Program areas at HAMC
Good Samaritan Hospital Association (GSHA) is a nonprofit health care organization, owned by 20 area churches representing all the local denominations of the Christian faith. The area churches at an annual meeting every year elect a board of trustees. This board is the legal governing body that is responsible for the Association. GSHA's primary focus is healthcare within and around the community of Rugby, ND. GSHA is a 25 bed licensed acute/swing bed critical access hospital, 3 rural health clinics (Rugby, Dunseith, Maddock), along with an Operating Room, and provider based surgical clinic & pain clinic, 33 skilled nursing home beds (2 in layaway), 60 basic care beds, and 37 assisted living apartments. We also service the community through a robust hospital-based hospice program. GHSA was impacted by COVID as we continued to see increased charity care due to patients being impacted with COVID. We continued to provide COVID testing to the community, and our infection control nurse was working with public health to improve the community's awareness. The CEO performed numerous health updates on the radio to educate the community about the public health emergency and changes that were coming from CMS. GSHA provides numerous community and social programs including, but not limited to the following: Charity Care - the estimated cost of providing charity care services was $141,000 during the year ended March 31, 2023 (calculated by multiplying the ratio of cost to gross charges for the Organization by the gross uncompensated charges associated with providing charity care to patients), reduced fee flu shot clinics, diabetic education program, chronic care management, public healthcare educational and informational notices, testing and information during health shows and community events, ambulance volunteers at the local events, provided EMT courses for ambulance services, educational outreach for school system, provides senior citizen meals, free blood pressure checks, community education, physical therapy, provided meeting room for various organizations and churches, CPR training, wellness programs. We also worked to build relationships with the affiliated CNA/LPN/RN school programs through a consortium of facilities and colleges. Ambulance Service is operated by the hospital association as the community was unable to sustain as a volunteer service. We staff the ambulance 24/7 and answer all 911 calls in our area as well as perform community service when someone is unable to make it to the hospital. The crew has gone to homes for blood draws. We subsize some of the expenses of operating this ambulance department with a mill levy and a state grant.