PROVIDENCE ST. MARY MEDICAL CENTER
1. Community Benefit Plan
Click on the button below to download the community benefit plan.
The documents are being made available as provided by the facility, in accordance with Health and safety Code 127350 and California Code of Regulations Section 95102. If there are any issues with accessibility, please notify us directly at communitybenefit@hcai.ca.gov
Download2. Community Health Needs Assessment
The web address where the Community Benefit Plan is published on the hospital's website:
https://www.providence.org/locations/socal/st-mary-medical-center/about-us/community-benefit
The year the hospital last conducted a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA):
2023
What community groups attended or engaged with the most recent CHNA process? Identify the vulnerable populations represented by these:
Providence - St. Mary Medical Center engaged community members from across the High Desert region to participate in the Community Health Needs Assessment. This included vulnerable populations who are at medical or financial risk due to being uninsured, underinsured, indigent or of low financial resources. Also included were individuals from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds that comprise the community experiencing health disparities. In this community this is largely Hispanic/Latino population and African Americans. In addition, with input from advocates serving the unhoused, individuals residing in economically challenged neighborhoods, geographically and environmentally- vulnerable areas had representation. Another strategy for engaging wide representation was by providing language access. Language access was provided as part of the Needs Assessment focus groups and resident conversations to include those with limited English proficiency.
Does the Hospital make the CHNA report widely available to the public?
Yes
How the hospital made the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) available to the public:
The Community Health Needs Assessment is available to the public on the hospital's website.
The web address where the CHNA is publicly accessible:
https://www.providence.org/locations/socal/st-mary-medical-center/about-us/community-benefit
3. Community Benefit Expenses
| Vulnerable Population | |
|---|---|
| Traditional Charity Care | $ 7,849,227 |
| Medi-Cal | $ 33,430,738 |
| Other Means-Tested Government (Indigent Care) | $ 0 |
| Sum Financial Assistance and Means-Tested Government Programs | $ 41,279,965 |
| Vulnerable Population | Broader Community | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Improvement | $ 96,177 | $ 0 | $ 96,177 |
| Community Benefit Operations | $ 356,219 | $ 0 | $ 356,219 |
| Health Professions Education | $ 0 | $ 15,000 | $ 15,000 |
| Subsidized Health Services | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 |
| Research | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 |
| Cash and In-kind Contributions for Community Benefits | $ 1,075,397 | $ 20,000 | $ 1,095,397 |
| Other Community Benefits | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 |
| Total Other Benefits | $ 1,527,793 | $ 35,000 | $ 1,562,793 |
| Vulnerable Population | Broader Community | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Community Benefits* | $ 42,807,758 | $ 35,000 | $ 42,842,758 |
| Medicare | $ 41,381,539 | $ 41,381,539 | |
| Total Community Benefits with Medicare | $ 84,189,297 | $ 35,000 | $ 84,224,297 |
*Aggregate from tables above.
Other relevant information to the hospital's community benefit plan not otherwise captured:
St. Mary Medical Center sought funding to expand its behavioral health and substance use interventions through the implementation of bridge builder navigators in both the general and obstetric emergency departments. These navigators play a vital role in addressing the critical needs of perinatal women experiencing mental health crises and substance use disorders. St. Mary has participated in the statewide bridge program pilot, launched in response to rising opioid use and mental health crises. Currently, the emergency department (ed) sees over 4,400 visits annually involving a mental health or substance use diagnosis—yet the existing program can only reach a small fraction of these patients. Bridge builder navigators are trained to assist with initial assessment, care coordination, follow-up, and connection to community-based treatment and recovery resources. The hospital’s obstetrics emergency department (ob-ed) has seen a 30% rise in babies born to mothers with substance use histories. These infants often suffer from withdrawal symptoms, premature birth, and other serious complications. While the hospital provides immediate clinical care, the support many mothers need extends beyond the hospital walls. To bridge this gap, St. Mary has embedded a community health navigator within its labor and delivery unit. This navigator engages with expectant mothers at a critical time, offering support, education, and consistent follow-up throughout pregnancy and after delivery. Often, seeing their newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit inspires mothers to seek help—the on-site navigator can nurture this motivation, acting as a coach and support system to guide them into recovery services. Since the hiring of a full-time community health worker/navigator on October 7, 2024, St. Mary has strengthened its outreach. During this reporting period, 461 unique individuals received initial consultations, follow-up care coordination, or outreach services, 15 of whom were perinatal patients from the labor & delivery unit. To further reach perinatal populations, St. Mary is now collaborating with the high desert maternal & birth workers collective to identify at-risk women earlier and strengthen referral pathways. Together, we aim to ensure that every mother and baby receives the support necessary for a healthier start.