The Business of Health Care Report
Community Benefit: Fulfilling THR’s Mission - September 2006


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I'm Doug Hawthorne, President and CEO of Texas Health Resources, with "The Business of Health Care Report."

Health care is a complex and expensive issue on many levels. Last year alone, U.S. health care spending reached a record $1.7 trillion, outpacing the growth of the overall economy.(1) Individuals are spending more out of pocket for health care costs as employers cut back on health care plans. And, the number of uninsured and underinsured continues to grow.

Hospitals do not have the capacity to solve the problem of the uninsured. Yet, nonprofit hospitals provide community benefit programs that answer many of the health needs of individuals who might not otherwise receive preventive care or education about medical topics. Texas Health Resources’ community benefit efforts confront the problem at its source with an emphasis on prevention and early treatment of illness. Catching health problems early and educating people about health issues empowers them with good health practice.

Our mission at Texas Health Resources is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve. As a nonprofit organization, we are distinguished by our commitment to care for our community. We proudly provide community benefit services free of charge. That’s because we are committed to the faith-based, community-minded purposes for which the hospitals in our system were first established.

For Texas Health Resources and its faith-based hospitals – Harris Methodist, Presbyterian and Arlington Memorial – I’m Doug Hawthorne.

(1)According to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services report on Jan. 10, 2005.

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