Focus on suicide prevention, programs and technology to curb opioid addiction and abuse, improved access to care and resources, and cardiovascular education benefiting Colorado communities.
As one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the Rocky Mountain region, UCHealth provides significant benefits to the patients and communities it serves. A new analysis shows UCHealth provided a record $854 million in total community benefits in fiscal year 2018, including $359 million in uncompensated care.
These figures are up from UCHealth’s total community benefit of $647 million and $259 million in uncompensated care provided in fiscal year 2017. These are cost-based – not charge-based – figures. UCHealth also is the largest provider of Medicaid services in Colorado, caring for 285,000 Medicaid patients in 2018, a number that has more than doubled since 2013.
“UCHealth is committed to improving lives, and we are honored to care for more than 1.7 million patients each year,” said UCHealth President and CEO Elizabeth Concordia. “As the largest Medicaid provider in the state, UCHealth is dedicated to the communities and patients we serve. Our community programs provide help and resources for patients and community members, and these outreach efforts are addressing key issues in Colorado while helping residents throughout our region live extraordinary lives.”
UCHealth conducts Community Health Needs Assessments to examine the needs of the patients and communities it serves, then selects key areas to improve through education, treatment or other interventions.
“UCHealth’s concerted effort addresses four key issues affecting our communities: suicide prevention, opioid abuse, cardiovascular education and access to care,” said Bill Neff, MD, UCHealth chief medical officer. “Through teamwork and technology, we have made significant improvements in these areas, helping thousands of individuals across our state.”
In northern Colorado, UCHealth provided $297 million total community benefits including $95 million in uncompensated care for the uninsured and underinsured.
“Giving back is a key part of UCHealth’s responsibility for the populations we serve,” said Kevin Unger, president and CEO of Poudre Valley Hospital and Medical Center of the Rockies. “These investments in community health needs and support for patients who receive care demonstrate unwavering support for accessible treatment and programs.
UCHealth’s community programs also include:
• Access to care with the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, a specialized ambulance with emergency stroke care that can respond on-scene along with the local EMS crew to help a possible stroke patient.
• Abusive Head Trauma Prevention Program, which educates new parents to help prevent shaken baby syndrome.
• Aspen Club, which provides health education and low-cost health screenings to those age 50 and older.
• HealthLink, a program that provides wellness resources and a free Nurse Advisor Call Center.
• Youth safety programs to encourage seat belt and helmet use while educating about the dangers of drunk or distracted driving.
• Healthy Planet, a program devoted to population health, tracking high-risk patients, reducing readmissions and improving access to primary care physicians.
• Integrated Transgender Program, a team of professionals helping transgender and gender-diverse adults in their journeys to achieve their personal health goals.
UCHealth does not receive any funding from the Colorado general fund, but it does contribute to numerous research programs and schools across the state. UCHealth has a strong partnership with the University of Colorado and provides significant support to the CU School of Medicine. This investment includes $35 million in resident physician and provider training and $3 million for the School of Medicine’s Colorado Springs branch medical campus. UCHealth also is a key partner in attracting $516 million in research funding to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
“The partnership between the CU School of Medicine and UCHealth is vital to Colorado and to the future of health care,” said John Reilly, MD, Dean of the CU School of Medicine. “Through our close collaboration, we are recruiting talented physicians and scientists who are leading groundbreaking medical research and providing outstanding clinical care. Together, we can provide advanced treatments and the best possible outcomes for patients.”
For more information about UCHealth’s impact to Colorado, please view the 2018 UCHealth Community Benefits Report. UCHealth’s uncompensated care numbers are based on results
that were subject to an independent audit of financial statements.
About UCHealth
UCHealth is an innovative, nonprofit health system with over 22,100 employees that delivers the highest quality medical care with an excellent patient experience. UCHealth combines Longs
Peak Hospital, Yampa Valley Medical Center, Memorial Hospital Central, Memorial Hospital North, Poudre Valley Hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies, UCHealth Medical Group, Broomfield Hospital, Grandview Hospital, Pikes Peak Regional Hospital and University of Colorado Hospital into an organization dedicated to health and providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. With more than 150 clinic locations, UCHealth pushes the boundaries of medicine, providing advanced treatments and clinical trials and improving health through innovation.