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UPMC Western Maryland Provided $68 Million in Community Benefits

June 10th, 2021 by WCBC Radio

UPMC Western Maryland provided $68 million in IRS-defined “community benefits” last year for programs and services to improve the health and quality of life for all the communities UPMC Western Maryland serves. The $68 million total includes:

• Providing care for the region. In fiscal year 2020, UPMC Western Maryland dedicated $17 million to care for those in the community without means to pay, up more than $5 million from 2019.
• Mission driven health services. This includes subsidies for services that would not otherwise be provided to the community if UPMC did not provide them, up almost $2 million from 2019.
• Health professions education. Support of clinical training for health care professionals, such as providing clinical sites for students and funding scholarships, is up nearly $800,000 from 2019.
• Supporting programs that enhance the health of the community. Many of these programs address health priorities identified in UPMC Western Maryland’s Community Needs Assessment.

In addition, UPMC Western Maryland has a powerful effect on the local economy with a total annual economic impact of $700 million. The hospital’s spending has a multiplier effect that ripples benefits throughout the area.

UPMC Western Maryland’s contributions were part of UPMC’s $1.7 billion in total community benefits provided and posted recently in the UPMC Community Benefits Report for Fiscal Year 2020.

UPMC's $1.7 billion in total community benefits includes:
• $509 million to make care more accessible for the most vulnerable residents in our communities, including $121 million in free or discounted care to 20,000 patients. UPMC contributes a larger-than-expected share of the region’s charity care.
• $558 million for community health and wellness programs and charitable contributions.
• $599 million for medical research and education, advancing breakthrough treatments and cures while training the next generation of clinicians. Along with the University of Pittsburgh, our educational institution partner, UPMC is ranked #7 nationally in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, and has the nation’s fourth-largest medical residency program.

Michele Martz, president, UPMC Western Maryland, on WCBC's "Dave Norman Show" said that the system is proud to be able to contribute so much to our region…