Silver Cross Benefits Community with over $47 Million in Charity Care & Help

By Tracy Simons, Silver Cross Hospital

According to a recent report, in 2012 Silver Cross Hospital provided over $47 million in community benefit.  

Over $10.3 million was in straight charity care in which Silver Cross does not expect payment from patients.  An additional $29 million in uncompensated services was given through the government’s Medicare and Medicaid programs.   Plus, nearly 40% of all patients treated in the Silver Cross Emergency Department in 2012 were uninsured or on public aid.

A sponsored post from Silver Cross Hospital

“Silver Cross has shown yet again that it is committed to caring for everyone in our community, regardless of whether or not a person can afford to pay for it,” said Margie Woods, Chairperson of the Silver Cross Healthy Community Commission—a not-for-profit group of local leaders devoted to improving access to healthcare, workforce development and redevelopment of Silver Cross Hospital’s eastside Joliet campus.

Pledge to Provide Free Care

In 2008, the Hospital pledged to provide at least $4 million a year for ten years in charity care to serve the poor and uninsured in Will County.  This was the first $40 million charity commitment made by any hospital in the State of Illinois.  In the past five years, SilverCross has already given out almost $40.1 million in free care to Will County patients.   That number reflects the actual cost of health care provided free of charge to patients. It does not include shortfalls in payments from the state’s Medicaid program for the poor or the Medicare program for seniors and disabled citizens.  These programs only cover a fraction of Silver Cross Hospital’s cost for treating patients.

Silver Cross provides financial assistance to patients who maintain a household income up to 200% above the Federal Poverty Level.  In addition, the hospital provides a 40% discount off of charges to all uninsured patients.  Applications for assistance are available by contacting the Patients Accounts Department at (815) 300-7087.  English and Spanish speaking financial counselors are available.

“We want to make sure everyone in our community has access to quality health care regardless of a patient’s income or insurance status,” said Paul Pawlak, President and CEO of Silver Cross Hospital.  “As a not-for-profit health care provider, we take our mission seriously and are committed to providing quality care to all our patients and the community.”

Subsidized Services, Screenings and Scholarships

In addition to charity care and government-sponsored indigent care, Silver Cross gave more than $7.5 million in other community benefit last year which included free and subsidized health services, programs and screenings to more than 35,000 people in Will County. 

“More than 3,800 people took advantage of free or discounted heart screenings, mammograms, and other important prevention and diagnostic tests last year,” said Pawlak. “By partnering with local churches, community centers and schools, we were able to get out to the people who are most at risk for chronic and debilitating diseases.”

Silver Cross is also helping to save lives serving as the resource hospital for the area’sEmergency Medical Services (EMS) system.  Silver Cross gave over $520,000 to provide paramedic training, continuing education, and monitoring of ambulance services in Will and Grundy counties. 

In addition to providing funding to educate first-responders, through the Silver CrossHealthy Community Commission, the Hospital also awarded over $240,000 in healthcare-related scholarships, workforce development grants and quality of life initiatives.  Over 125 individuals associated with local organizations such as Joliet Community Action Network’s Male Mentoring Program, NAACP, Hispanic/Latino Coalition, Community Service Council and the Harvey Brooks Foundation were beneficiaries of Silver Cross’ investment in the community.

Silver Cross is also helping to increase the quality of life in Will County by partnering with the National Hook-up of Black Women to promote literacy.  Over the past few years, the Hospital donated funding, furniture, computers and held several book drives to establish four Reading Rooms on the eastside of Joliet.  At the Reading Room, children and parents are able to swap, borrow or take a book to keep in their own personal libraries. 

“It has been proven that reading is the foundation to all future success,” said Lou Ann Johnson, President of Joliet’s National Hook-Up of Black Women. “Unfortunately children who fall behind at an early age never make up the educational gap and illiteracy limits their future employment options. The NHBW & Silver Cross Reading Rooms provide children in daycare through grade school an opportunity to get books and enjoy the adventures of reading, while increasing their literacy level.”

“Through our donation to the Reading Room, we are ensuring healthier lifestyles for the residents in the communities we serve,” said Pawlak. “Increasing children’s literacy levels empowers them to make better life choices related to nutrition, family and career goals.”

To learn more about the Reading Room and other ways Silver Cross is providing benefit to the Community, visit www.silvercross.org for a copy of the 2012 Community Benefit Report or contact Leslie Newbon, Senior Community Relations Coordinator at (815) 300-1096.

About Silver Cross Hospital

Silver Cross Hospital is a not-for-profit health care provider serving Will County and southwest suburban communities since 1895. Silver Cross has been recognized as a Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals National Award winner for seven consecutive years and as a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers. With over 3,000 employees, physicians and volunteers, Silver Cross operates a 289-bed acute care hospital and 9 satellite facilities providing outpatient services and physician offices. SilverCross opened a state-of-the-art replacement hospital on February 26, 2012 at I-355 and Route 6 in New Lenox. To learn more about Silver Cross Hospital or a referral to a physician on staff, visit www.silvercross.org or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325).