Community benefit report

Our diverse family of organizations touch lives in the places where relief, comfort and care are needed. Partnering with people of goodwill, Providence St. Joseph Health identifies community needs and creates lasting solutions. In 2017, this investment totaled more than $1.6 billion in community benefit across seven states.

Community benefit: Investments to support those in need

Providence St. Joseph Health’s community benefit investments not only support the health and well-being of each person we serve, but the whole community:

• Shortfalls in Medicaid: The difference between the cost of care and what is paid for by state and federal government – does not include Medicare.
• Free and low-cost care: Financial assistance for those who are uninsured, underinsured, or otherwise unable to pay for their health care.
• Community health services: Free services such as patient education, health screenings, immunizations and support groups, as well as grants and donations to support community partners.
• Education and research: Subsidies for medical residency programs, education for nursing and other health professions, and medical research.
• Subsidized health services: Clinical and social services provided despite a financial loss because they meet identified needs not met elsewhere in the community.

How we discover the needs of our communities

For generations, Providence St. Joseph Health has partnered with people of goodwill to offer a caring hand of compassion. We collaborate with social service and government agencies, charitable foundations, community organizations, universities and many other partners to identify the greatest needs through community health needs assessments. Then our solutions are reflected in community health improvement plans. View a complete list of our community health needs assessments and community health improvement plans. 

Of the total $1.6 billion invested in community benefit last year, a full $1 billion went toward Medicaid shortfalls, the difference between what we were paid by Medicaid and what it cost to deliver that care. Providence St. Joseph Health will continue to answer the call to care for everyone, including those who rely on Medicaid and would not have access to health insurance otherwise. We are now focused on figuring out how to care for this population better and more affordably, with the intention of keeping them healthy through various services, including health, education, housing and food.

Last year, when Providence Health & Services and St. Joseph Health came together, the new organization promised to transform the way care is delivered and address the greatest health needs in its communities. Mental health was identified as among the most significant health challenges, and we are committed to making mental health and substance use disorders the focal point of our effort to serve the poor and vulnerable in our communities.

A pioneering spirit

This commitment to giving back is rooted in the legacy of our founders, the Sisters of Providence and Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, both original visionaries who served the poor and nurtured vibrant, healthier communities by finding resourceful ways to collaborate with like-minded partners to build the area’s first hospitals, schools and orphanages.

The same pioneering spirit of the sisters continues today as our calling and our promise. The sisters have always responded to changing times, and in the same way we continue to respond to the needs of communities that would otherwise remain unmet. Today, Providence St. Joseph Health is a diverse system serving the western United States. Our 51 hospitals, 829 clinics and 114,000 caregivers are working together to improve health for everyone, especially those who are poor and vulnerable.