Commitment to the Community
Longstanding Commitment to the Community
Northwestern Memorial’s mission-driven commitment to improve the health of the community has significantly broadened in recent years and supports the Chicago area’s safety net of care and services. In fiscal year 2010, we continued to invest in programs that expand access to world-class clinical care, regardless of the ability to pay, along with education and research that help shape medicine for the future.
As part of an academic medical center, our tax exemption permits us to reinvest in the health of our community and to continue to provide life-saving diagnostics and treatments, research into groundbreaking cures and in teaching the next generation of physicians and other care providers.
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We are proud of our nationally recognized community service programs as well as our position as one of the top providers of free and discounted care in the State of Illinois. Our community benefit contributions have steadily increased during the past 6 years. We provided $276.7 million in community benefit including charity care, unreimbursed cost of Medicaid and Medicare, research, education and other community benefit.
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Over the last five years, the amount of charity care we provided has more than doubled, with approximately $44 million in fiscal year 2010. We are consistently among the leading hospital providers of charity care in Chicago and the Lake County area of northern Illinois.
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Our unreimbursed cost of research and medical education was $71.5 million. Each year, more than 2,100 clinical research studies are performed and more than 900 medical students, residents and fellows are trained.
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Approximately 19 percent of our net patient revenues supported charity care, other unreimbursed care, research, education and other community benefit.
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We absorb the cost of medical care that is not fully reimbursed by government programs. Medicaid paid us an average of 78 cents for every $1 of care we provided and Medicare paid us an average of 77 cents for every $1 of care we provided.
Last UpdateApril 3, 2012
