Study: Hospitals accounting for community-benefit spending

A recent study conducted by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center officials and consulting firm Chartis Group concluded that a majority of academic hospitals sufficiently account for their community-benefit spending. According to the results of the study, UPMC currently spends 10 percent of net patient revenue on community benefit. That's double the percentage regularly called for by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). 

Bad press about the hospital [1] was one of several reasons for conducting the study; officials felt that UPMC could use some good news for a change. 

"Like many organizations, we have successfully hidden what we do under a barrel," UPMC senior vice president Sandra Danoff said. 

Mick Merritt of New York-Presbyterian Hospital--a former senior manager with Chartis--tends to agree with Danoff. "We as an industry don't need to worry about whether we're doing enough," he said. "We need to tell our story." 

For more:
- read the Modern Healthcare article [2]

Related Article:
U of Pittsburgh execs face 25 percent pay cut [1]
Grassley wants charity care standards in stimulus [3]
Non-profit hospital tax breaks attacked by Grassley, again [4]
UPMC CEO's $3.95M pay draws attention [5]