CHI Health Invests $265.3 Million Into The Community

CHI Health gave back $265.3 million in community benefits last fiscal year under the new leadership of CEO E.J. Kuiper. The health system, comprising of 28 hospitals, 200 clinics and more than 12,000 employees in Nebraska, southwest Iowa, North Dakota and Minnesota, recently posted the CHI Health Community Benefit Report 2022 on its website.

The largest investment, 76.5 percent, ensured access to healthcare in communities served by CHI Health hospitals and clinics. That $203.1 million helped 190,727 uninsured or underinsured patients who could not afford to pay for healthcare services, and subsidized the unreimbursed cost of providing care for an additional 235,764 Medicaid patients. 

Specifically in the Lincoln area, served by CHI Health St. Elizabeth and CHI Health Nebraska Heart, 2,726 patients were supported through medical financial assistance.

The remaining, $62.2 million, was invested in internal and external services, programs and partner organizations to improve community health by focusing on food insecurity, violence prevention, mental health and increasing access to care.  

The report begins with a letter from Kuiper calling-out CHI Health’s mission, which has guided the system as it cares for more than a million patients a year.

“For more than 135 years, we have faithfully served our families, friends and neighbors,” Kuiper said. “We walk humbly in the footsteps of our founders, leading with heart and inspired by faith, as we provide care for all. It is our calling. It is our mission.” 

To read the full CHI Health Community Benefit Report 2022, visit Community Benefit. 

To read more about St. Elizabeth and Nebraska Heart’s investment in the Lincoln area communities, including the following letter from the hospital president, click here.

“Even in a most difficult year, our organization prioritized the needs of our community and patients,” said Derek Vance, President, CHI Health St. Elizabeth. “One of the most significant accomplishments was a dramatic increase in patient satisfaction scores. The team came together during the pandemic to provide the best possible care while supporting each other in a most caring way – resulting in a positive experience for our patients. Our teams will continue to center the care of patients to ensure we remain the hospitals of choice.”