WHA is beginning the process of publishing its
2021 Community Benefits Report, which will include a calculation of costs Wisconsin hospitals incur through charity care provision and financial losses resulting from administering public health programs as well as investments made in community health improvement services, cash and in-kind donations and other community-building activities.
An important component of WHA’s
Community Benefits Report, in addition to the tabulation of Wisconsin hospitals’ financial contributions to community development initiatives, are stories submitted by WHA members highlighting the many ways they are making a difference within their service areas, over and above providing excellent health care.
These stories will appear not only in WHA’s printed report, which will be shared with legislators and other health care stakeholders and decision-makers throughout the state, but also online, providing individual hospitals an opportunity to draw attention to their report submissions. Last year’s report and hospital stories can be viewed
here.
The following types of new stories are welcome:
- Charity Care/Free Clinics: Stories about how your hospital provides health care to medically underinsured or uninsured persons are especially powerful. Did you provide free care for someone who cannot afford it? Does your hospital fund a free community clinic? (Please note: Donations of time or money from staff or the public do not quality as charity care.)
- Hospital-Supported Initiatives: Identify a priority from your community health needs assessment and explain how the hospital/health system led an effort to address it.
- COVID-19 Efforts: Highlight how your hospital/system worked for your community despite unprecedented pandemic conditions, what challenges you faced and how you overcame those challenges while continuing to provide safe and high-quality care to your communities.
- Health Equity: How is your hospital or health system helping to ensure that your services are equally accessible to all members of your community, specifically populations exhibiting health disparities?
Each hospital may submit one story in each area above for consideration. The goal is to include a story from every WHA member hospital in the report.
Stories can be submitted using an
online form. Submitters are encouraged to include a photo with their stories whenever possible to increase visibility and impact with legislators, the media and the public. The deadline to submit stories is Aug. 16.
Questions can be directed to WHA Communications Manager
Shannon Nelson.