News Release
Department of Marketing and Communications
11100 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44106
Date: October 26, 2017
Contacts: George Stamatis
Phone: 216 844 3667
Email: George.Stamatis@UHhospitals.org
University Hospitals Announces Community Benefit Contributions
for 2016 Totaled $304 Million
CLEVELAND – In its newly released Community Benefits Report covering 2016, University Hospitals demonstrates that it continues to address health and economic disparities in Greater Cleveland.
The report states that the health system’s community benefit expenditures totaled $304 million for 2016. During the past decade, UH has invested more than $2.31 billion in community benefit expenditures.
UH works with its community to identify and address the region’s most pressing health care needs through research, charitable care, education, training and community outreach.
UH follows very strict Internal Revenue Service guidelines to determine what counts as community benefit. UH’s total community benefit spending includes: Charity care ($45 million); community health improvement services, programs and support ($46 million); Medicaid shortfall ($127 million); research ($20 million); and education and training ($66 million).
Medicaid shortfall refers to subsidized care to Medicaid patients because this government program pays well below the cost of providing such care.
“For more than 150 years, University Hospitals has provided world class care to millions of patients and offered its hand to help the most needy in our community, and has worked with several community organizations that assist that cause,” said Thomas F. Zenty III, CEO of UH. “We also benefit Northeast Ohio through our commitment to community health improvement programs and education and training. We’re helping our neighbors stay healthy, reducing health care disparities and preparing tomorrow’s physicians, nurses and other health care professionals.” 
University Hospitals 2016 Community Benefit Report highlights the efforts of the health system:
• To address the need for mental health services and a system-wide response plan for the emergent opioid crisis. UH highly subsidized these clinical services and continues to invest in these needed programs while operating them at a substantial loss, making this one of UH’s largest community benefits.
• To lower rates of infant mortality in Cleveland. UH is involved through its participation in the Greater University Circle’s Community Health Initiative that addresses infant mortality and helps ensure that babies reach their first birthday.
• To further the education and training of future health care professionals. UH Richmond Medical Center and Excel TECC developed a two-year program for high school students interested in exercise and sports medicine careers.
• To provide necessary care to patients following discharge. The UH Hospital-to-Home program at UH Conneaut and Geneva medical centers supports patients who would benefit from continued health services provided by a registered nurse in-home or by phone.
To view UH’s 2016 Community Benefit report go to: www.uhhospitals.org/CommunityBenefit
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About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio
Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 18 hospitals, more than 40 outpatient health centers and 200 physician offices in 15 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, located on a 35-acre campus in Cleveland’s University Circle, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The main campus also includes University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; University Hospitals MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics, radiology, neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health, transplantation and urology. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals – part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with 27,000 employees. For more information, go to UHhospitals.org.