Non-Profit Organization brings in Partners to Consult on Community Benefit Program
The consultation method included document review, interviews with key stakeholders and program staff, and review of grant management information and data reporting methods. In addition, a strategic planning retreat was conducted with FiGH staff. The purpose of the retreat was to raise staff awareness of the Community Benefits and their grants role as a contributor to the hospital’s business performance, and to begin a planning process that would lead to better strategic alignment between the mostly grant funded Community Benefits program and the hospital.
Among recommendations for putting the community benefits program on stronger footing, which includes becoming more closely aligned with hospital business needs in addition to community benefits, are the following:
- Building on their successful partnership, substantially increase collaboration between this department and the hospital. At a minimum, this would include pursuing shared fund development goals.
- Develop a more systematic and strategic grant-seeking process that considers needs of both the community and the hospital. Programming options that support the hospital business needs while maximizing the community benefits core competencies core would include pre-natal/peri-natal/early childhood programs, diabetes prevention and disease management, benefits access, translation services, and culturally competent patient navigation. These areas also show promise in the current foundation funding environment.
- Increase strategic communication between Business Development to improve the alignment of Community Benefits efforts with current hospital business strategy.
- Develop additional sources of program revenue, including billable services.
- With assistance from hospital Finance, implement a set of reporting metrics to better convey Community Benefits contributions to hospital business needs. Opportunities include increasing the volume of insured patients, decreasing days in AR and reducing the need for charity care by helping patients identify their insurance resources, contributing to favorable medical staff relations, and managing risk by addressing patient problems and complaints in a culturally sensitive and appropriate way. Continue to work with staff to solidify a program culture that actively supports this critical contribution.
- Utilize targeted public relations activities to raise the profile of the community benefits grant funded programs and to highlight the hospital’s role in providing this very valuable community resource. Such strategies would build upon the strong history and leadership to advance the program, while enlarging the positive “halo effect” for the hospital.
- Enhance integration and communication among all community benefit programs.
- Develop and implement a strategy for attracting and retaining Medicare-Medi-Cal dual eligible patients through increasing coordination among the community benefits program, the hospital Foundation, senior services, other hospital community benefit programs, and patient services units.
