Elevating Communities, Consumers in Hospital Engagement

Nov 20, 2018

After the Elections: What’s Next? A Look at Social and Economic Health Determinants

Here are three key ways health care advocates can help the health care system engage proactively on SDOH [ Blog ]

Oct 23, 2018

The Takeaway: Who Are You Going To Believe, Me Or Your Own (Lying) Eyes?

In the past week we have seen Republican leaders such as the President and Senate Majority Leader along with many House and Senate candidates take to the media to try to persuade the public that they will protect people with pre-existing conditions. [ Blog ]

Aug 28, 2018

Did Patrick Soon-Shiong’s high-tech gamble help bring 6 hospitals to the brink? | POLITICO

Jessica Curtis, Senior Advisor, Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation, is quoted in a POLITICO article about California's financially troubled Verity Health System, and its hospitals' failure to meet state-mandated charity care obligations. [ News Clip ]

Apr 10, 2018

What Happens When a Hospital Sells Its Debt? | Marketplace

Community Catalyst Deputy Director Sue Sherry talked to Marketplace about what happens when a hospital sells its debt – under consideration in Cook County, Illinois – cautioning that the practice is bad for consumers. [ News Clip ]

Feb 07, 2018

New Massachusetts Hospital Community Benefits Guidelines Are a Model For Other States

The Attorney General’s Office released new guidelines, demonstrating the Commonwealth’s commitment to tackling social determinants of health and leading in health system transformation. [ Press Release ]

Jan 22, 2018

State tells hospitals to notify patients of charity care status | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jessica Curtis, a senior adviser with Community Catalyst, talks to the Post-Gazette about a recent development on charity care in Pennsylvania. [ News Clip ]

Jan 10, 2018

The Hits Keep on Coming - Medicaid Expansion Helps Rural Hospitals Stay Open

This blog is part of a series highlighting recent research illustrating various benefits of expanding Medicaid - from improving health and state budget savings to reducing rates of uninsurance and uncompensated care costs. [ Blog ]

Oct 26, 2016

New Report Finds Little Evidence of the Impact of Massachusetts Hospital Community Benefit Investments

Report recommends increased coordination and transparency and redirection of resources to address social and economic needs of communities. [ Press Release ]

Aug 01, 2016

Pennsylvania hospitals lag other states in share of charity care for the poor

Hospital Accountability Project Senior Advisor Jessica Curtis, and Program Director Phillip González weigh in on charity-care within Pennsylvania's hospital network. [ News Clip ]

Jun 09, 2016

Existing State Hospital Oversight Inadequate for Era of Hospital Consolidation, Closures

The hospital landscape in this country is changing rapidly. Hospitals are consolidating, with mergers and acquisitions jumping from 66 in 2010 to 112 in 2015, an increased pace that is continuing in 2016.  Regional and national health systems are ... [ Blog ]

Jun 02, 2016

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: When a nonprofit health system outsources its ER, debt collectors follow

Jessica Curtis of Community Catalyst's Hospital Accountability Project quoted in article about wave of medical debt collection lawsuits in St. Louis, after health system outsourced its emergency department operations. [ News Clip ]

May 25, 2016

Money, Money, Money, Money: Unpacking New Data on Hospital Profitability and Pricing

A recent Health Affairs study on hospital profitability has been garnering national press attention for finding that seven of the “Top 10” most profitable hospitals were non-profits. These findings will likely reverberate in states where po... [ Blog ]

Building Local Capacity to Engage Hospitals through Community Benefit: A Case Study

Follow the stories, successes, and challenges of three community-based organizations and coalitions as they build skills and partnerships with local hospitals to address social and economic challenges impacting the health of local residents. [ Publication ]

Hospital Community Benefit Dashboard: Advancing Health Equity and Community Engagement

This dashboard outlines five core principles that hospital community benefit staff and community organizations can use to evaluate and strengthen current practices, with a focus on achieving health equity and meaningful community engagement. [ Publication ]

Transforming Hospital Community Benefit: Increasing Community Engagement and Health Equity Investment in Connecticut

This paper seeks to inform state and local efforts to strengthen the connection between hospital community benefit programs and health equity investments in Connecticut. [ Publication ]

Hospitals Investing in Health: Community Benefit in Massachusetts

Tax exempt non-profit hospitals around the country spend billions of dollars each year as part of their community benefit obligations. But do those investments really move the needle in improving community health? [ Publication ]

Opportunities at the Intersection of Health and Housing

This PowerPoint presentation was shared on a May 11, 2016 learning community call on the intersections of health and housing, featuring speakers from Community Catalyst, the National Housing Conference, and Children’s Health Watch/Boston Medical Center. [ Publication ]

Collaborating to Address Community Health Needs: The Greater Waterbury Health Improvement Partnership

This guest blog from the Greater Waterbury Health Improvement Partnership provides an overview of their collaborative approach to their Community Health Needs Assessment, using resources from the Centers for Disease Control’s CHI Navigator. [ Publication ]

Community Benefit Connect

A learning community for hospital-based practitioners who are charged with community benefit planning, implementation, reporting and evaluation. [ Resource ]

Hospital Financial Assistance Policies: A Quick Reference Guide

This checklist highlights key legal requirements and policy considerations under the ACA for drafting or evaluating a hospital financial assistance policy (FAP) and can be used by hospital staff, advocates and others interested in FAPs. [ Resource ]

Letter to the IRS on Social and Economic Determinants of Health and Hospital Community Benefit

Community Catalyst’s comment letter to the IRS that supports revising the Form 990 Schedule H so that “community health improvement services” include efforts to address the social and economic determinants of health — including housing. [ Comment Letter ]

What Does the Affordable Care Act Say about Hospital Bills?

This publication outlines the key elements of the final regulations related to patient billing—financial assistance, charges, billing and collections. It provides brief contextual insight into the policy issues the regulations seek to address. [ Publication ]

Community Benefit: Tools and Resources to Get Involved with Non-profit Hospitals to Address Unmet Community Health Needs

These resources will provide some initial guidance to advocates and community-based organizations as they navigate through the community benefit planning process that non-profit hospitals are required to undertake in exchange for their tax-exempt status. [ Publication ]

Community Benefit and Economic Development

This fact sheet compares how “community benefit” is typically used in the economic development and healthcare contexts. [ Resource ]

More Resources »