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Community benefit reports highlight St. Luke’s commitment to communities across Idaho
St. Luke’s recently released its benefit reports for fiscal year 2023, highlighting the positive community impact and on-the-ground stories from partners in all six of its operating regions.
The reports, which include a system-level write-up, available here, and individual county summaries for Ada, Blaine, Canyon, Elmore, Twin Falls, and Valley, show the total benefit St. Luke’s provided to communities. The total benefit of $867 million includes donations, community programs and services and charity care.
St. Luke’s has been recognized as one of the top 15 health systems in the United States. In addition to providing outstanding clinical care, we demonstrate a commitment to community and population health through partnerships and programs that expand access and address social determinants of health.
“St. Luke’s dedication to community benefit guides us to maximize partnerships and available resources, ensuring people have equitable opportunities to achieve their optimal health and well-being,” said Theresa McLeod, St. Luke’s Community Health and Engagement administrator.
It is a combination of investments in upstream prevention and excellent care in our clinical settings that we can achieve our mission to improve health in the communities we serve. We are also excited to report an approximate 41% increase in the number of volunteer hours logged in our facilities from 2022 to 2023, an indication of our community’s investment in our work and community well-being.
Below are just some of the investments made in the community in 2023.
Ada County
St. Luke’s facilities in Ada County reported $381.2 million in under-reimbursed services and $17.8 million in unreimbursed services.
A major effort was made to improve access to patient-centered care, including $103.9 million in total capital improvements. After expenses, St. Luke’s revenue is reinvested into both the community and the organization to support staff, buildings or new technology.
- $22.2 million into downtown Boise campus development. We invested in architecture, planning and project costs related to our multi-year plan to add 80 additional beds and seven operating rooms at our downtown location.
- $61.3 million toward development and construction of a new state-of-the-art orthopedic facility that opened in February 2024.
- $7.6 million into technology. We continually upgrade key information technology infrastructure to boost efficiencies, lower costs and, most importantly, improve safety and quality for patients.
- $12.7 million to other projects. We are dedicated to updating equipment and expanding our clinics and facilities to give patients the best quality of care.
Our community benefit includes upstream efforts made through strategic partnerships with local nonprofits and for-profit organizations committed to a parallel mission.
“Serving on the community board provides an exceptional opportunity to collaborate with compassionate leaders invested in supporting the mission of St. Luke’s to improve community health and well-being in Idaho,” said Joelle Powers, St. Luke’s Treasure Valley Community Board chair and professor and senior associate dean, Boise State University College of Health Sciences.
Blaine County
St. Luke’s facilities in Blaine County reported $1.9M in unreimbursed services and $2.8 million in Medicare services. The total community benefit in Valley County was $869 million.
The Center for Community Health in Hailey is one example of how St. Luke’s meets patients where they are with the support they need. As a local hub for health care, mental health and social services referrals, St. Luke’s provided 186 counseling contracts to mental health providers for community members who needed financial assistance for mental health support.
“St. Luke’s Wood River is committed to supporting the well-being of our community members and visitors, extending care beyond the hospital walls,” said Almita Nunnelee, St. Luke’s Wood River chief operating officer/chief nursing officer.
In Blaine County, the total community benefit was $9.8 million.
Canyon County
In Canyon County, St. Luke’s facilities reported $34 million in under-reimbursed services and $3.8 million in unreimbursed services. Capital improvements were $13.4 million in total: $11.4 million for the South Nampa Community Clinic, $1.3 million for facilities development throughout the county and $682,000 toward technology.
The total community benefit in Canyon County was $66.7 million.
An element of St. Luke’s benefit to the community is ensuring that accessible services are available when and where residents need them. Last year, this meant opening a first-of-its-kind primary care facility in South Nampa.
“Informed by local community board members, St. Luke’s makes investments that are strategically placed to boost services and resources that address the issues most impacting the health of our communities,” said Nikki Zogg, St. Luke’s West Treasure Valley Community Board member and director of Southwest District Health.
Elmore County
The St. Luke’s facilities in Elmore County reported $1.9 million in under-reimbursed services and $822 thousand in unreimbursed services.
Mental and behavioral health concerns continue to be a concern in Elmore County, especially among youth. As part of the effort to raise awareness, in addition to providing care in our hospital and clinics, St. Luke’s funded and developed Help is Here!, a bilingual suicide prevention and emotional and mental health resource guide, and continues to partner with local community groups.
“I’m proud of our students and their vision for change. Our partnership with St. Luke’s for the #YouAreMore and Community Canvas projects, and the Yellow Buddy Benches, let youth know they’re not alone in their struggles,” said Karen Brescia, a registered nurse and Mountain Home High School Health Occupations teacher.
The total community benefit in Elmore County was $7.3 million.
Twin Falls County
The St. Luke’s facilities in Twin Falls County reported $106.1 million in under-reimbursed services and $10.5 million in unreimbursed services.
Capital improvements were $7.2 million in total: $5.2 million to facilities upgrades to invest in renovations, equipment and upgrades to the Magic Valley and Jerome hospitals and surrounding clinics to help keep pace with the needs of the growing community. An additional $2 million went toward technology.
The total community benefit in Twin Falls County was $155.5 million.
Access to social services can pose health challenges for community members, with several community health assessments identifying the high cost of living as a significant health barrier.
In response, St. Luke’s and local partners have invested in establishing a Center for Community Health to help residents navigate their nonclinical care options as well as get resource referrals to address social determinants of health.
Valley County
The St. Luke’s facilities in Valley County reported $3.3 million in under-reimbursed services and $740,000 in unreimbursed services.
The total community benefit in Valley County was $24.9 million.
In Valley County and the surrounding area, one way St. Luke’s provides community benefit is by investing in health care access solutions. In 2023, St. Luke’s opened its doors to the new and expanded McCall Medical Center, which will increase area access to additional specialty, emergent and routine medical services for community members in the area (photo below). We also opened McCall’s first urgent care, St. Luke’s Clinic – Payette Lakes Family Medicine.
“The community has been asking for better access to primary care. We are excited we were able to open the new urgent care clinic last summer, making it easier and more affordable for individuals and families to get the care they need,” said Amber Green, RN, BSN, MSN, St. Luke’s McCall chief operating officer/chief nursing officer.
About The Author
Alexis Bennett is a consultant for St. Luke's Community Health and Engagement.
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