2009

Summa realigns assets to increase impact on community

8 May, 2009

Contact: Julie Uehara, Phone: (330) 375-7117, Email: ueharaj@summa-health.org

Akron, Ohio, May 8, 2009 – At Summa Health System’s 2009 Community Leadership Briefing today, President and CEO Tom Strauss discussed the significance of defining community benefit beyond charity care to truly reflect the vital role nonprofit health systems play in support of local community interests.

In front of approximately 200 government, business, community and civic leaders, Strauss unveiled the 2008 Community Benefit Report and reaffirmed Summa’s commitment to the community. Summa hospitals, including Akron City, St. Thomas, Cuyahoga Falls, Barberton, Robinson Memorial and Wadsworth-Rittman, provided more than $57.6 million in net uncompensated care in 2008.

“Northeast Ohio, like much of America, is a hurting today,” said Strauss. “At Summa, we see that hurt in dramatic ways. Through the first four months of 2009, we are already significantly ahead of last year’s pace on charity care. Every day, we have more people who need care, but can’t afford to pay.”

Other highlights from the Community Leadership Briefing include:

• Summa spent more than $500,000 on outreach to high risk and vulnerable members of the local community, from free and low-cost health screenings to health education to fitness
• Summa employees committed more than 150,000 volunteer hours to support community-based initiatives
• Summa’s direct investment in the region – between Summa Akron City, St. Thomas and Cuyahoga Falls Hospitals alone – totaled more than $14 million, which included vital services such as the Center for Senior Health, Level III Perinatal Center, Care Center for HIV/AIDS and the DOVE program
• Summa doctors and nurses make up about two-thirds of the 150 health professionals who volunteer their time at the Open M Clinic
• Summa personnel have been a large part of the Healthy Connection Network’s Access to Care program, which has linked more than 2,600 uninsured residents of Summit County with more than 260 physicians and other providers

However, Strauss also stated that charity care alone is not a sufficient standard to judge community benefit. “As a nonprofit organization, we serve an essential role in advancing local community health, economic development, education and research priorities. And as community benefit standards and policy matters are discussed at federal and state levels, it is important that such investments are encouraged for all nonprofit organizations.”

To reaffirm and elevate its commitment to the region, Summa revamped its Community Relations Department to become the Department of Community Benefit, increasing its focus on the strategic and evidence-based allocation of charitable resources in its approach to community investment opportunities. Summa also is launching a new board committee to provide oversight to the system’s community benefit policy and program planning process.

The new Board of Directors Community Benefit Committee, which will be a standing committee of the Summa Foundation Board of Directors, will include current Summa trustees, community experts and members of Summa’s senior management team.

Placing oversight responsibility for community benefit at the board level gives this function equal value as the fiduciary, quality assurance, policy direction, and other responsibilities of the board. The committee will be responsible for leading the development and execution of a community benefit strategy and leveraging system assets to benefit the community.

The full 2008 Community Benefit Report and Tom Strauss’ remarks are available at www.SummaFoundation.org.

About Summa Health System

Summa Health System is one of the largest integrated delivery systems in Ohio. Encompassing a network of hospitals, community health centers, a health plan, a physician-hospital organization, a multi-specialty physician organization, research and multiple foundations, Summa is nationally renowned for excellence in patient care and for exceptional approaches to healthcare delivery. Summa's clinical services are consistently recognized by U.S. News and World Report, Thomson Reuters and The Leapfrog Group. Summa also is a founding partner of the BioInnovation Institute in Akron.