UChicago Medicine community contribution grows to $373 million

Annual report details increase in UChicago Medicine's financial, programmatic contributions to improve community health

January 30, 2017

The University of Chicago Medicine (UCM) contributed $373 million in fiscal 2015 -- 18 percent more than the prior year -- to address the urgent health needs of the South Side and provide other assistance to the community, according to a recently released annual report.

Through its fifth Community Benefit Report, UChicago Medicine details benefits and services that it provides to the community, and it updates some of the programs and partnerships it implements. The report also explains the assessment that the organization uses to address the biggest health challenges facing its service area, including cancer, adult diabetes, trauma care and violence prevention, sexually transmitted infections, and pediatric obesity and asthma. Additionally, the report describes UChicago Medicine's partnerships with minority- and women-owned businesses.

A summary of the 2015-16 report was recently mailed to about 48,000 South Side residents, UChicago Medicine faculty and staff, and community and faith-based leaders.

The $373 million in community benefit includes uncompensated care, charity services, unrecoverable patient debt, medical education and research, and other support to the community.

Uncompensated care totaled $295 million, which included losses under government-sponsored insurance plans that reimburse health care providers at lower rates than the actual cost of care, charity care and forgiveness of patient debt. UChicago Medicine contributed $24 million toward medical education not covered by tuition or grants and $48 million for medical research to advance patient care.

The outcomes detailed in the report include 71,000 encounters in which UCM and its strategic partners delivered care to patients in a variety of settings, more than 2,000 South Siders who've benefited from initiatives focused on adult diabetes, nearly 900 breast and colorectal cancer screenings, 16,000 individuals screened for HIV and more.

"There are many individuals and organizations who work every day to make a difference in the health care of the South Side, and we are proud to contribute to their efforts," said Sharon O'Keefe, president of the University of Chicago Medical Center. "This Community Benefit Report describes the University of Chicago Medicine's holistic approach to caring for the community and the outcomes that we can achieve through partnership."

To view the full report and the Community Health Needs Assessment online, visit uchicagomedicine.org/community-benefit. To get a printed copy of the Community Benefit Report mailed to you, call 773-702-0025.