Making Life BETTER St. Joseph s Hospital Community Benefit Report 2013
Starting in 2014, millions of Americans will become eligible for health care coverage offered through health insurance exchanges and through expanded Medicaid. Every day, Hospital Sisters Health System s hospitals and our physician partners see uninsured patients and provide them with high quality services it is who we are, it is our mission imperative to provide for all people. By actively reaching out and engaging uninsured individuals, enrolling them in health coverage, and keeping those who remain eligible covered, our patients will benefit by having continuous access to coverage and care. Studies have shown that people without insurance coverage are more likely than their insured counterparts to postpone care and to develop more severe and expensive conditions. It is for this reason that Catholic health care, the Catholic Church, and Hospital Sisters Health System have long promoted coverage and access for all. Key to realizing our mission is our colleague and physician engagement. By attracting, developing and nurturing the most committed, talented people, Hospital Sisters Health System is positioned to provide exceptional service to all we are privileged to serve. Through our dedicated colleagues and physicians, we will fulfill our mission to share the healing love of Christ for all people. As a Franciscan health care ministry, we are inspired by the teachings of St. Francis and St. Clare as we serve others, particularly the most vulnerable in our society. As health care professionals, we constantly adapt to changes in health care to improve patient care, increase access to coverage and care, and provide an excellent experience in every encounter with our patients and their families. In this annual report, we celebrate our accomplishments and embrace our Franciscan values that guide us each day. Best of all you will see the many ways we are reaching out to provide the healing ministry of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis for generations to come. Sincerely, Mary Starmann-Harrison, President and CEO, Hospital Sisters Health System Sister Mary Mollison, CSA, Board Chair, Hospital Sisters Health System For people that choose the health care profession, we are sometimes challenged but always motivated to make life better for others. Through the experienced care, diagnostic technology and successful treatment provided 24/7 within our hospital walls we see how we can make a difference in someone s life. Today, more than ever, we realize it s time for our mission of care to extend beyond our walls and into our communities. This year s Community Benefit Report is a snapshot of the countless ways in which St. Joseph s Hospital touches lives at our facility and in the community. Chippewa Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) continues to inspire remarkable examples of making lives better through its many programs, volunteers and vision. Our Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine has expanded to the Eau Claire area while maintaining successful outcomes in the upper 90 percentile. Locally, the L.E. Phillips-Libertas Treatment Center and Libertas Program in Green Bay continue to inspire comebacks by believing in people battling addictions. Home Health and Hospice touch many lives providing a much needed level of care to make the patient experience better at home. And, in 2014 our Birth Center will be transformed into this area s newest center to make the birth experience not only better, but the best it can be. It s time time to reach within ourselves and to reach out with our hospital s unique ability to care and make life better for everyone. Thank you to our colleagues, physicians, Partners, Volunteers and everyone who shares our mission and our passion. Together we really are making lives better. Sincerely, Joan M. Coffman, President and CEO, St. Joseph s Hospital It s time time to reflect on the many accomplishments of the past, to celebrate the collaborative effort of so many and to look to the future for the good that is yet to come. For the past 19 years, St. Joseph s Hospital has been extending support to the healthy communities initiative, Chippewa Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP), understanding that health improvement doesn t just happen within the walls of the hospital. Guided by its sense of responsibility to meet the needs of the community and care for the most vulnerable, CHIP was designed to give back to the community that St. Joseph s Hospital has been a part of since 1885. This annual report is a glimpse of some of the ways that CHIP and St. Joseph s Hospital delve into the needs of the community and develop and implement initiatives to meet those needs. The following pages provide a snapshot of the four current top community health needs and how CHIP and St. Joseph s Hospital, with the help of many community partners, work to enhance the quality of life in Chippewa County and surrounding areas. The Partnership was honored with the American Hospital Association s 2013 NOVA Award prestigious recognition presented for effective community collaborations focused on improving community health. Celebrating our success is important but it s time to elevate our efforts to a new level. Let s all continue to strive for excellence for all, creating the very best place for all of us to live, learn, work and play. Rhonda Brown, Regional Director of Community Health Development, HSHS Division (Western Wisconsin)
Making Life BETTER Improving HEALTH in the Chippewa Valley As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, all hospitals are required to submit a health needs assessment report to the Internal Revenue Service to show how tax exempt hospitals provide and report benefit to the community. This is nothing new for St. Joseph s Hospital and Chippewa Health Improvement Partnership. The Partnership has been conducting health needs assessments in our community since 1994. Every three years CHIP uses a variety of need assessment techniques to compile and relay information to hospital administration to align with strategic priorities. Our community s specific, identified health needs are built right into our formal system strategies, complete with goals and outcomes, said Rhonda Brown, Regional Director of Community Health Development. St. Joseph s Hospital service area includes Chippewa County and surrounding communities. Residents identify the top four needs in the hospital s service area as: adequate, appropriate and safe food and nutrition; mental health; AODA (alcohol and other drug abuse); and chronic disease prevention and management. The completed health needs assessment report is available for public viewing and can be found on www.stjoeschipfalls.com and www.chippewahealth.org. Community Benefit Traditional Charity Care Unpaid Cost of Medicaid Means Tested Programs Community Health Improvement Services Health Professions Education Subsidized Health Services Grand Total St. Joseph s Hospital People 1,485 10,261 942 24,046 61 520 37,811 Total Expense $2,497,321 $14,838,765 $1,403,170 $194,929 $9,637 $3,419,539 $22,379,887 Offsetting Revenue $0 $7,123,164 $847,514 $69,681 $0 $2,565,370 $10,536,048 Net Benefit $2,497,321 $7,715,601 $555,656 $264,610 $9,637 $1,074,963 $11,843,839 Benefits for the Poor Benefits for the Broader Community Medicare Shortfalls $10,768,876 $1,074,963 $9,139,512 Benefits include charity care at cost, Medicaid shortfalls, public programs, community health services and other benefits. Benefits include community education, wellness services and patient care services. Benefits include providing care and services to primarily elderly beneficiaries of the Medicare program, in excess of government and managed care contract payments to the hospital.
FOOD is primary concern in community St. Joseph s Hospital s Reverence to the Earth Committee, with the help of several hospital departments and many community organizations, started its Community Garden in the spring of 2013. The 2010 Census of Chippewa County revealed that 14 percent of Chippewa County residents are considered food insecure which is 8,738 Chippewa County residents. Poverty is also often related to food insecurity. The poverty rate in Chippewa County was found to be 11.6 percent or 7,240 Chippewa County residents in 2010, according to recent statistics. However, being in need of fresh food isn t just about people who go hungry on a daily basis. Food insecurity is a problem for middle class families too, said Joy LaMartina, Healthy Community Specialist with Chippewa Health Improvement Partnership at St. Joseph s Hospital. It s the family of four who have high medical bills, the mechanic who recently lost his job, or the single mom whose car just died. Unfortunately fresh food gets cut from the already slim budget because of accessibility, cost and other factors. St. Joseph s Hospital s Reverence to the Earth Committee took on the task of developing a community garden with the help of several departments throughout the hospital and with donations from many organizations in the community. Located off of Scheidler Road across from Chippewa Valley Technical College, 24 plots measuring 12 feet by 24 feet each, were rented for $20 per plot for a household, which included irrigation. Those in need kept the entire harvest. Organizations paid $35 per plot and were asked to donate the harvest to local food pantries. The committee connected with nearly all of the food pantries in Chippewa County to ensure donated vegetables would get to those that can use them. The harvest was a bountiful success: nearly 300 pounds of produce was donated. Broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, onions, peppers, tomatoes and zucchini were snapped up without waste. The hospital s Reverence to the Earth committee will continue its endeavor next year. Roger Elliot, Director of Plant Services, recently announced that funding for fencing to keep out deer was granted by the Friends of St. Joseph s Hospital. Expanded irrigation has been donated by the Community Foundation of Chippewa County can ensure next year s harvest more bountiful than ever. This project would not have been possible without support from Chippewa Health Improvement Partnership, Community Foundation of Chippewa County, Friends of St. Joseph s Hospital, Hospital Sisters Health Care West, Jaenke Concrete, Master Gardener Volunteers, Partners of St. Joseph s Hospital, RainMaster Lawn Systems, Rasmus Farms, Tractor Central and UW Extension Office (Jerry Clark). Food insecurity is a problem for middle class families too. Unfortunately fresh food gets cut from the already slim budget because of accessibility, cost and other factors. Joy LaMartina, Healthy Community Specialist, Chippewa Health Improvement Partnership
Infant mental health need assessed Research indicates that one in five Wisconsin residents are affected by a mental illness, and nearly two-thirds of those with a diagnosable mental disorder do not get the treatment and support that would help them recover. To tackle this identified need, a Chippewa Health Improvement Partnership action team approached a relatively new concept: to increase the understanding of infant and early childhood mental health. Education may prevent children from having developmental issues later in life. Social and emotional development involves skills such as self-confidence, curiosity, motivation, persistence, self-control and trust all of which affect future learning, growth and success, said Rhonda Brown, Regional Director of Community Health Development, HSHS Division (Western Wisconsin). The development of all of these traits begins in infancy and need to be nurtured throughout childhood. The team hosted an Infant Mental Health summit to bring these issues to the forefront for a local group of professionals. Nearly 100 professionals including educators, doctors, child care workers and mental health therapists filled the event to capacity. An extensive panel of experts presented information on current trends in infant mental health. At the conclusion, two task force teams were created to promote the social and emotional development of young children by educating professionals and the community about factors that affect infant mental health. Chippewa Health Improvement Partnership hosted a infant mental health summit in September. Below: Therese Ahlers, Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health Executive Director, was a guest speaker We know that by providing proper care to infants by way of mental health we can perhaps decrease the growing numbers of those suffering from mental illness or mental health issues, Brown said. The mental health team continues to spearhead free mental health counseling through a collaborative effort of L.E. Phillips-Libertas Treatment Center and the Open Door Clinic of Chippewa Falls. Alcohol, drugs remain a problem in county Excessive drinking continues to be a problem in the Chippewa Valley. To help address this concern, Chippewa Health Improvement Partnership formed a new committee called Voices in Prevention. The team consists of representatives from Chippewa Falls and Cornell school districts, West Central Drug Task Force, Chippewa Valley Correctional Treatment Facility and Chippewa County Department of Human Services. The purpose is to educate parents and grandparents to evoke conversations about drugs including possible street names teens may be using. After sharing information and data collection from surveys of clients, along with reports of parents being unaware of the new language, paraphernalia and drug trends, the team took a decidedly grassroots approach to educating the community by creating a traveling display case of drugs and paraphernalia and staffing a booth at popular women s events, such as St. Joseph s Live and Laugh event. Manned by a member of the West Central Drug Task Force, event participants viewed various drugs and common concealing techniques. Some comments were overheard including I was not aware that Molly was not actually a girl s name, but a drug and I will be having a conversation with my child after seeing some of these materials.
GO Walk, a collaboration of St. Joseph s and Chippewa Valley Family YMCA, offered examples of a free, easy workout that people can do in the local park. Inset: Rachel Funk, former trainer at the YMCA, took 30 people on an aerobic exercise-filled walk through Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls. GO campaign focus: chronic disease prevention and management In 2013, St. Joseph s and Sacred Heart hospitals launched the GO15 campaign, which promoted the initiative to move 15 minutes a day, every day. By accessing www.gochippewavalley.com the public can access free health assessment tools, motivational blogs and keep track up upcoming GO events. The events have become a successful, fun and educational part of this health campaign, said Rhonda Brown, Regional Director of Community Health Development, HSHS Division (Western Wisconsin). GO Dance started the initiative in March where nearly 400 participants tested out several new moves including ballroom dance, hip hop, tai kwon do and yoga to name a few. A cooking demonstration of how to make a healthy pizza with taste tests and refreshments took place. As with most of St. Joseph s Hospital s events, health screenings and Ask the Doc was incorporated. Blood pressure, BMI, hearing, blood glucose and other tests were offered, along with a bevy of health care professionals on hand to answer specific individual questions. GO Walk was held in September and October, with participants partaking in a variety walk through Irvine Park after a warm up by physical therapists and athletic trainers. Participants suggested the walk be done every week. In November, nearly 100 people attended the Discussing Diabetes event at the Heyde Center for the Arts. Ten educational did you know? Analysis of public health data found that chronic disease and poor health behaviors (i.e., tobacco use, heart disease, hypertension, depression/anxiety disorder, lack of physical activity, and diabetes) are largely prevalent among residents and are the cause of many of the health issues amid this population. Source: Fiscal Year 2012 Community Needs Assessment, St. Joseph s Hospital booths were set up with professionals including a pharmacist, diabetes educators, fitness professionals, dietitians and physicians were on hand after presentations including a holiday recipe makeover presented by hospital food professionals. We are aware that there is a great need for diabetes education, and our participants are ready and willing to learn as much as they can to manage their disease, Brown said. Survey results included comments such as I finally understand my diabetes and I can exercise more.