Community Benefit Plan & Areas of Focus
In 2011, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center contributed more than $10.7 million in community benefit programs and services, not including charity care or subsidy of Medi-Cal. The medical center provided more than 27 ongoing community benefit programs and initiatives designed to respond to specific community needs. Each and every one has an impressive success story. Alta Bates Summit’s 2010-2013 Areas of Focus include Diabetes, Stroke, Asthma and Senior Fall Prevention.
Our Diabetes Center Resource Project, now in its’ third year, provides education and diabetes management to uninsured and underinsured patients, with the goal of improving these patients’ ability to manage their condition and avoid readmission to the medical center. Thus far, there has been a 52% reduction in readmissions of uninsured and underinsured patients.
In 2004, 50% of stroke patients died before arriving at an emergency department in Alameda County. Among the ways our nationally recognized Regional Primary Stroke Center addresses this challenge is by providing education to thousands of community members. Today, the percent of stroke patients who die before arriving at the ED has decreased by 66%, lowering the mortality rate to 17%.
Due to the efforts of our Asthma Management Resource Center, created in 2001 in direct response to our community needs assessment, there has been a 60% reduction in the total Alta Bates Summit emergency department visits for the diagnosis of asthma and a continual decline in hospital admissions.
Last year, the Senior Fall Prevention and Screening Project screened 131 individuals at 46 site visits throughout our community, with 100% of participants improving in one or more fall risk tests.
Alta Bates Summit provides a wealth of community benefit programs and services, of which we are very proud. We are committed to meeting community needs as we strive to fulfill our mission to enhance the health and well-being of people in the communities we serve through compassion and excellence.
