News

Sen. Max Baucus – Taking the Pulse of Charitable Care and Community Benefits at Nonprofit Hospitals

Opening Statement of U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.)

Hearing before the Senate Finance Committee

The Book of Ezekiel admonishes that we operate through the hand of Providence when
we “bind up the injured” and “strengthen the weak.”
The prophet makes this admonition to the community — as a shared responsibility.

Many tax-exempt hospitals nobly carry out Ezekiel’s instruction. They work to improve
neighborhoods. They provide scholarships for students seeking health-career careers.
And most importantly, they serve the health-care needs of their communities.
In Montana, most non-profit hospitals are “Critical Access Hospitals.” They serve rural,
often low-income, populations. Critical Access Hospitals play a key role in rural
America’s health-care safety net. And I was proud to write the legislation that
established the category in 1997. More than four out of five Montana hospitals are
Critical Access facilities. They are located in some of this country’s most isolated
communities.

Indeed, one thing that often distinguishes non-profit hospitals — like those in Montana
— is that they operate where for-profit hospitals do not. For one thing, they show up in
small, rural areas.

Full Speech: http://finance.senate.gov/hearings/statements/091306mb.pdf

(Many thanks to David M. Young, Professor
Rural Health Resource Specialist
Extension Service
Montana State University for passing this along. Russ)

Sorry, we couldn't find any posts. Please try a different search.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.