To
Community Benefit: What
Frontline Staff Need To Know

28. 28
Our Tradition
Catholic health care has a rich tradition of
serving our communities
Founding sisters came to this country, to care
for the sick and start hospitals, nursing homes,
schools and orphanages
We follow the tradition of Jesus who had special
affection for poor and vulnerable persons
Providing community benefits is an essential
part of our mission

29. 29
(Organization’s Name) Tradition
•(the story of this organization)

30. 30
Our Tradition
Our values commit us to:
•Promote and defend human dignity – treat
every person with respect
•Care for poor and vulnerable persons – reach
out to underserved persons
•Promote the common good - always look for
what is in the best interest of the community
•Steward resources - use our financial and
human resources wisely
•(add values of this organization)

31. 31
As a Catholic Health Care
Organization
We believe:
•The economically poor have a moral priority for
services
•The "stranger" – persons who were not born in
this country and who do not speak our language
– deserve special consideration
•We have a responsibility to work to improve
health in communities by focusing on prevention
as well as treatment
•Serving uninsured and poor persons and
providing community benefits is an essential part
of our mission

32. 32
Facts About Poverty
Statistics
•In 2010, more than 46 million people lived in
poverty. This number of people living in poverty
is the largest number seen in 52 years.
•In over 31% of single family homes (no father),
the children are poor
•In 2010, 22% of all children lived in poverty –
that’s over 1 in every 5 children.
www.povertyusa.org

33. 33
Facts About Poverty
Federal definition of poverty:
•For a family of four, income of less than about
$22,314/year
•For a family of three, income of less than about
$17,374/year
U.S. Census Bureau

34. 34
Facts About Poverty
What it means to be poor
•Families meeting federal definition do not have enough
funds to meet basic needs of minimal housing, utilities,
food, transportation, health care, and child care
•They have no extra income for things such as school
supplies, clothes, birthday gifts, entertainment, household
supplies
•In 2010, one in seven American households were food
insecure.
•There are fewer opportunities than before for people to
work their way out of poverty
www.povertyusa.org

35. 35
Facts About the Uninsured
The effect of being uninsured has an
impact on health:
•Problems getting medical care
•Less use of preventative services
•Unable to follow-up, fill prescriptions
•More likely to be hospitalized with preventable problems
U.S. Census Bureau

36. 36
Who Benefits From Our Community
Benefit Program?
The whole community
People living in poverty
The uninsured and underinsured

37. 37
How We Help to Make
Communities Healthy
We do this by:
•Assessing needs and resources in our community
•Setting priorities among service gaps and problems
we find
•Working with other community groups
•Developing an organized plan
•Keeping track of the services we provide
•Evaluating whether our programs are working
•Telling others about our work and inviting them to
help

38. 38
Services We Provide in
Response to Community Need
Some of these services include:
•Financial assistance and discounted services to
uninsured and low-income
•Participation in the Medicaid programs
•Losses from programs we subsidize because they are
needed in the community (i.e. mental health services)
•Community health services (clinics, health education)
•Training for physicians, nurses and others
•Contribution: cash and in-kind
•Community building activities (advocacy for better
health programs, environment improvement)

39. 39
Information About Our Financial
Assistance Program (Charity Care)
We provide free care and can discount the cost of
care to persons who meet certain financial criteria
We have written financial assistance policies that
are posted in prominent areas
Our policies describe who is eligible and what
services are covered
We try to determine eligibility for financial
assistance before care is given, but sometimes
people do not know or are afraid to tell us they
need financial help

40. 40
Information About Our Financial
Assistance Program (Charity Care)
Determination for needing financial assistance
can made any time throughout the
admission/treatment/discharge/billing process
We make an effort to identify all persons who
might be eligible for financial assistance and
discounts
We treat uninsured and low-income persons
the same way we treat all patients
–High quality care
–With respect

41. 41
(Organization’s name) Financial
Assistance Policies

42. 42
What Emergency Departments
Should Know
Every person who needs emergency
services should be treated:
•With respect
•With the highest quality of care to
all patients
•Without any regard to ability to
pay

43. 43
What Emergency Departments
Should Know
If a patient is uninsured or underinsured:
•Inform them about financial assistance and discount
policies and how to apply
•Find out if they are eligible for Medicaid, state
indigent care or children's health insurance program
and help them to apply
•Find out if they can get needed follow-up care (such
as filling prescriptions) and refer to community
resources if needed
•Inform them about community resources for getting
affordable primary care which might prevent future
need for emergency care (free clinics, mobile health
units)

44. 44
What Billing Departments
Should Do
All bills should state:
•That financial assistance, with all or part of
the bill, may be available for uninsured and
low-income persons
•How persons can apply for assistance
Establish a process for resolving unpaid
bills
* Be sure to check latest IRS rules for specifics

45. 45
What Billing Departments
Should Do
For persons who cannot afford to pay their
bills:
•Find out if person could be eligible for public
program assistance (Medicaid, state indigent
care, children's health insurance)
•Assist them to apply for facility financial
assistance
•When appropriate, convert bill to financial
assistance and inform the patient of this
•Treat every person respectfully
*Be sure to check latest IRS rules for specifics

46. 46
All Staff Can Participate in
Community Benefit Programs
Tell patients you come in contact with about
programs we provide that may be of benefit to them
Let community benefit staff know about community
health issues you have encountered in your work
Let the community benefit staff know about all
community activities that your department or
program is providing
Volunteer to help with our programs
Tell others about our community benefit programs
and invite them to be involved
Let us know if you would like time off for a personal
volunteer program

47. 47
(Organization’s Name) Community
Benefit Activities
Our community benefit activities include:
For more information about our community
benefit activities, contact (add contact info)

48. 48
Summary
We provide community benefits because
this is an important part of our mission
Our communities need us to provide
services to uninsured and low income
persons and to help improve health in our
communities
When we provide these services, we
demonstrate that:
–We continue the faith-inspired tradition of our founders
–We are who we say we are

49. 49
"For I was hungry and you gave me
food, I was thirsty and you gave me
drink, a stranger and you welcomed
me, naked and you clothed me, ill and
you cared for me, in prison and your
visited me. ..what you did not do for
one of these least ones, you did not do
for me….“
- Matthew 25