Reviewers from The Joint Commission recently ... - Shepherd Center

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An Extra LifelineEndowed fundsand unrestrictedgifts to Shepherdhelp increasethe odds ofpatient success.Just how well a ShepherdCenter patient progressesbeyond rehabilitation –whether he goes home afterdischarge, whether she’s able to returnto work or school – has a lot to do withthe hospital’s national reputation.And Shepherd has an outstandingreputation, partly because the Center’spatient outcomes are better than thoseat most other rehabilitation facilities.Part of Shepherd’s success is attributedto the “extras” it can provide topatients. These extras are funded, inpart, by endowments supported bythe past generosity of individuals andorganizations, as well as charitabledonations made in the current year.If a patient needs gas money, fundsfor a wheelchair, or even help payingfor rehabilitation care, the PatientAssistance, Patient Equipment andPatient Care funds could help coverthese costs.Things such as insurance co-payments,prescription drugs, or even ababysitter to allow a spouse to attendfamily training at Shepherd, fall underthe purview of the Patient AssistanceFund. This fund covers extraneous andunanticipated costs. It even paid fordental work for a patient whose teethwere crushed in an accident.The Patient Assistance Fund isparticularly helpful in paying for interpretersfor patients who don’t speakShepherd Center Nurse Winnie Traylor cares for a patient in the Neurospecialty Unit.10 www.shepherd.orgshepherd center annual report 2009
Steve HollemanTammy KingEnglish, says Tammy King, chief nurseexecutive and administrator of the fund.Tammy also oversees anotherendowed fund for patients whoseinsurance doesn’t cover the fullexpense of necessary equipment and/or equipment repair. Called the PatientEquipment Fund, the endowmenthelps pay for bathroom equipment, asecond wheelchair and/or a wheelchairramp. It also pays for adaptive equipmentand assistive technology.“The need for equipment fundinghas gone up because insurance companiesare not paying as much,” Tammynotes. “But we believe equipment ispart of the whole package. For patientsto succeed after their care, they haveto have the right equipment based ontheir injury.”The Patient Care Fund is used to offsetthe cost of charitable care providedto patients who lack the ability to pay.While it helps all kinds of Shepherdpatients, it is a particularly beneficialto patients who come from outsideGeorgia. Most Georgia residents whodon’t have the ability to pay for theircare typically qualify for Medicaid.“However, most out-of-statepatients don’t qualify for Medicaidbecause they’re not receiving carein their home state,” explains SteveHolleman, Shepherd’s chief financialofficer. “We typically are not able tobill out-of-state Medicaid, so we endup writing off the patient’s care ascharity care, the funds for which comeout of the Patient Care Fund.”Without a doubt, these funds havenever been more important. In theeconomic downturn, more patientsneed extra help covering costs. Atthe same time, available resourcesfrom the funds have dropped. That’sbecause proceeds from the endowmentfunds come from investmentreturns, and in the economic downturn,the funds aren’t generating thereturns they once did.To make up the difference – and tomaintain its charity spending at a consistentlevel – Shepherd has had to usegeneral funds to help patients. Nowthe hospital is asking for unrestrictedgifts– that is, monetary donationsthat can be used for any Shepherdprogram.“Even though we invest our endowmentsin a very well-managed anddiversified portfolio of both fixedincome and equity investments,Shepherd – like just about all otherentities – has experienced a dramaticdecline in the value of the funds,”Steve says. “This reality underscoresthe balance of funding support. Theendowments help ensure that fundswill always be available. But annual‘unrestricted’ gifts allow Shepherdto maintain patient support in toughtimes and utilize dollars according tothe area most in need.”“For patients to succeed after their care, they have to havethe right equipment based on their injury.”— Tammy Kingan extra lifelinen e w www.shepherdTV.org11
Page 3 and 4: Dear Donors,Fiscal year ’08-’09
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Reviewers from The Joint Commission recently ... - Shepherd Center

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