ERIE, Pa., Aug. 30, 2017 – UPMC Hamot provided $22 million in IRS-defined community benefits last year, an average of more than $106,000 a day for programs and services to improve the health and quality of life of all the communities UPMC Hamot serves. The $22 million total includes:

• $11 million in charity care and unreimbursed amounts for programs for the poor
• Nearly 6 million in community health programs and donations, such as:
• Community health fairs, health screenings and heart awareness education
• Eagle’s Nest employability program for at-risk youth
• Childbirth education programs
• Mall walkers program
• Safety education programs such as Stop the Bleed to teach bystanders basic first aid for victims of traumatic injuries
• Nearly $5 million in medical research and education to teach tomorrow’s health professionals through:
• Student intern and shadowing program
• Relationships with area universities and colleges to provide hands-on training to nursing students and future orthopaedic surgeons and hand surgeons

UPMC Hamot’s contributions were part of the $912 million in total community benefits that the UPMC system provided during Fiscal Year 2016, the most recent data available, published recently in its 2016-2017 Community Benefit Report (PDF)​. The report details the renowned health care provider and insurer’s commitment to addressing the most pressing needs of its many diverse communities, and shows how UPMC provided more care to the region’s poor and underserved than any other health system in Pennsylvania.

On a national level, UPMC’s community contributions exceed those of other top medical centers in terms of percentage of net patient revenue. Including UPMC Susquehanna and UPMC Chautauqua WCA, both of which affiliated with UPMC in Fiscal Year 2017, brings UPMC’s annual community benefits to $960 million—or $2.6 million a day.

With a total economic impact of $30 billion, UPMC operations have a multiplier effect that ripples benefits through local economies. Every dollar spent by the system to improve facilities and expand services has more than twice the economic impact. For the Erie region, that amount was more than $550 million in FY16.

The system’s $912million in total community benefits includes:

• $288 million in charity care and unreimbursed amounts for programs for the poor
• $217 million through 3,000 free or subsidized services, community health programs and donations
• $407 million for medical research and education. UPMC sponsors 98 percent of all hospital-funded research in western Pennsylvania

“One of the most visible signs of UPMC’s commitment to the Erie region is the upcoming construction of a $111 million patient care tower that will accommodate increasing patient volumes and demand for our services,” said David Gibbons, president of UPMC Hamot. “This expansion project reflects our continued commitment to our patients, our employees and our community.”

“Additionally, our role as a tertiary hospital has grown as we continue to regionalize our clinical and community services by sharing programs, resources, technology, physician specialists and other expertise with UPMC Northwest, UPMC Kane​, and UPMC Chautauqua WCA.”