Downers Grove, Ill. — Advocate Health Care, Illinois’ largest integrated health care system, announced today that it provided $692 million in charitable care and community services in 2016, an increase of $6 million from the previous year.
“The mission, values and philosophy that guide every decision we make are grounded in a steadfast commitment to making our communities healthier,” said Jim Skogsbergh, president and CEO of Advocate Health Care. “We’re incredibly proud of our dedicated physicians, nurses, associates and volunteers who help us give back and provide safe, compassionate care to those we are so privileged to serve.”
Overall, the system provided more than $517 million in charity care and other uncompensated costs, including free and discounted care for the uninsured and underinsured, and care without full imbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. Over $26 million was spent on subsidized health services including not only hospital-based services, such as trauma care, but also community health focused activities. For example, Advocate funded school-based health centers that provide physicals to low-income, uninsured and underinsured children, immunization clinics focused on ceasing the spread of preventable illnesses, and health education and screenings to identify at-risk individuals and to prevent or promote self-management of disease. Advocate also implemented programs in response to its communities’ unique needs as determined through its hospitals’ community health needs assessments.
The system’s generous cash donations to support other not-for-profit community organizations, as well as its in-kind donations of equipment, supplies and clinic space, totaled over $10.7 million last year. The value of Advocate associates’ time volunteering in the community and the time that volunteers from the community devote to Advocate totaled an additional $5.7 million. Advocate also devoted $126.7 million to the provision of medical education and training of other health care professionals.
Advocate continued to make significant investments in language assistance services in 2016, with contributions nearing $5.6 million. These services offer non-English speaking and deaf and hard of hearing patients access to interpreters at Advocate’s multiple sites of care.
As part of its annual Community Benefits Report, a detailed breakdown of Advocate’s contributions was recently filed with the state.