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Southeastern Med’s Community Benefits 2006 Report
Community Benefits
“We make a
living by what we get, but we make a life by what we GIVE.” – Winston
Churchill
(British politician)
While it is a fact
that every associate, physician, and administrator at Southeastern Med
works at the medical center in order to earn a living to provide for
themselves and their families, it is also a fact that each chooses their
career in the healthcare field because of their internal nature to give
to and care for others.
As a
not-for-profit health care organization, Southeastern Med has a
tradition of providing services that benefit the community. These
services are not established because of economic opportunity. They are
created because Southeastern Med realizes that there is a need for the
healthcare services we provide.
Southeastern Med is aware of the needs of low-income and other
vulnerable persons and the community at large. We provide, alone or by
partnering with other community groups, a wide-range of services that
are intended to improve the health of individuals within the community.
We educate community members and increase their access to healthcare.
Often times, these free or discounted services benefit people who are
uninsured and underinsured. These services are called community
benefits.
Southeastern Med defines community benefits according to the Community
Benefit Reporting Guidelines established by the Catholic Health
Association of the United States. In their comprehensive report,
community benefits are defined as “a planned, managed, organized, and
measured approach to a health care organization’s participation in
meeting identified community health needs. It implies collaboration
with ‘community’ to ‘benefit’ its residents -- particularly the poor,
minorities, and other underserved groups -- by improving health status
and quality of life” (p. 7).
The
intent of this publication is for Southeastern Med to summarize and
explain the numerous services and events that were implemented in 2006
that are considered community benefits. While Southeastern Med has an
obligation to provide healthcare services for all of the public, we also
feel an obligation to report the many benefits we provide to the
community. |
