Healthcare Organization (HCO) background
The community hospital of San Bernardino was established in 1910 to provide health care and educational services. When the hospital was first opened, it was known as Ramona Hospital and was located at the corner of 4th street and Arrowhead. The initial bed capacity was 42 beds, and one of the significant challenges was that their two-story building didn’t have elevators. Expectant mothers had a difficult time climbing the stairs, and therefore, they had to be carried on gurneys to deliver babies. The Dignity Health community hospital purchased the property in 1953 and launched the United Appeal for Hospital Beds. The campaign received enormous support from the community and managed to raise money that helped in putting up a new hospital. A gala and star-studded fundraiser was organized, and the money that was collected contributed to the new hospital open with 133 beds, 275 employees and 30 bassinets. As the community grew, so did the hospital. The hospital’s Foundation and Monida B. Cummings facilitated the construction of a five-story patient care building in 1987. A 57,000 square foot three-level medical office was constructed in 1996 and was connected to the hospital via a bridge. Today, the hospital has over 1000 employees and stands at 343 beds and remains to be non-denominational.
Products or services the HCO provides
Since the day the hospital opened, it is committed to making the community a healthy one. The Dignity Community Hospital offers several functions, including acute inpatient and outpatient care, home health, neurological care for children and adults, obstetrics and pediatrics, and behavioural health services. Through the hospital’s state of the art technology and compassionate care, the mission of providing excellent patient care is achievable. Community Hospital of San Bernardino is committed to providing a nurturing and conducive environment for parents and babies. The hospital has a team of affiliated obstetricians who work side by side with delivery nurses to deliver the best quality of health care to mothers and newborn babies. Psychiatrists, social workers, psychiatric nurses and therapists are there to ensure that the community receives the best behavioural health services. The team of skilled clinical specialists helps patients transition back to society through an integrated program of medical treatments, and psychiatric and emotional programs. Community Hospital of San Bernardino is a leader in providing ear, nose, throat, head and neck disorders. For those who need surgical services on the same, the hospital is equipped with new technological equipment to aid in fast recovery. The hospital has an emergency services department that provides care to critical medical concerns. Equipped with specialists and modern technical equipment, the hospital can take care of patients in hazardous conditions reducing the need for transfer to another hospital. The health care education center offers free community awareness classes such as diabetes workshops, stress management workshops, eat right for life sessions, chronic disease management, among others. The hospital’s Imaging Center is considered as one of the latest mammography systems in the city of San Bernardino. The Imaging Center has a digital mammography unit that has flex paddles and soft pads that are designed to improve customer comfort. The center offers mammogram imaging services to the patients in the community. Ultrasound studies for breast, pelvic and ultrasound-guided breast biopsies are also provided in the hospital. Women over 21 years qualify for clinical breast examinations, pelvic exams and pap tests. Women at the age of 40 and above qualify for mammogram screening services. Diagnostic mammograms are offered to women at any age to check for abnormal breast symptoms. Mammogram services are the best standards of early breast cancer detections, and the American Cancer Society recommends that women get screened beginning from the age of 40. The Community Hospital of San Bernardino has a team of highly trained nurses, physicians and therapists who help community members get quality neurological services. People who need speech and occupational therapy, physical and rehabilitation services get help from the neurological center. The nursing team helps in providing compassionate care to support surgical excellence. Surgical services offered include colon cancer surgery, breast cancer surgery, prostate cancer surgery and orthopedic surgery.
Should a healthcare organization (HCO) be a for-profit or not-for-profit organization?
The Dignity Health Community Hospital of San Bernardino is a non-profit health care center. Raising funds through community galas is one of the primary methods that the hospital uses to build its operational funds. Everyone in the community deserves quality health care. It is the duty and mandate of the Dignity Health Foundation to raise funds to support the hospital’s operation. The purpose of the fund’s raise is to cater for the expansion of emergency services, recruitment of nurses, buying state of the art equipment, purchase of educational materials and administration of patient well-being programs. For-profit, health care organizations are business-driven since there have to be profits made after providing health care services. Such organizations have to pay property and income taxes according to different governments. The funds gathered after are invested in other businesses so that the hospital can raise enough funds to run operations and administration tasks. Quality of care in for-profit organizations can be compromised for profits to be made. All this is done because stakeholders do not have the same mentality as members of the community. Stakeholders are after increasing earnings as opposed to providing quality health care services. Not-for-profit health care organizations, on the other hand, enjoy tax exemptions from their income and property taxes. Donor funding and minor investments are the primary sources of funding for these hospitals. Profit-making is not the goal of these hospitals, and most have restrictions on how they can invest their money without compromising their nonprofit status. Any income realized is used for maintaining the facility, purchasing medical equipment, updating technology and other medical improvements. A culture that is service-driven is more evident in not-for-profit institutions as opposed to a business-driven approach.
In my opinion, a not-for-profit health care organization serves the community better as opposed to a for-profit health care organization. Most charitable organizations will raise funds to improve health care services, which makes them continue their operations as required and cater for administration costs. A health care organization should serve all members of the community without the aim of getting profits. Quality health care delivery should be given to all without asking for money. A healthy community is a productive community. If people are productive and happy, they are likely to give back to the healthcare organization that offered health care services. It is easier for one to give to a health care organization that treats for free as opposed to giving to a for-profit organization. Most for-profit organizations will charge service fees depending on their rates. Some may charge high values, and others charge average costs. For those who do not have the money, it becomes difficult for them to pay for health care services. A for-profit health care organization may neglect a person who is unable to pay for the assistance they need. A not-for-profit health care organization cannot ignore people who need health care services.
How will this decision affect the target populations of your service area?
For the people in San Bernardino, enjoying free services eases the burden of healthcare expenses and enables them to focus on other matters that help them grow economically. It also has a positive impact on the hospital as people will want to volunteer and give towards charity campaigns.
Be sure to include how your HCO will compete given this decision
Some of the services offered by the health care organization are a significant boost to the people of the community. Surgery, baby health, mammography and educational facilities are there to benefit the people. If the people receive quality health care in a not-for-profit hospital-like Dignity Health, they are likely to come back for more as opposed to paying for these services in another health care center. Receiving free services from the hospital improves the health and economic status of the people of San Bernardino. Accepting patients daily ensures that the health care facility gets people to serve. When asking for funding, even the donors see a need for donations to the facility.