In our last open letter, we indicated that our next letter would
discuss our Conflict of Interest Policy. We have not had the
opportunity to present this to the judge, and
as part of the class action
settlement he needs to have an opportunity to review
it before we share it with you.
So, in this season of Thanksgiving, we thought it would be
appropriate to share some of the ways that NMMC gives back to
the community. These services are provided free of charge as
part of our mission to continuously improve the health of area
residents.
North Mississippi Medical Center, its affiliated hospitals and
clinics have provided:
· More than $45 million in charity care in 2004.
· Sixteen nurses in 23 schools in seven counties in
northeast Mississippi and three certified health educators in
three schools in two counties. These services touch the lives of
more than 15,000 children every day. In 2004, the school health
nurses provided 67,725 charted treatments. They also provided
health screenings and lectures to 39,934 participants in 2004.
NMMC invests more than $1.1 million annually in the School
Health Centers.
· Free and low‑cost health screenings through the eighth
annual Live Well Health Fair and other community outreach
efforts. With the limited number of flu vaccine available this
year, 3,050 individuals took advantage of the free shots at the
Live Well Health Fair. NMMC absorbed the $45,750 cost for the
flu shots and other health screenings available that day. In
2004, NMMC provided more than 120 health fairs and screenings
that touched the lives of approximately 9,500 participants and
had 24,486 in attendance at health lectures and support groups.
· Donations of more than 2,950 computers, valued at
$1,000 each to schools throughout the NMMC service area. This
represents a $2.9 million contribution to area schools.
· Seven full‑time certified athletic trainers who
provide coverage for 12 high schools in seven counties and
Itawamba Community College. Throughout the school year, the
athletic trainers have provided medical coverage for 100,302
participants. This service is provided free of charge and costs
NMMC around $382,500 per year.
· Assistance to more than 136,000 callers annually who
utilize Nurse Link Call Center, a community service that
assists callers with health information and offers triage for
symptom‑based calls, making recommendations by utilizing a
physician‑approved, computerized protocol system and reference
materials. Staffed by registered nurses, Nurse Link,
800‑882‑6274, is available from 7 a.m. until midnight, seven
days a week. This service costs about $1 million per year and
is provided free of charge to our community
· $400,000 in donations to ICC, Northeast Mississippi
Community College and Mississippi University for Women to fund
salaries for nursing instructors to help alleviate a nursing
shortage in this region. The investment has proven to be
beneficial for our patients as NMMC hired 100 graduate nurses
this year, more than double the amount NMMC usually hires.
Increasing the number of nursing instructors enabled the schools
to enroll additional students. The class of 2005 is expected to
be even larger as a result of NMMC's investment.
In total, these services cost NMMC about $51 million per
year and are provided free of charge to those receiving
them. These activities play an important role in providing
access to health care to thousands of area residents and we are
honored to be able to provide them.
Thank you for your support of NMMC throughout the year.
We consider it a privilege to serve the community's health care
needs. As part of our community commitment, NMMC offers a
toll‑free hotline staffed with community advocates to respond to
concerns, questions or compliments. Callers are encouraged to
call
800‑453‑7533,
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We are sincerely
committed to listening and responding to feedback about
organization.
November 21, 2004
