Community Benefits

Since its founding more than a century ago, Bronson Methodist Hospital has been committed to outreach and to providing care to all people, regardless of their ability to pay. This approach is fundamental to Bronson's mission and values as Kalamazoo's only community-owned and locally governed hospital.

To document its annual benefits to the community, the hospital tracks and reports service to the underserved, community outreach and leadership, and time and resources donated to health professional education.

The most recent community benefit report shows Bronson provided nearly $55 million in uncompensated care and services. The report documents what the hospital contributes in charity care, health education/training, research and payment shortfalls from bad debt and uncompensated costs for providing services.

Bronson Methodist Hospital: 2010 Contributions to Community
Charity Care (non-reimbursed cost for providing free or discounted care)	$9,454,635
Medicaid Subsidized Healthcare Services (difference between actual costs to deliver care and government reimbursement)	$9,893,589
Medicare Subsidized Healthcare Services (difference between actual costs to deliver care and government reimbursement)	$3,391,960
Other Subsidized Healthcare Services (difference between actual costs to deliver care and reimbursement for pediatric specialty services)	$4,996,447
Health Professional Education and Training (actual costs of providing health education and training)	$16,550,753
Clinical Research (actual costs of medical research activities)	$152,490
Community Outreach and Leadership (human, financial and in-kind support to agencies and programs to improve community health status)	$1,214,895
Bad Debt (actual cost of services rendered to non-insured not paying a bill and non-poor insured not paying a co-pay or deductible)	$9,031,789
Total Community Benefit:	$54,686,558

Annually, Bronson provides essential medical services in virtually every specialty and cares for about 24,000 inpatients. As the region's only high-risk pregnancy center, neonatal intensive care unit, burn center, and children's hospital, it serves the largest percentage of Medicaid patients in Kalamazoo County. The hospital is also a major destination for critical care as an accredited chest pain emergency center, certified stroke center, Level I trauma center and the region's largest emergency department (86,000+ visits per year).

Commitment to the community and stewardship of resources are two of Bronson's core values. By focusing on improving processes, reducing costs and achieving efficiencies the hospital is able to maintain an adequate margin to reinvest in the healthcare services that people need, but all too often can not afford on their own. This annual reporting of community benefits conveys Bronson's accountability to the people of southwest Michigan and ongoing dedication to helping them in times of need.

Read our 2009 Report on Quality, Safety & Innovation and learn about some of the ways Bronson is making a difference in people's lives throughout southwest Michigan.

Quality Report 2009