Program areas at Southwest Health
Southwest Health Center, Inc. (the organization") provides inpatient, outpatient, emergency, outpatient behavioral Health, and clinical Health care services and other financial support through various programs that are designed, among other matters, to enhance the Health of the community including the Health of low income patients. Consistent with the mission of the organization, care is provided to patients regardless of their ability to pay, including providing services to those persons who are either underinsured or who cannot afford Health insurance because of inadequate resources. Health care services to patients under government programs, such as medicaid hospital services, are also considered part of the organization's benefit provided to the community, since a substantial portion of such services are reimbursed at amounts less than the costs of providing care. Patients who meet certain criteria for charity care, generally based on federal poverty guidelines, are provided care at a significantly reduced rate, determined based on qualifying criteria as defined in the organization's charity care policy and from applications completed by patients and their families. The amount of charges forgone for services and supplies furnished under this policy for fy2023 totaled $233,920.84. In addition, discounts to the medicaid program for hospital and clinic services amounted to $18,395,978. (see additional information on the cost to the hospital of providing services to medicaid and charity care recipients in schedule h of the form 990. )benefits for serving the community also include:- a community Health information publication that contains a broad range of practical information to improve Health and wellness and is mailed to 15,000+ local households- offering Health screenings and information to hundreds of area consumers over 65 years old at local senior Health fairs- attendance to several Health fairs at our local university, outreaching to local college students- a diabetes monthly support group- providing of space for local support groups like alcoholics anonymous, parkinson's support group, gilda's club, and local blood drives- a bi-weekly Health information column in a local newspaper- quarterly editorial in publications that cover three counties in Wisconsin, and two in Iowa- hosting of a website with important Health information- promotions and blogs/articles on our social media facebook page- promotion Health resources that provides patients, family members, and community members answers to Health questions and other resources - sponsoring of segments on the local radio supporting different community and city organizations and events- hosting of an annual community event that promotes a safe place for families to come hear about Health information in our local city park- sponsorships of local athletic teams in city sports clubs- support for local school program to provide food bags that go home with students in need over holidays and breaksfor fiscal year 2023, total hospital patient days were 3,466 and total outpatient procedures were 180,415. Some key statistics included in these totals were 2,524 acute inpatient and nursery days, 265 swing bed inpatient days, and 13,215 emergency room/urgent care visits. The organization also provides clinical services at two primary care clinics located in platteville and cuba city, Wisconsin as well as specialty physician services in the areas of general surgery, orthopedics, women's Health, pain management and eyecare services.
The organization provides inpatient behavioral Health services with a focus on senior behavioral sciences at Southwest Health behavioral services (sbs) Center. The primary patients served by this Center are patients over the age of 55 and are primarily medicare and medicaid program beneficiaries which often reimburse the organization at rates below the cost of treating these patients. However, the organization feels that it is their mission in the community to provide these services to patients in need. Sbs is proud to offer these services in a modern facility at a time when many distinct part psychiatric units are closing due to poor reimbursement from third-party payors. Sbs Center is staffed by a full-time psychiatrist, a nurse practitioner, and professional nursing and social services staff. Patients of sbs also have full access to all of the diagnostic, therapy, and emergency services of the Southwest Health Center hospital.the total sbs Center patient days were 1,680 for fiscal year ending fy2023.