YORK—WellSpan Health delivered $187.9 million in community benefits to South Central Pennsylvania during the 2021 fiscal year, according to the health system.
The investment was an intentional effort designed to benefit our communities through charity care, Medicaid shortfall, free care, and community programs and outreach.
“At WellSpan, we take our role as a non-profit healthcare system to heart by investing in communities, caring for vulnerable patient populations across the service area, and benchmarking our community investments nationally and regionally to ensure we are meeting our charitable mission,” said Roxanna Gapstur, president and CEO of WellSpan Health.
The health system’s community impact is also measured annually against its three-year Community Health Improvement Plan, which is based on an assessment of community health needs, and accomplishments during 2021 include:
- Provided COVID-19 vaccines to nearly 3,000 individuals through in-home services and “pop-up” mobile clinics in the community.
- Removed financial barriers by helping 2,221 uninsured or underinsured patients access the care they needed.
- Filled 16,000 prescriptions, valued at $430,000, through the Prescription for Caring program to individuals who could not otherwise afford them.
- Delivered health and wellness programs to more than 25,000 neighbors.
- Opened the new START clinic, a one-stop shop for those with mental health and substance use disorders, which has already served 745 patients.
- Reduced opioid abuse by engaging 667 patients in medication assisted treatment with recovery support services bringing our three-year total of patients served to 1,447.
- Identified more than 8,000 food insecure and more than 5,500 housing insecure patients. Then, through community agencies, 3,500 neighbors participated in WellSpan nutrition & food support programs and 1,500 benefited from WellSpan housing programs.
“Our goal is to reimagine healthcare, open doors to high-quality care, and ensure affordable serves are readily accessible. Through work with partner organizations, we are closing the gap in health disparities and inequities,” Gapstur said. “Our 2021 Community Benefit Report highlights this impact, and although the numbers are impressive, the real impact is realized through the stories of the individuals who are truly at the heart of our work.”
