Each year, we give back millions of dollars to our community to improve health and ensure that all patients have access to quality health care. Below are some of the ways we give back to our community. 

Community Education and Support

We provide health-related education to the community through events, classes, lectures and wellness screenings. Most are completely free-of-charge to the community.

  • The annual Family Fun Fest attracts thousands of participants each year.
  • We offer year-round education classes on topics like CPR/First-Aid, parenting and breastfeeding.
  • Our health care experts host a variety of support groups for patients and their families.

Community Health Needs Assessment

We perform a review of our community health needs to help determine where improvements can be made. These community needs and improvements are reviewed and reassessed at least once every three years.

Community Programs and Events

We support other organizations and initiatives through sponsorships and donations that share our goal to improve the health of our community. Our staff donate time, materials, and leadership to many community organizations.

Investing in your hospital

We invest millions every year in capital improvements such as new equipment, facilities and technology infrastructure. This is a strong affirmation of our commitment to providing the best possible care for our community. Our “profits” are reinvested to improve the quality of care we offer, not distributed as dividends to shareholders. The return-on-investment: a healthier community for us all.

Charity Care

Charity care consists of health care services provided to low-income patients at free or reduced prices, and is provided to those who have exhausted third–party resources, do not qualify for Medicaid or have insufficient incomes. Ability to pay is based on Federal Poverty Income Guidelines, which takes into account family size, new assets, and overall financial position.

Patients whose family income is at or below 175% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are eligible to receive free care. Patients whose family income is above 175% but not more than 250% of the FPL are eligible to receive a discount of 50% of their account balance. St. Peter’s makes significant efforts to ensure charity care is granted to all patients who qualify.

Unpaid cost of Medicaid

Medicaid is a jointly funded, Federal-State health insurance program for low-income individuals. Health care Medicaid reimburses provides well below the actual cost of care, so the unpaid cost of Medicaid represents the difference between our cost and the amount Medicaid paid us for the health care services we provided.

Subsidized health services

Our five-county service area has a high need for several health care services that do not generate sufficient revenue to cover the cost of providing them. We subsidize the following services to ensure their availability to our community:

  • Neonatal/Obstetrical/Newborn Care
  • St. Peter’s Medical Group physician clinics (primary care and specialties)
  • Urgent Care
  • Hospice/Home Health
  • Hospital-based Pharmacy (the only pharmacy in the community open 24/7)
  • Apex Home Oxygen
  • Rehabilitation
  • Clinical Nutrition
  • Neuropsychology