About Mercy Mission Statement Charity Care Code of Conduct Core Values Our Values in Practice Centers of Excellence Miami Cancer Center Support Services Special Programs Surgical Services Departments Minimally Invasive Surgical Institute Orthopaedic Institute The Heart Center Arrhythmia Syncope Center Heart Center Services Hyperbaric & Problem Wound Center Surgical Weight Loss Center Bariatric Team Frequently Asked Questions Instruction Classes & Support Group Schedule Online Resources Hospital Services Diabetes Treatment Center Mental Health Services Mission & Ministry Pastoral Care Orthopaedics Outpatient Pharmacy Mercy Outpatient Center Outpatient Services Rehabilitation Inpatient Rehabilitation Kohly Center for Outpatient Rehabilitation Services & Support Groups Special Immunology Services Surgical Weight Loss Center Women Services Maternity Care Your Hospital Stay Neonatal Intensive Care Childbirth Education Lactation Center Other Little Things International Services International Patient Center Counselors Patient Services School of Nursing Director's Message History of the School Program Length Admission Procedures Financial Information Financial Aid Information Accreditation Employment Opportunities Find a Physician Mercy Freedom Program Mercy Foundation Mercy Research Institute Clinical Trials Patient Education Center About Clinical Trials Frequently Asked Questions Glossary of Terms Helpful Links Important Questions to Ask Patient Forms Physician Investigators Careers & Volunteers Opportunities at Mercy Job Listings Volunteer Resources News & Events Community Calendar Events Mercy in the News Press Releases Publications Webcast Archives Contact Us Telephone Directory Directions & Parking

 

Employees Only

2007 Community Benefits report

Message from the CEO
For more than 57 years, Mercy Hospital has delivered the highest quality healthcare services to our patients, families and community. As a faith based, not-for-profit organization, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, Florida and a member of Catholic Health East, our tradition of providing to the community is integrated in our core values of reverence for each person, community, justice, commitment to those who are poor, stewardship, courage and integrity. These core values provide the foundation for our community benefits programs.

In 2007, our programs reached more than 303,336 people through healthcare services for the underserved and uninsured, health screenings, educational and informational programs and transportation services. These programs were designed to address and improve the overall health and wellness of our community. We continued to provide a high level of uncompensated charity care, transportation services and other forms of assistance for the underserved. In addition, our employees, support staff and affiliated physicians volunteered thousands of hours for countless community programs and other charitable organizations.

Highlights of our 2007 community benefits:

• $10.6 million in care for the disadvantaged, community benefits and education
• $16.9 million in net cost of hospital patient care services including, traditional charity care, public programs and other programs
• More than 218,000 volunteer hours donated by our employees and affiliated physicians with an estimated value of $5.6 million

We are making a difference in the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of our community. In keeping with our mission and commitment to those we serve, Mercy will continue to play a leading role in addressing the ever-growing healthcare needs of our community. We are proud to serve our community.

John E. Matuska
President & Chief Executive Officer

These programs and activities illustrate only some of the many ways through which Mercy Hospital exemplifies its commitment to caring for others and to creating a healthier community.

Serving Our Community
Through these types of programs and initiatives, Mercy Hospital demonstrates its commitment to caring for others and creating a more healthy community.

Working to achieve unity of neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God, we attest to the value of human life in all its cycles.

Community Services and Educational Programs
Mercy Hospital touched the lives of 197,478 people in 2007 through a variety of community education programs offered in English and Spanish such as health screenings, health fairs, community lectures, support groups and wellness classes. The programs discuss a variety of health topics including diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, preventing skin cancer and reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease.

Community Partnerships
Mercy works collaboratively with other community organizations to address healthcare needs and improve the overall well-being of our community. We partnered with several private and not-for-profit organizations to increase awareness about certain diseases and conditions. These partnerships included: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk, ASBS Walk from Obesity, the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk and Go Red for Women Luncheon, the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Alert Day and many others.

Transportation Services
Mercy Hospital offers free transportation to patients who have no access to public or private transportation. In 2007, Mercy provided transportation services to 17,268 patients.

Improving Healthcare Access
From providing more than $2.91 million in uncompensated charity
care to delivering nearly $475,000 in hospice care, Mercy Hospital
continually seeks to improve the community’s access to healthcare
through outreach programs.

St. John Bosco Clinic
As a beacon of hope for the underserved and poorer members of our community, St. John Bosco Clinic is a parish-based primary care program staffed by volunteer physicians, support staff and Mercy Hospital employees. The Clinic provides free healthcare to disadvantaged children and adults who are not otherwise eligible for healthcare programs in Miami-Dade County.

In 2007, volunteer physicians provided more than 1,774 hours of service to the Clinic. The Clinic staff also conducted health screenings and health-related outreach services at several other Catholic parishes throughout the year. Mercy Hospital’s support of St. John Bosco Clinic – from providing medical supplies to paying the salary of nurse practitioners – was valued at $287,822 in 2007.

Caring for Persons with HIV/AIDS
Through its Special Immunology Services (SIS) department, Mercy Hospital provides integrated outpatient primary and specialty medical care and treatment services to persons living with HIV/ AIDS.

Thanks to this long-standing Mercy initiative, patients who are uninsured or under-insured receive a variety of comprehensive support services including:

• Mental health counseling
• Home healthcare
• Prescription drugs
• Transportation vouchers
• Substance abuse treatment
• Residential care
• Health insurance advisory services (assistance with deductibles, premiums and co-payments)
• Case management service

Many of the services provided to persons living with HIV/AIDS are funded by federal and state programs and grants; however, Mercy Hospital covers the remaining costs – a contribution that totaled $82,505 in 2007.

Reaching Out to Schools
Mercy Hospital provides health screenings and education for needy students and families in five CREST schools in the Archdiocese of Miami. A nurse practitioner provides basic health screenings, as well as vital health education courses on topics like nutrition, family life and first aid. In 2007, our school outreach team served a total of 3,284 persons.

Healthcare Access for Everyone
Project Safe Street ensures everyone has access to healthcare. Through this program, a Mercy nurse practitioner provides medical services to the homeless population in the downtown Miami area. These services include basic first aid and health screenings. This program served 435 persons.

Demonstrating Our Core Values
Mercy Hospital demonstrates its core values by continually improving the quality of care and enhancing benefits to the community.

Expanding the Emergency Department
In 2007, Mercy Hospital completed a major renovation and expansion of its Emergency Department. The two-story M.B. Fernandez Family Emergency Pavilion is three times the size of the prior facility with 32 available beds, including eight in the Minor Care area of the facility. The renovation also incorporates the latest medical technologies and creates separate entrances for emergency vehicles and walk-in emergencies. The Emergency Department expansion represents another step in Mercy’s commitment to constantly strive to provide the highest level of care to all patients.

Improving Patient Safety
Mercy Hospital joined the Patient Safety Campaign launched by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), a national organization dedicated to reducing unnecessary and potentially deadly infections and serious healthcare complications. Mercy is an active participant in all patient safety improvement practices recommended by IHI and has demonstrated improvements in patient outcomes through use of the “Care Practice Bundles.”

Supporting the Environment
Mercy Hospital is one of the local top tier sponsors of EcoZone™, an exclusive public/private partnership designed to create solutions that can measurably improve the local environment – at no cost to taxpayers. A unique program that will positively impact the City of Miami’s most critical environmental challenges, EcoZone™ will fund important technologies and solutions in the areas of air, water, energy and green spaces. Miami is the first Florida city to implement the EcoZone™ program and Mercy Hospital is the first hospital in the city to sponsor this “green” program.

Miami is the first Florida city to implement the EcoZone™ program and Mercy Hospital is the first hospital in the city to sponsor this “green” program.

Sister Emmanuel Hospital
Mercy Hospital is home to Sister Emmanuel Hospital, one of the few long-term acute care hospitals in Miami. The 29-bed specialty hospital-within-a-hospital takes care of patients with medically complex issues with its own interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, dietitians and rehabilitation therapists. Because of its unique location and relationship with Mercy Hospital, Sister Emmanuel Hospital offers expanded services such as surgical and clinical services. In the same Catholic tradition as Mercy – and also sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, FL – Sister Emmanuel Hospital ensures that patients access the healthcare they need regardless of their ability to pay.

School of Practical Nursing
Every year, Mercy’s School of Practical Nursing, the only hospital- operated program in Miami, graduates approximately 80 skilled licensed practical nurses (LPNs). This program, which caters to full-time workers and single parents, enrolled more than 90 students in 2007. Nursing students who do not qualify for outside financial assistance receive scholarship support from Mercy Hospital, to ensure that they can enroll in the program. The school is also affiliated with Miami Dade College, enabling students to become registered nurses (RNs) through the LPN to RN Transition Program.

Keeping ‘PACE’ with the Future
To recognize, retain and reward skilled nurses, Mercy Hospital launched a new incentive program, Professional Advancement through Clinical Excellence (PACE) in 2007. The purpose of the program is to support nurses who choose to stay at the bedside and demonstrate excellence and motivation in patient care delivery. PACE was created so that these nurses can enjoy the benefits of advancement – including financial reward and recognition by peers - while continuing to provide patient care.

Advocates for a Healthier Community
Mercy Hospital is a strong advocate of health and wellness programs that support the greater Miami community. In 2007, the hospital’s executives and associates participated in the Nursing Shortage Consortium of South Florida, Workforce Housing Committee of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and HealthConnect (an initiative spearheaded by The Children’s Trust).

Contributing to Our Community
As a not-for-profit charitable organization, Mercy Hospital is exempt from state and property taxes. The value of these exemptions in 2007 was estimated at $11.39 million. Mercy Hospital continues to report the value based only on the COST of services. Like all healthcare organizations, Mercy Hospital is accountable for measuring and reporting the healthcare and social services provided to the poor and general benefit programs to the community.

For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007, the services provided by Mercy to the poor, uninsured and community at large totaled $26.8 million and exceeded the benefit of the reductions in taxes associated with these exemptions by $15.5 million.

2007 Awards and Accolades

• Mercy Hospital ranked among the top 5% of the nation’s hospitals in patient safety and clinical outcomes, according to a national healthcare ratings organization.
• 28 Mercy Hospital affiliated physicians were named on the “Best Doctors in America®” list.
• The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) designated Mercy Hospital a certified Primary Stroke Center – the first in Miami-Dade County.
• The national Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recognized Mercy as a “Best Practice” in a community hospital setting for its processes and improved outcomes.
• The Miami Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital was awarded the 2007 Jean Byers Oncology Award from the Florida Cancer Registrar Association, the seventh time the Center has received this award.
• Mercy rates better than U.S. national averages for providing care in the areas of heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and prevention of surgical infections, according to CMS analysis.
• Mercy Hospital performs above most accredited hospitals in the areas of heart attack care, heart failure care, pneumonia care, and surgical care improvement, according to the national Quality Check organization.
• Mercy Hospital was recognized by the Florida Medical Quality Assurance, Inc. (FMQAI) in 2007 as a QIO-certified hospital for its effective collaboration among physicians, hospital staff and patients on Medicare inpatient projects. FMQAI is a quality improvement organization that partners with healthcare providers and practitioners to improve patient care and outcomes.
• Mercy Hospital was chosen to participate in American Organization of Nurse Executives’ (AONE) Program of Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB) – the only South Florida Hospital invited to participate in AONE’s initiative.
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield named Mercy Hospital a “Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care” for meeting strict quality criteria established by expert physician panels and national organizations.

Mercy Hospital
3663 South Miami Avenue
Miami, Florida 33133
(305) 854-4400