St. Luke’s recently filed community benefit reports for Ada, Twin Falls and Canyon counties for fiscal 2019.

The reports underscore St. Luke’s ongoing commitment to its not-for-profit mission to improve the health of people in the communities it serves. The reports show the real and tangible benefits to these communities. As a not-for-profit health care organization, St. Luke’s demonstrates its commitment to community service through organized and sustainable community benefit programs, including:

• Free and discounted services for those unable to afford care.
• Care for low-income beneficiaries of Medicaid and other indigent care programs.
• Services designed to improve community health and increase access to health care.

Here are highlights from each of the three reports.

Ada County

St. Luke’s provided more than $46 million in unreimbursed services, including charity care and bad debt, at cost.

The cost of under-reimbursed services provided to patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid, County Indigency and other programs exceeded $243 million.

The total unreimbursed value of “community benefit” services and programs totaled more than $41 million.

Some examples of those services:

• More than $13.4 million to the education of health professionals. A growing challenge for community hospitals is the shortage of qualified nurses, pharmacists, technicians, physicians, and other healthcare professionals. Examples of this investment include: scholarships for nursing students, support for faculty positions at Idaho universities, financial support of educational conferences, and investment in capital projects at Idaho universities that provide facilities for the education of future medical professionals.
• More than $1.1 million to the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho.
• More than $4.1 million was invested in community health improvement services. Examples include community health and prevention education such as birth and parenting classes, free community health screenings, Idaho Perinatal Project, Child Care Coordination, Childlife Program, Children's Hospital School, FitOne, KTVB nutrition news, detoxification and crisis mental health services through Allumbaugh House.
• More than $13.5 million went to subsidize health services such as home health services; women's and children's community education; the training and education programs for Air St. Luke's, the organization's medical air and ground transport service, and behavioral health services, and high school sports medicine services.
• More than $4.4 million went to medical research.

Canyon County

The total amount of charity care and bad debt, at cost, exceeded $9.6 million. The total cost of under-reimbursed services provided totaled more than $31 million. The total unreimbursed value of “community benefit” services exceeded $1.8 million.

Some examples of those services:

• More than $1.1 million was invested in the education of health professionals.
• $23,749 went to community health improvement services.
• $107,588 subsidized health services.
• $139,751 went to medical research.
  
  

Twin Falls County

The total amount of charity care and bad debt, at cost, exceeded $29.9 million. The total cost of under-reimbursed services provided totaled more than $81.3 million. The total unreimbursed value of “community benefit” services exceeded $11 million.

Some examples of services:

• $4,926,829 was invested in the education of health professionals.
• $656,115 to community health improvement services
• $4,760,010 went to local health clinics and programs
  
  

Capital Additions

Systemwide, more than $153 million went to expenditures for land, facilities, equipment and other capital supporting St. Luke’s mission.

Some examples of capital investments to improve access and services to meet community need include:

• Significant investments went into the Downtown Boise Campus Development. The multi-year project also underscores St. Luke's economic commitment to Idaho's capital city. During FY19, St. Luke's invested $102,055,923 for architectural, planning, and project costs related to the expansion.
• St. Luke's spent $14.6 million to further the expansion of St. Luke's Nampa campus.
• St. Luke's invested more than $16.4 million in 2019 to upgrade key information technology infrastructure in Ada, Canyon and Twin Falls counties.
• More than $2.7 million went for architectural, planning and construction cost to improve and expands its St. Luke's Magic Valley Hospital, Jerome Hospital and clinics in Twin Falls and surrounding areas. This includes a new clinic added in Buhl, Idaho.
• In all, St. Luke’s provided more than $650.6 million to unreimbursed services, charity care, capital investments, community benefits and programs to communities in Ada, Canyon and Twin Falls counties.