Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana

Other government-sponsored programs in addition to the provision of charity care and other community services, Christus Health provides services to persons covered under government-sponsored programs, including medicare, department of defense (dod) and tricare. The non-reimbursed costs of these services are not included in reports prepared following catholic Health association guidelines. Christus Health provides services to persons covered under the federal medicare program, and in fact, this is the largest single payor classification of patients served by this Health system. The payment rate for inpatient services is on a case rate, calculated based on the diagnostic-related group (drg) into which the patient is categorized. Outpatient services are reimbursed per the medicare fee Schedule. Christus Health dba us family Health plan also provides the uniform medical benefit for 11,339 military family members under contract with the dod. Under this program, comprehensive medical services are provided to families of active duty military personnel, and to retirees and their families in all age categories including those over age 65. Christus Health also participates in the tricare standard program and many of our hospitals contract with the managed care support contractor for the south region to provide services under the provision of tricare prime.

Commitment to benefiting our communities - patient care services Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana (swla) is part of Christus Health, formed in 1999 to strengthen the 157-year-old, faith-based Health care ministries of the congregations of the sisters of charity of the incarnate word of houston and san antonio. Founded on the mission "to extend the healing ministry of jesus christ," Christus is challenged to reach out to, and beyond, the more than 60 communities we serve to help those in need. The vision of Christus Health as a catholic, faith-based ministry, is to be a leader, a partner and an advocate in the creation of innovative Health and wellness solutions that improve the lives of individuals and of local and global communities so that all may experience god's healing presence and love. Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana responds to the Health care needs of the community through services provided at Christus oschner st. patrick hospital, a 230 licensed bed acute care facility, dedicated to improving the Health of the community and embracing the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of each patient. Lake area hospital was acquired by Christus Health in 2017. Christus ochsner lake area hospital is a 88-bed full-service acute care hospital located at 4200 nelson road in lake charles, Louisiana. Christus ochsner lake area hospital is the area's preferred leader for women's services and offers inpatient, outpatient, medical and surgical care for men, women and children. Christus ochsner lake area hospital is an accredited bariatric surgery center and is equipped with a 24-hour physician-staffed emergency department and a level 3 neonatal icu. Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana, located in lake charles, Louisiana in the Southwestern part of the state, has a service area that includes parishes along the southern coast of Louisiana into the south central portions of the state, which includes a population of more than 306,192 individuals. In 2023 fiscal year, we were privileged to serve hundreds of thousands of individuals in various ways including 46,375 visits to our emergency department, 2,061 inpatient surgery procedures, 6,815 outpatient surgery procedures, 8,963 patients who were admitted to our hospitals for care, and 171,119 patients who received outpatient care at our facilities. Touching the lives of the people around us is what makes Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana stand apart. Allowing others to touch us gives us a vision for the medically needy in each of the communities we serve. Whether it is the life of a child expecting a future filled with miracles, the life of a man in need of a critical heart surgery, or the life of a woman in need of life-saving breast cancer treatment, Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana's Health care services work to provide the best care possible regardless of an individual's ability to pay. By collaborating with communities, churches, businesses, and other Health care organizations, Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana's various entities have strengthened their roles as major providers of comprehensive, accessible Health care services. These partnerships with the community have been a blessing by helping Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana further care for those in need. Furthermore, investment in community services would not be possible without dedicated employees and volunteers. They help to build strong relationships between the hospitals and other Health care ministries and the communities, nurturing Christus' mission to meet the needs of and make a difference in the lives of others. Our employees work both inside and outside the walls of our Health care facilities and are committed to reaching beyond the traditional hospital walls to help our communities maintain good Health. Understanding the need to provide access to Health care to as much of our public as possible, Christus Health participates in government-sponsored Health care programs, including medicaid, medicare, champus, tricare and others. In addition, we provide specific programs to provide discounted services to those in need who do not have medical insurance or who do not participate in government-sponsored programs. Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana provides a full range of inpatient and outpatient services to the people from the communities it serves. It conducts its activities and serves its communities without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, orientation, disability, age or national origin. Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana offers the area's leading heart program, providing non-invasive diagnostic services; interventional catheterization procedures such as angioplasty, drug-coated stents and pacemaker implantation; heart and lung surgery; cardiovascular rehabilitation; and research programs. Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana cancer center provides multidisciplinary cancer care, including radiation therapy, cancer surgery, chemotherapy, outpatient treatment, research, education and support. In addition, Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana offers innovative surgery procedures including heartburn surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery and sinus surgery, as well as specialized programs in geropsychiatry, rehabilitation, joint replacement and a full range of outpatient diagnostic and surgical services. Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana also provides two 24-hour emergency rooms that are open to serve all those in need of emergent care, regardless of their ability to pay. Christus Southwestern Louisiana also supports many local community Health services, including five school-based clinics. As a not-for-profit organization and as part of Christus Health, a regional governing board comprised largely of independent community members representing the area we serve guides Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana. We have an open medical staff comprised of qualified physicians who work with us to provide care to our communities. All qualified physicians granted privileges to serve with us in our hospitals have undergone a thorough and comprehensive credentialing process.

Community benefit reporting - charity care and medicaid Christus adheres to the catholic Health association's a guide for planning and reporting community benefit (2012) and complies with the state of Texas requirements for reporting. Community benefit, reported as unpaid costs, includes both charity care and community services. To the limits of its resources, Christus Health is an institution of purely public charity; thus, the most tangible expression of Christus Health's charitable purpose is the provision of Health care services to those persons who are unable to pay. This falls into two categories: charity care and unpaid government indigent care. In keeping with the mission, values, and vision of Christus Health, Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana provides charity care services in a manner that respects the dignity of the patients and their families. Charity care is provided without charge or at a charge that is less than the usual charge for such services. The determination as to the amount to be charged, if any, is made according to a patient's ability to pay as determined by the established eligibility criteria. For uninsured patients whose economic circumstances place them at or under 300 percent of the federal poverty level (fpl), services are provided without any expectation of payment. Uninsured patients whose economic circumstances place them between 300 and 400 percent of fpl are charged based on a sliding scale, and those above 400 percent receive discounts based on the uninsured fee Schedule. No patient is refused necessary medical care due to inability to pay. Christus Health is an active participant in the states of Texas and Louisiana medicaid programs. Those programs seek to provide payment for Health care services to individuals who meet certain financial and other requirements. Financial requirements include evaluation of both assets and income.

1. Community services for the poor and underserved rooted in our mission and tradition, the founders and sponsors of Christus Health and those who co-minister with them seek new and innovative ways of delivering quality Health care that is both affordable and accessible to all. Today, more than ever, we must aim to improve the total Health status of the community through programs that place our services where they are needed most, with special attention and preference given to programs that support and benefit the Health and welfare of the poor and underserved. Community services for the poor and underserved represent the unpaid cost of services provided for which a patient is not billed, or for which a fee has been assessed that recovers only a portion of the cost of the rendered service. This category includes initiatives that reach out to those in need through community Health and social programs. These programs seek justice for the vulnerable and work to bring about changes in our political and economic systems. The programs cover a broad spectrum of services from community clinics to immunizations for children and seniors, meals on wheels, transportation services, home repair projects and a variety of other social services. Christus Health has established the Christus fund to provide resources to not-for-profit agencies and groups whose vision, mission and goals are consistent with Christus Health's mission, values and philosophy of a healthy community. We believe that by working together, we can make a profound difference in the quality of peoples' lives and create sustainable Health in our communities. The cost of these grants is not included in the program service expenses of Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana. 2. Community services for the broader community most of these expenses are for educating Health professionals. Helping to prepare future Health care professionals is a distinguishing, characteristic of not-for-profit Health care and constitutes a significant community benefit. Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana takes an active role in educating the public. The hospital provides regularly scheduled community Health education, such as seminars and screenings. Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana also supports the community through participation with various agencies. Christus Health also used cash donations as a vehicle to help our communities. We made cash donations, in addition to grants awarded through the Christus fund, to support causes like the fight against cancer, provision of a continuum of care for our elderly, the fight against hiv/aids, and for many other equally worthy purposes. During fy2023, Christus Health advocated for improving public policies, working to establish, and in some instances augment, grassroots advocacy and greater access to Health care services for the constituents we serve.