8/30/2016
SENECA, Pa., Aug. 30, 2016 – UPMC Northwest provided $9 million in IRS-defined “community benefits” last year, an average of nearly $25,000 a day for programs and services to improve the health and quality of life of all the communities UPMC Northwest serves. The $9 million total includes:
• $5.1 million in charity care and unreimbursed amounts for programs for the poor
• $3.6 million in community health programs and donations
• $400,000 in medical research and education
UPMC Northwest’s contributions were part of UPMC’s $892 million in total community benefits the health system provided during fiscal year 2015 and published recently in the Community Benefits Report 2015-2016 . The report shows UPMC nearly 70 percent of western Pennsylvania’s charity care, which is more than double all other hospitals combined, and far exceeds UPMC’s 40 percent share of hospital patients in the region.
UPMC’s $892 million in total community benefits includes:
• $313 million in charity care and unreimbursed amounts for programs for the poor
• $217 million in community health programs and donations
• $362 million for medical research and education
“We are more committed than ever to the residents of our region,” said David Gibbons, president of UPMC Northwest. “Some of our major community health programs and donations throughout the year involve more than 100 free community health screenings and educational programs including breast cancer screenings and cancer and stroke education programs. We’re home to a diabetes center which provides comprehensive educational programs to help prevent and manage diabetes.”
“We are proud of our community service leadership role and continue to provide world-class care by sharing programs, resources, technology, and other expertise with others throughout UPMC,” added Gibbons.
UPMC Northwest, one of the region’s largest employers, has a powerful effect on the local economy with a total annual economic impact of nearly $170 million.