2024 Community Health Investment Report
At University Hospitals, the communities we serve are incredibly important to us. Our dedication goes beyond providing advanced, accessible and compassionate healthcare in our hospitals and clinics. We view our neighbors as part of our extended family, which means we are deeply committed to compassionately caring for them, supporting their overall well-being and addressing their needs in meaningful ways.
Improving the health and well-being of our community is at the heart of who we are at University Hospitals. Everything we do is driven by a commitment to better care for the people in Northeast Ohio. We begin by listening – learning from the voices and experiences of the communities we serve. One of the ways we do this is through our Community Health Needs Assessments. By collaborating with community partners, including local health departments, we identify the most pressing health challenges facing each of our hospital’s communities. This insight allows us to focus our resources where they can make the greatest impact.
As part of our Community Health Investment Strategy, we established three priority areas: Maternal and Child Health, Well-being and Economic Opportunity. Our framework is designed to address the needs of those we employ, care for, insure through our Accountable Care Organization and live with in our communities.
Since our founding in 1866, University Hospitals has upheld the principle that “the needy are the most worthy.” As such, we are proud to report that University Hospitals’ community health investment totaled $720 million in 2024. This reflects $511 million in traditional community benefit as defined by the IRS, as well as $209 million in unreimbursed Medicare costs. UH provides services to many patients who are insured by Medicare and Medicare Advantage payers. Because these payers reimburse at less than the cost of providing care, and at rates set by the government, they typically do not keep pace with inflation, and therefore UH sustains a loss on care provided.