Community Citizenship
A Letter from the Chairman
On behalf of the Board of Directors of UPMC, it is my privilege and pleasure to share with you this report on the health system’s community benefits. This report provides a window into some of the largely unknown work that UPMC performs every day to strengthen the health and the fabric of this community. This report was prepared, in part, to broaden perspectives about UPMC.
It is widely known, for example, that UPMC is Pittsburgh’s leading provider of health care services.
What is often not realized is that last year, UPMC provided more than $139 million in uncompensated care to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured individuals; that three-quarters of the inpatient care in the 10 poorest neighborhoods was provided by UPMC hospitals; that UPMC spends more than $2 million per year to help people qualify for insurance and governmental programs to which they are entitled; that UPMC underwrites operating losses at facilities in disadvantaged areas like Braddock and the Hill District in order to protect vulnerable communities; and, in a process that began in 2007, at the request of Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, UPMC stepped in to save the region’s last Catholic hospital when it was on the brink of failure.
It is widely recognized that, through UPMC, Pittsburgh has gained a national reputation for clinical excellence and innovation.
It is not as widely known that UPMC contributed more than $237 million to research and education, which helped the University of Pittsburgh to attract some of the nation’s finest academicians and to develop premier research facilities. When you read a story about remarkable advances in brain surgery that save a child’s life or research on a finger grown back from a nub, know that UPMC’s support helped this to occur.
UPMC’s role as the region’s largest employer, with a workforce of 48,000, is widely known. So is the fact that these jobs are well-paying and provide health, education, retirement, and other important benefits.
What is less apparent is that, beyond the people that UPMC employs directly, the health system creates nearly a hundred thousand jobs elsewhere in the region and has an economic impact that tops $14 billion.
With capital projects that amount to nearly half a billion dollars annually, UPMC not only creates the facilities where tomorrow’s medicine is born, but also generates thousands of construction-related jobs. The commitment to making Pittsburgh stronger takes many forms: $92 million spent with women- and minority-owned businesses; leadership in efforts to ready the region in the event of bioterrorism; and an emphasis on innovation and business development. Every year the lists of the region’s technology start-ups prominently feature businesses that have their roots in UPMC.
We are proud of the role UPMC plays in the community and honored to share this
report with you.
Nicholas Beckwith III
Chairman, UPMC
A Letter from the President and CEO
It is my privilege to join Mr. Beckwith in introducing this report. As you read it, you will see the myriad of ways in which UPMC touches the lives of residents of this region.
First and foremost, we are committed to the health of this community — which we deliver both through our extensive provider system and through our innovative health plan. However, it is important to emphasize that UPMC’s community benefits are more than just a byproduct of day-to-day activities to meet the needs of this community — they are an expression of our vision statement in action: “to create a new vision for a new tomorrow” in western Pennsylvania.
Not satisfied with delivering the best health care of today, we have focused on creating a different model:
- one in which a seamless and integrated approach to care pairs a commitment to readily available appointments with our physicians and premier clinical facilities close to home
- where investments in integrated information technology and interoperability solutions allow the health provider to get all information needed about each patient wherever they are located
- where the insurer and provider components of the organization work arm-in-arm to improve the health of the community
We also are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive working environment, and to creating “green” buildings that preserve the environment.
As we continuously improve our operations and create a new model for health care delivery, we look to the future of this region. Our vision of Pittsburgh is of a growing, thriving area; a community in which the arts enhance lives; and where children have a bright future built around the promise of education.
We believe we are creating a model for what health care can and should be, even to the extent of preparing to protect western Pennsylvania against naturally occurring threats such as avian flu and leading the nation in biodefense.
UPMC proudly embraces the tradition of community service that is a part of this region’s heritage and which remains rooted in this community. Ultimately, UPMC exists to serve this region. In this report, you will read about how our actions demonstrate our commitment to this ideal.
Jeffrey A. Romoff
President and CEO, UPMC