Learn more about our Non-Profit Status

food & nutrition employees - Saint Alphonsus

Saint Alphonsus Health System is a not-for-profit entity that operates for one purpose: to serve our communities. We do this by reinvesting our profits into healthcare services, new technologies, upgraded facilities, and making sure care is available to everyone – regardless of ability to pay. To illustrate the difference between the for-profit model of healthcare and the non-profit model, here are some distinctions:

FOR-PROFIT HOSPITALS	NON-PROFIT HOSPITALS
Accountable to investors	Accountable to community
Focus on financial bottom line	Focus on "mission bottom line" (but must have margin to sustain the mission)
Pay taxes	Exempt from many taxes
Extra revenues go to investors, not necessarily into community	Extra revenues go back into the community or are reinvested in hospital services
Hospital is a business	Hospital is a charitable service accountable to address community needs
Some charity care provided	Robust charity care programs, plus proactively develop programs to serve the poor

Every three years Saint Alphonsus thoroughly examines the health needs of our communities with a "needs assessment," which is the basis to subsequent action planning in development of health policy, allocation of resources and improved or expansion of existing services. Here are some examples:

DEMONSTRATED COMMUNITY NEED	OUR RESPONSE
Mental Health / Substance Abuse	Allumbaugh House support Offer Behavioral Health Services Support Suicide Hotline
Programs / Advocacy for Uninsured	Support safety net clinics Robust charity care policy Advocacy for better access / coverage
Health Care Provider Shortages (especially primary care, mental health)	Support for residency programs Clinical Training Opportunities in our hospitals and clinics
Refugee Health Needs	Maternal / Child CARE Clinic Comprehensive primary care
Primary care Access for Medicare Patients	Exploring creation of Medicare clinic
Obesity Prevention	Involvement in Activate Treasure Valley Meet Me Monday
Low Cancer Screening Rates	Breast, Prostate, Skin Cancer Screening Programs; Mobile

As a Community Benefit Ministry, we rely on philanthropic support to fill gaps for un-funded or under-funded projects & programs, or to simply grow resources for initiatives that address community need. The Foundation exists to seek charitable contributions from many sources to serve this mission.