| OCR Text |
Show IHC Hospitals, Clinics Donate Services To 43,793 In 1996 PANGUITCH The young family didn't have insurance or funds to pay for the medical costs of their premature baby. A 50-year old self-employed man didn't have the financial means to pay for injuries from an accident. But these people and many others were .recipients last year of charitable chari-table health services from Inter-mountain Inter-mountain Health Care (IHC). In 1996, IHC hospitals in the Intermountain West treated 43,793 patients on a charitable basis. The value of the care exceeded $26.2 million, compared com-pared to $23.2 million in 1995, representing a one-year increase of 12 percent. Garfield Memorial Hospital and clinics, an IHC facility, provided care in 364 charitable cases during 1996, with the care valued at $140,000. "The mission of IHC is to provide quality care to those with a medical need, regardless of ability to pay," said William Nelson, IHC executive vice president and chief operating officer. "Most people have insurance or funding to pay for the care they receive. But if someone needs help we step in and provide care on a charitable basis." (See IHS Hospitals, Clinics Give Free Care To Needy On Page 6A) Free Care Provided From Front Page Requests for charitable services servi-ces are reviewed on a case-by-case basis to ensure that those individuals who need financial relief get the care they need. Charitable services are granted based on the financial status of the patient or family requesting care. Anyone needing information informa-tion about charitable services can contact the business office of an IHC hospital. Over the past six years, IHC hospitals have provided $ 134 million in charitable care in about 272,000 cases. In recent years, the number of people seeking charity care at IHC facilities has stabilized. This is attributable in part to the development devel-opment of new low-income clinics located in communities along the Wasatch Front. By seeking care at these clinics early on, many people are able to be treated for medical concerns before they become serious enough to require an emergency room visit or hospitalization. IHC is a charitable, community-owned, non-profit health care organization based in Salt Lake City that serves the health needs of Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming residents. The IHC system includes in-cludes health insurance plans, 23 hospitals, 75 clinics, and affiliated affilia-ted physicians. |
