There has been a lot of talk lately about tax-exempt hospitals and how they benefit their communities.

Many of our employees may not realize we operate as a 501C3 not-for-profit, tax-exempt hospital. This doesn't mean we don't make a profit. Like any other business, if we were unable to make a profit we would not be able to stay in business.

However, with this tax-exempt status comes responsibility to the community. As an example, any profits we make are directly funneled back to the organization and the community we serve through a wide range of hospital and needs of the community -- all of which under this designation we are held accountable for by the government.

We work with a multitude of organizations and providers, all in an effort to provide for the healthcare needs of our region. Many of these programs and services are offered at no cost to our community.

In this article, we would like to help you better understand the issue of indigent care provided by our hospital.

In 1996 alone, MGH provided more than $5 million in care and services related to indigent care -- roughly three-quarters of a million more than would have been our tax liability if we were a for-profit organization.

We have a highly-trained medical staff who treat people, regardless of their ability to pay. That is just one aspect of the indigent care provided by our medical community.

We often treat working families who have no health benefits. At MGH, patients do not "fall through the cracks." No one is denied access to health care based on their ability to pay.

To illustrate, in 1996, MGH had 13,097 incidents of outpatient indigent care and 1,268 incidents of inpatient indigent care. We do not and will not turn away patients who need care. Every day, we deliver services to patients/residents without receiving any third-party reimbursement, such as Medicare, Medicaid or commercial insurance.

Ambulance services are provided by MGH at no cost to the taxpayers. This is yet another example of the benefits we provide to our community.

The indigent care we provide is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the community benefit we provide. Free services we offer include a Physician Public Lecture Series, Speakers Bureau, Skin and Oral Cancer Screenings, Diabetes Screenings, Depression Screenings, services offered through the Health Information Center, children's and youth programs, and financial support for schools and other charities with similar missions.

In addition, MGH offers reduced-rate stroke screenings, mammography's, adult flu shots, immunization clinics for children, classes on parenting, diabetes and smoke cessation, cancer screenings and support groups, and many other services which help build and maintain a healthy community

Our hospital is proud to continually offer education -- professional conferences, perinatal education and paramedic education -- for U.P.-wide professionals at minimal costs.

We take our obligations of providing community benefit very seriously at MGH and voluntarily meet and exceed our obligations as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization.

MGH has a proud tradition of building a healthier community. Many of our 2,400-plus employees actively participate in after-work community activities, enhancing our reputation as a first-rate, health-care facility operated by quality, community-minded people.

We will explore other examples of MGH's community benefits in months ahead.