Northeast Georgia Health System Inc

“Information for the form 990 was provided to an independent certified public accountant for preparation of the return. After the return was prepared, it was reviewed by senior financial management. The form 990 is made available to members of the board prior to filing.”

“Board members are required to complete a conflict of interest questionnaire annually. Employees attest to their understanding and reporting/disclosure requirements at hire and annually. Compliance is monitored continuously throughout the year by the board.”

“The executive compensation committee of the northeast georgia health system board (nghs board) has developed a total compensation philosophy and installed compensation policies and procedures that seek to further the purpose of nghs and affiliates and the importance of these policies to attract and retain key employees. The executive compensation committee is composed of voting directors who are not employees of nghs and is free from conflict of interest. All decisions of the executive compensation committee are reviewed and ratified by the nghs board. The committee's methodology and approach incorporate both qualitative and quantitative considerations, which are reflected in the committee's determinations concerning key employee compensation and the specific components thereof. The compensation decisions of the committee are described below as to each of the three categories. Base salary nghs engages an independent third-party consultant to collect appropriate data from a group of peers similar in size and complexity to nghs. This comparability data is reviewed with the committee along with comparisons of nghs executive salaries compared to the market data. The ceo makes recommendations to the committee for salaries within the peer group salary ranges based on individual performance assessments for each position. In each instance the committee members reach a consensus based on the combination of available information, and the committee sets a base salary level for each key employee. Performance based variable compensation nghs leadership participate in a performance based variable compensation plan with opportunity levels determined based on the peer group market data and to align with the nghs executive compensation philosophy parameters. Annual goals and objectives are determined through a formal planning process involving board members and senior management. Following the end of the fiscal year, cash awards are determined based on organization performance. Benefits and retention programs benefit plans and amounts are determined by a comparison process similar to determining base salaries with positions and organizations similar to nghs. Included in benefits are retirement programs to enhance retention and progress toward long-term goals within nghs' mission.”

“Financial statements and statistics are filed quarterly with digital assurance certification, llc (dac bond). Dac bond serves as a disclosure dissemination agent for issuers of municipal bonds electronically posting and transmitting information to repositories and investors. All other items are available upon request.”

“* = relates to ngmc's community health needs assessment implementation plan progress northeast georgia health system (nghs) is a georgia not-for-profit community health system with the mission of improving the health of the community in all we do. The health system serves more than one million people in 19 counties across northeast georgia offering a full range of healthcare services, including oncology, orthopedics, cardiac surgery, critical care, surgical trauma, neonatology, and women's care. As a not-for-profit health system, all revenue generated above operating expenses is returned to the community through improved services and innovative programs. Nghs is led by volunteer boards made up of community leaders. Nghs operates the following hospital campuses: ngmc barrow, llc: a 56-licensed-bed hospital in winder, georgia. Ngmc lumpkin, llc: a 52 licensed bed hospital in dahlonega, georgia; northeast georgia medical center (ngmc gainesville and braselton), a 613-licensed bed inpatient facility in gainesville and a 188-licensed bed inpatient facility in braselton; ngmc habersham, llc: a 53-licensed bed inpatient facility in demorest, georgia. Other affiliates include the nghs foundation (the medical center foundation, inc. D/b/a the northeast georgia health system foundation), georgia heart institute, llc (ghi), and northeast georgia physicians group (ngpg). Ngpg brings together more than 700 physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, midwives, and other clinical staff at more than 50 locations across north georgia. Ngpg is the state's sixth-largest physician group offering expertise in more than 40 specialties. Ghi is made up of more than 80 physicians and advanced practice providers representing multiple cardiac specialties through 14 locations across northeast georgia. Nghs also has ten urgent care facilities, three long-term care centers, an ambulatory surgery center, one mental health facility, a satellite cancer treatment facility and seven rehab locations providing outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy. Economic impact ngmc continues to have a positive financial impact on the local community and state, according to the latest annual study conducted by the georgia hospital association. For 2022 (latest study available), nghs (ngmc gainesville, ngmc braselton, ngmc barrow, ngmc lumpkin) contributed more than $7.4 billion in economic impact on local and state economies, directly and indirectly, sustaining nearly 30,000 full-time jobs throughout the region and state. This is in addition to the more than $84 million provided in charity care and over $17 million provided in community outreach. Ngmc serves as a strong financial engine for the local economy. * charity care in fy24, nghs hospitals provided charity care in the community at the cost of an estimated $68.7 million and received no local tax revenue from hall county or any other counties to support operations or care provided to indigent residents. The charity care policy provides financial assistance up to 300 percent of the poverty level many hospitals provide charity adjustments only to the level that matches the state definition of medically indigent but not at the level that nghs offers. Nghs's charity care policy supports providing care for indigent patients, regardless of their ability to pay. As a not-for-profit health system, all revenue generated above operating expenses was returned to the community through improved services and innovative programs. Nghs reinvested in the future with the following projects: -ngmc braselton - clinical expansion - cardiac cath lab #3 -ngmc gainesville -clinical expansion -flowery branch medical park i -bethlehem medical office building -northeast georgia rehabilitation institute -it cloud transformation project total estimated charity care cost for each hospital entity in fy24: - ngmc gainesville/braselton: $27.9 million for hall county residents + $34.5 million for regional residents outside of ha”

“* community health needs assessment: with significant input from the community, the hospital entities of northeast georgia health system completed a regional community health needs assessment (chna) in 2022. The assessment focused mainly on the needs of the community's most vulnerable populations, particularly those with low incomes who are uninsured. Input from the community was gathered through focus groups and interviews, plus online surveys that garnered approximately 4,500 responses, well above expected response rates. The study identified the three health priorities that fit hand-in-glove with the organization's strategic direction: mental & behavioral health, access to care, and healthy behaviors. Information from this study continues to drive community benefit activities today. The below dashboard reflects progress on the chna implementation plan. * chna implementation plan dashboard goal 1: reduce unhealthy behaviors including tobacco use, sedentary lifestyles, obesity rates, and chronic condition rates, such as hypertension and diabetes. 2022 baseline overall outcome measures: - 25% of northeast georgia community members are obese - 18% drink excessively - 17% are current smokers - 10% of adults age 20+ have diabetes - 32% of adults age 18+ have high blood pressure source: cdc behavioral risk factor survey (2019), cdc national center for chronic disease prevention and health promotion (2019). 2023 progress overall outcome measures: - 27.9% of community members are obese - 15.51% drink excessively - 13.9% are current smokers - 8.4% of adults age 20+ have diabetes - 32.1% of adults age 18+ have high blood pressure source: cdc behavioral risk factor survey (2021), cdc national center for chronic disease prevention and health promotion (2021). 2024 progress overall outcome measures: - 36.4% of community members are obese - 15.5% drink excessively - 13% are current smokers - 12.1% of adults age 18+ have diabetes - 32.1% of adults age 18+ have high blood pressure source: cdc behavioral risk factor survey (2021, 2022), cdc national center for chronic disease prevention and health promotion (2021, 2022). Goal 2: work to improve access to care throughout the region through growth in workforce, residency slots filled in graduate medical education programs, master facility plan, and digital front door. 2022 baseline overall outcome measures: 210 residency slots filled in various specialties by 2025. Source: ngmc gme program. 2023 progress overall outcome measures: 178 residency slots filled in various specialties as of 2023. Source: ngmc gme program. 2024 progress overall outcome measures: 220 residency slots filled in various specialties as of 2024. Source: ngmc gme program, 2024 accomplishments piece. Goal 3: reduce suicide and opioid overdose rates within our service areas. 2022 baseline overall outcome measures: the rate of deaths in the region related to suicide, alcohol-related disease, and/or drug overdose (also known as "deaths of despair") was 37 deaths for every 100,000 people each year in the region between 2016 and 2020, higher than the georgia rate. Source: centers for disease control and prevention. National vital statistics system, 2016-2020. 2023 progress overall outcome measures: the rate of deaths in the region related to suicide, alcohol-related disease, and/or drug overdose (also known as "deaths of despair") was 35.9 deaths for every 100,000 people each year in the region between 2017 and 2021, higher than the georgia rate. Source: centers for disease control and prevention. National vital statistics system, 2017-2021. 2024 progress overall outcome measures: the rate of deaths in the region related to suicide, alcohol-related disease, and/or drug overdose (also known as "deaths of despair") was 44.3 deaths for everyone 100,000 people each year in the region between 2019 and 2023, higher than the georgia rate. Source: centers for disease control and prevention. National vital statistics system, 2019-2023.”

“* grants and commitments hope for georgia moms: hope for georgia moms is the multiyear state maternal health innovation grant awarded to northeast georgia health system in 2022 with the purpose to decrease maternal mortality and improve health equity for pregnant and postpartum women in georgia. Nghs serves the community through hope initiatives that bring together organizations, clinicians and individuals to bring awareness and resources for maternal cardiac and maternal mental health conditions. In fy24, hope for georgia moms and georgia perinatal quality collaborative (gapqc) hosted a maternal cardiac roundtable to discuss the importance of cardiovascular disease risk assessment among pregnant and postpartum women, participated in maternal health fairs and awarded mini grants to community organizations for medicaid redetermination activities and support groups. In partnership with nghs' center for simulation and innovation, hope for georgia moms also offered obstetric patient safety workshops free of charge to 19 healthcare professionals from across the state to help them identify, assess and manage patients with obstetric emergency through simulation and debriefing. Achievements ngmc gainesville first hospital in georgia to offer histotripsy: ngmc has become the only hospital in georgia, one of the few in the united states and eighth in the world to offer a new, progressive form of cancer treatment known as histotripsy. Histotripsy is a non-invasive procedure that uses sound waves as an alternative for treating liver cancer tumors. * access to care ngmc lumpkin now open: in april 2024, the new northeast georgia medical center lumpkin opened with services including 24/7 emergency care, advanced surgery, inpatient care and on-site imaging, lab and pharmacy support. The new hospital received an overwhelmingly positive response from the community with more than 1,500 people attending a grand opening celebration at the new hospital on saturday, april 13, 2024. Ngpg community health clinic: the ngpg primary care clinic at the health department, now named ngpg community clinic, celebrated its opening in the 8,000-square-foot medical office building adjacent to the hall county health department on the butler campus in gainesville. The clinic offers primary care, family medicine, medication assistance, diabetes education, and behavior health and social work services at reduced costs based on what each patient can afford. * accreditations center of excellence accreditation: in fy24, ngmc braselton received reaccreditation of their centers of excellence in robotics and minimally invasive surgeries. Ngmc habersham earns emergency cardiac care accreditation: in fy24, ngmc habersham was accredited as a level 3 emergency cardiac care center (eccc), recognizing the level of fast and effective care patients receive at the hospital in demorest. Ngmc habersham joined ngmc gainesville (level 1), ngmc braselton (level 2), ngmc lumpkin (level 3) and ngmc barrow (level 3) in receiving this designation. * awards and recognition ngmc hospitals receive safety grade from leapfrog group: in october 2023, ngmc barrow and ngmc braselton both received an "a" safety grade from the leapfrog group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. The leapfrog group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns a letter grade to hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. Ngmc emergency departments receive lantern award: in fy24, ngmc braselton and ngmc lumpkin both earned the prestigious 2024 lantern award from the emergency nurses association, which honors emergency departments demonstrating a commitment to safety, quality, a healthy work environment, and innovation in nursing and emergency care. With this recognition, nghs became the firs”

“Atlanta business chronicle honors nghs ceo and president: in 2024, carol burrell was honored with the atlanta business chronicle's lifetime achievement award as part of its inaugural health care champion awards in recognition of her leadership that has expanded access to care for the community. Georgia trend's 100 most influential georgians: nghs president and ceo carol burrell was selected for georgia trend magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential georgians for the tenth year in a row. Nghs center for simulation and innovation received national recognition: in fy24, becker's hospital review named nghs as one of 34 hospitals and health systems across the nation and the only one in the state of georgia with a top simulation and education program. The simulation center was also accredited by the society for simulation in healthcare. The center for simulation and innovation has been able to train more than 2,000 high school students across northeast georgia in emergency response through the mobile simulation lab bus. Students receive practical, hands-on experience in topics like life support, pediatric emergencies and stop the bleed training. * ngmc auxiliary volunteer support: in fy24 more than 691 auxiliary volunteers provided over 57.6k hours of service throughout the health system, which equates to 34 ftes and a value of $1.9 million to enhance the quality of services provided by nghs. This level of community service is an indicator of the strong community relationships that are maintained throughout the region. Nghs awarded for safety, patient experience, employee engagement: nghs received the first-ever high reliability organization (hro) foundation award from press ganey, a national company focused on improving health care. An hro is an organization that operates in complex, high-risk environments and yet experience less accidents or harmful events than anticipated. Press ganey also recognized two ngmc campuses with specific awards: ngmc braselton won the guardian of excellence award for patient experience and ngmc barrow received the guardian award for employee experience. Chief information officer recognized by becker's hospital review: in fy24, chris paravate, nghs' chief information officer, was recognized by becker's hospital review in a list of "cios to know" for his role in launching epic and leading the first community connect program. Nghs named one of america's greatest workplaces for diversity: newsweek ranked nghs as one of america's greatest workplaces for diversity for 2024. The award recognizes organizations that respect and value individuals from different backgrounds and walks of life, and nghs earned the highest possible ranking on the list of large employers with more than 5,000 employees. * digital health & innovations: increasing access to care in 2024, ngmc saw an 80% increase in the number of completed appointments that were scheduled online, with 16% of those being new patients to nghs.almost 80% of ngmc patients use mychart, putting us in epic's top 5th percentile of health systems. On-demand urgent care video visits available on weekends: if urgent care is needed, patients now have the option to try a video visit at home on the weekends from 8am to 5pm. Ngmc gainesville and braselton highlights of ngmc gainesville and braselton community benefit activities: ngmc gainesville and braselton value cooperative efforts with community organizations and other healthcare providers to improve the health status of area residents. This is demonstrated through many partnerships ranging from serving as the lead agency of safe kids northeast georgia, to partnering with organizations such as good news clinics and public health to reach at-risk populations in need of health care. Health education was provided through free community lectures, health screenings, and various support groups. Ngmc also offered education seminars for health professionals in the community, region, and state and worked to train”

“* workforce development & health professions education ngmc continues to serve as a pipeline to attract and prepare qualified individuals and students interested in healthcare positions. From the nursing student education program, the accelerated bsn program and significant support to foothills area health education centers (ahec), ngmc works to train, educate and recruit students for careers in healthcare. Ngmc spent over $23 million in these areas: accelerated bsn partnership with the university of north georgia: since january 2023, nghs and ung have partnered together to create an accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program to add 280 nurses to the workforce over the next five years. The 15-month program is for students who already have a bachelor's or master's degree in another field and want to transition into a career in nursing. In fy24, 15 students graduated as part of the first accelerated bachelor of science in nursing track cohort from ung and ngmc provided $1,757,555 towards this program. Allied health student education: ngmc gainesville and ngmc braselton provided 946 allied health students with clinical rotations in fy24 to give them hands on experience under the supervision of ngmc staff, allowing them to apply knowledge and essential allied health skills. Continuing medical education (cme): the ngmc continuing medical education program provides relevant educational activities to physicians and healthcare professionals designed to advance knowledge, improve patient outcomes, increase awareness of current health issues and promote evidence-based medicine in patient care. In fy24, cme organized 346 educational activities and delivered 441 hours of education, covering diverse medical disciplines and the latest advancements in healthcare and reaching over 9,000 physicians and healthcare staff members. Foothills area health education center (ahec): since 1999, ngmc has been a proud partner of foothills area health education center, which is a community-driven, non-profit corporation, supported by federal and local sources, with the mission to increase the supply and distribution of healthcare providers, especially in medically underserved areas. Through joint efforts, communities experience improved supply, distribution and retention of quality healthcare professionals. Foothills ahec serves 31 counties in the northeast georgia area. In 2024, foothills ahec celebrated 10 years of the pathway to med school program, which is a four-week, residential program for undergraduate, pre-medical students who attended georgia colleges and intend on staying in the state to practice primary care. Since 2015, over 80 students have graduated from this program with a 98% medical school acceptance rate. Georgia heart grand rounds: georgia heart grand rounds' purpose is to educate physicians and other clinical professionals in the latest advances and methods in cardiology to guide in clinical decisions. The grand rounds series features nationally renowned leaders across the spectrum of cardiovascular specialties and is free and accessible to all providers in-person and virtually. In fy24, grand rounds was attended by over 800 physicians and other clinical professionals, attracting attendees from the state and nation. * graduate medical education: northeast georgia medical center's (ngmc) graduate medical education program is designed to train residents to be leaders in the medical field while receiving hands-on training in various medical specialties. In 2024, ngmc had 60 internal medicine residents, 36 family medicine residents, 36 emergency medicine residents, 30 general surgery residents, 18 cardiovascular disease fellows, 18 psychiatry residents, 12 transitional year residents, eight internal medicine primary care track residents, and two hospice and palliative medicine fellows, bringing the total number of physician learners to 220. Gme programs accredited: in february 2024, the cardiovascular disease fellowship program an”

“In fy24, ngmc helped support 48 community non-profits at a cost of over $923,000, including: -american cancer society -american heart association -amped kids foundation -beyond dementia coalition -boy scouts of america -brenau university -bridging hope -children's center for hope and healing -center point -edmondson-telford center for children -elachee nature center -gainesville-hall county black history society -gainesville jaycees -gateway domestic violence center -georgia gwinnett college -georgia mountain food bank -general federation of women's clubs gainesville phoenix women's club -girl scouts of historic georgia -glory, hope and life -habitat for humanity -hall county family connection network -hall-dawson casa -help for healthcare professionals -hispanic alliance georgia -hop on a cure (als) -jarrard burch foundation -j's place -junior achievement -junior league of gainesville and hall county diaper bank and feeding our future -marr addiction treatment centers -my sister's place -north georgia works -pancreatic cancer action network -path united -quinlan visual arts center -rachel's gift -rainbow village -rotary club of north gwinnett -sisu, integrated early learning -southeastern brain tumor foundation -national fire safety council -syfan supports rally benefitting childhood cancer research -the mental health alliance of america -thumbs up mission -whispering angels youth ranch -womensource -young life gainesville/hall county -young life suwanee/buford blood drives: ngmc sponsors blood drives for the american red cross and the blood connection throughout the year. In fy24, over 459 individuals donated blood, resulting in approximately 918 units of blood collected. Donation of water bottles to gainesville elementary schools: in 2024, ngmc donated over 200 reusable water bottles to students at new holland leadership academy and fair street international academy who otherwise would not have bottles to use while outside at the playground and throughout the school day. Nghs donates stop the bleed kits: ngmc, in cooperation with the healthcare coalition b, donated 15 stop the bleed kits to the university of north georgia and oakwood police department. These kits can be lifesaving in emergency situations, providing crucial supplies to help stop severe bleeding until professional help arrives. * support for united way of hall county and one hall united against poverty: nghs is a key partner of united way of hall county, an organization that unites people, organizations and resources to improve lives in the community. They serve hall county, georgia residents who are in or at risk of financial instability and non-profits aligned with our investment priorities. One hall united against poverty is the vehicle for collective impact through united way of hall county and includes subcommittees on health (includes mental and behavioral health), financial stability and education. The initiative seeks to break the cycle of poverty in hall county by seeking to understand poverty from the perspective of our most vulnerable. Director of community health improvement, christy moore, serves as chairperson of one hall. For more about the work of this collaborative, go to www.unitedwayhallcounty.org/onehall. * mental & behavioral health the one hall mental and behavioral health collaborative: nghs is an active partner of the one hall mental and behavioral health subcommittee, now referred to as the health subcommittee because "mental health is health." nghs employees monica newton, do, and adam raulerson of laurelwood co-chair the committee. With activities around access, collaboration and education, this collaborative enjoys active involvement from over 30 agencies and hundreds of individuals at its monthly meetings. Fy24 accomplishments of the collaborative are found here: https://www.unitedwayhallcounty.org/reachout/reports. May is mental health awareness month, and nghs partnered with united way of hall county in the "hall goes green" cha”

“* unite us nghs continued its work to implement unite us in fy24, in partnership with area nonprofits, making it the recipient over $300,000 raised through the nghs foundation's 2024 medical center open. Unite us is a shared data platform that creates a coordinated care network with partners working together to connect people to a range of services such as housing, employment opportunities, food assistance and more. It allows electronic referrals between non-profits and service organizations to connect individuals and families to the services they need in real time. At the end of 2024, 213 community-based organizations were on the platform and over 1,600 referrals were made. Research shows that issues like unemployment, food insecurity, poor housing, and social isolation play a detrimental role in overall health. By making improvements in these social determinants of health (sdoh) upstream, it helps to minimize poor health, unnecessary suffering and higher costs. * access to care braselton ambulatory surgery center: in october 2023, the braselton surgery center, nghs' first state-of-the-art ambulatory surgery center opened, offering new outpatient surgical options to patients in the community, with surgeons covering a variety of specialties and offering same-day procedures so patients can return home quickly to heal. Groundbreaking of medical plaza 1: in february 2024, nghs broke ground on medical plaza 1 at thompson bridge medical park. It opened september 2024, and houses ngpg thompson bridge, which provides primary care, weight loss and gynecology services. Groundbreaking of inpatient rehabilitation facility: in fy24, nghs and lifepoint rehabilitation, a business unit of lifepoint health, broke ground on a new inpatient rehabilitation facility in gainesville. With a total of 40 private rooms, the 61,000 square-foot facility will nearly double the patient capacity of the existing 24-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit at ngmc gainesville. Northeast georgia rehabilitation institute will provide intensive nursing, physical, occupational and speech pathology services for adults recovering from conditions such as stroke, neurological disease, brain or spinal cord injury and other debilitating illnesses or injuries and will open in 2025. Ngpg launched memory assessment clinic: in partnership with state-funded georgia memory network, ngpg opened a clinic for patients in our community with cognitive issues. This year, the clinic saw 500 new patients. Prenatal program at hall county health department: ngmc partners with the hall county health department to improve birth outcomes by increasing the early initiation of prenatal care for low income, uninsured pregnant women, regardless of their ability to pay. * health education and community outreach clinical simulation: in fy24, clinical simulation education was provided to over 580 students at university of north georgia, leadership georgia, brenau university, gainesville high school and lanier academy high school. Through this training, students and staff learned basic life support, how to deliver a baby, how to administer an epipen and stop the bleed using evidence-based standards and practices. Beginning in fy24, clinical simulation, in partnership with hope for georgia moms, began offering obstetric patient safety workshops to help clinicians identify, assess and manage patients with an obstetric emergency through simulation and debriefing. This course was offered free-of-charge and is focused on educating healthcare professionals in rural areas in georgia. Community education on injury prevention and trauma: in fy24, ngmc provided community education regarding falls, injury prevention and trauma to 575 individuals, consisting of high school students, support group members, and healthcare professionals in the community. Additionally, ngmc trauma staff provided training in the community for the stop the bleed campaign, a school response program designed to enable students, teachers,”

“* juneteenth celebration: on june 15, 2024, nghs' erine raybon-rojas, md, and residents from the graduate medical education program participated in the juneteenth celebration, hosted by the gainesville-hall county black history society and the butler center, to answer health questions and to talk about nghs and the help for healthcare professionals youth opportunities for unparalleled training in healthcare, medicine, education and development physician mentorship program. Nghs also provided booklets to attendees listing health and community resources available in hall county. * latino fest 2024: ngmc partners with the hispanic alliance of georgia to support the latino community in the region. On september 28, 2024, ngmc was the platinum sponsor of latino fest, an event that celebrates local latino culture, art, music and food. Graduate medical education residents and diversity, equity and inclusion council members participated and shared information about local resources available to the community. Proceeds from latino fest go towards the "fund the dream" scholarship, which is awarded to first-generation, low-income minority students. * maternal cardiac program: ngmc's maternal cardiac program aims to enhance the timeliness and quality of maternal health information in order to provide early recognition of at-risk women and ensure the timely intervention and follow up to decrease negative health outcomes. In fy24, in partnership with georgia heart institute staff, the maternal cardiac program dedicated time towards community education, conferences and outreach on maternal cardiac conditions. Medical plaza in buford hosts health fair: nghs hosted a health fair on saturday, september 21 at the medical plaza in buford, welcoming over 150 individuals for health screenings, flu shots, cpr classes, child safety seat education and more. Mended hearts support group: mended hearts is a support group that offers moral support to patients with heart disease. In fy24, mended hearts volunteers made 1,800 visits to heart patients, providing support to them, their spouses and others affected by heart disease. Oncology services community outreach and support groups: in fy24, oncology services provided educational awareness about cancer to over 475 community members at local events in addition to screenings for cancers such as lung and thyroid cancer. Assistant nurse manager andria caton with ngmc oncology services also led a virtual support group, open to the public, for women ages 39 and under with a breast cancer diagnosis once a month. As a health system, ngmc nurses and staff coordinated "colorectal cancer sunday" on march 17, 2024, at bethel ame church in gainesville. Forty-eight people were in attendance and received colorectal cancer messages during a designated announcement time during the church service. Ngmc staff provided 22 congregants with one-on-one colorectal cancer information, instructions on stool collection for fecal immunochemical tests (fit) and how to return results and stipends for participating. Out of 22 fit tests distributed, 9 results were returned and participants were notified by mail of the results and provided with colorectal cancer materials. For more, visit https://www.nghs.com/cancer/reports. * paramedics improving the community's health (pitch): ngmc's paramedics improving the community's health (pitch) program helps the community have access to care. Community paramedics meet patients at their homes to provide and connect them to primary care services, seek out available community resources, complete post-hospital follow-up care, discover education and health programs, and discuss overall health and mental happiness. In fy24, pitch served over 55 individuals, establishing 30 new pitch program patients with primary care who initially reported no primary care. Respecting choices: respecting choices is an evidence-based model of advanced care planning that honors an individual's goals and values for current a”

“In fy24, ngmc gainesville was the first hospital in the world to offer a groundbreaking clinical trial focused on liver cancer, called boombox, which studies qualified histotripsy patients for up to five years to help improve standard treatment protocol. Awards and recognition nghs represents at georgia state capitol: in february 2024, dr. Jody banhmiller, two pgy3 family medicine residents and two medical students from local universities participated in the doctor of the day program at the georgia capitol, volunteering in the medical aid station at the state capitol, where they provide free minor medical care for legislators and their staff for the day. Nghs spreads awareness about lung cancer: in march 2024, the georgia lung cancer roundtable went to the georgia capitol to receive the lung cancer awareness month proclamation from governor brian kemp. Many from ngmc participate in this endeavor to spread awareness about lung cancer. Community service in fy24, 120 staff members from ngmc gainesville and braselton reported dedicating staff time towards a total of 305 leadership positions within various civic and professional organizations. Ngmc barrow highlights of ngmc barrow community benefit activities: ngmc barrow values cooperative efforts with community organizations and other healthcare providers to improve the health status of area residents. The organization demonstrates this by providing financial and staff support to local nonprofit agencies, facilitating workforce development programs, providing needed counseling for schools during crisis and tobacco cessation education to all barrow county 4th and 5th grade students. * charity care like ngmc gainesville, braselton, lumpkin and habersham, ngmc barrow's charity care policy removed barriers for low-income populations within our service area, beginning with the free, medically necessary care for patients whose gross family income is 0 to 150 percent of the federal poverty level (fpl) adjusted for family size. Patients from our service area whose fpl is from 151 to 300 percent may qualify for an adjustment equivalent to the hospital's medicare reimbursement rate plus an additional 40 percent discount to the medicare reimbursement rate. In fy24, the estimated cost of indigent and charity care through ngmc barrow was $2.0 million based on 2,864 patient encounters. In addition, ngmc barrow incurred bad debt expense during 2024 of approximately $14.6 million as measured by charges. This represents approximately 23.3 percent of net patient revenue as reflected in the audited financial statements. A significant percentage of this amount is estimated to be the result of patients that are employed by unable to pay medical expenses and are therefore considered "medically indigent." * financial navigation ngmc barrow employs financial assistance navigators who focus on being advocates for uninsured and underinsured patients aiding them in finding viable means to access care. The team's focus is finding the best solutions for helping patients apply for programs they might be eligible for, medicaid, disability, accessing the new healthcare exchanges, or processing charity, when appropriate. Patient navigation ngmc barrow patient navigators provided guidance to 640 cancer patients in fy24. Patient navigators are seen as a "living resource directory" for patients. Services include: connecting patients with community resources, providing emotional support, helping patients understand their diagnosis, communicating with healthcare staff and providers, addressing logistical issues such as transportation and helping patients understand medical terms and treatment options. * indigent patient fund at ngmc barrow, financial assistance is provided for indigent patients to obtain needed medications and transportation. Individuals eligible for these funds are patients whose needs cannot be met through primary insurance, their funds, government programs, or other charitable services. This helps”

“* access to care bethlehem medical plaza: starting in august 2024, medical plaza 1 in bethlehem, georgia opened for patients. The two-story, 34,000 square-foot medical office building is the new home of ngpg family health associates, ngpg orthopedic surgery, ngpg sports medicine and georgia heart institute. * health education and community outreach center for innovative teaching (cfit) support: ngmc barrow donated $225,000 towards the building our futures project in barrow county. The building our futures project is a public-private partnership between the barrow community foundation, barrow county schools, local businesses, and community members to develop an 8-acre park and playground centrally located near the center for innovative teaching (cfit) in winder. In fy24, representatives from nghs celebrated the grand opening of the community park, which provides space for recreation and education and the playground features unique play pieces as well as ada-accessible features. Nghs president and ceo, a native of barrow county, serves as campaign leader council co-chair. * child abuse recognition and reporting class: in fy24, ngmc barrow partnered with children's healthcare of atlanta (choa) to provide the child abuse recognition and reporting class to teachers, law enforcement, clinicians, prehospital first responders and social workers in the community. This course was taught across all five ngmc campuses and was offered free-of-cost. Clinical simulation: clinical simulation education was provided to over 200 students at barrow arts and sciences high school and apalachee high school. Through this training, students learned basic life support, how to deliver a baby, how to administer an epipen and stop the bleed using evidence-based standards and practice. Georgia heart institute community outreach: in fy24, georgia heart institute nurse practitioners, health educators, medical assistants and physicians provided health education about heart health to over 100 barrow community members. Lung cancer support group: in fy24, oncology nurses with ngmc barrow provided monthly, in-person support groups for lung cancer at ngmc barrow. Ngmc barrow participates in mass casualty training: in partnership with the barrow county school system, local law enforcement, fire departments and ems, the ngmc barrow emergency preparedness team simulated a full scale active shooter exercise to test the plans and response of barrow middle school. * safe kids northeast georgia: ngmc served as the lead agency for safe kids northeast georgia, reducing unintentional injuries and deaths in children 19 and under. In fy24, safe kids provided programs and educational events with outreach to an estimated 2,010 children and their family members, teachers, and caregivers in barrow county. Through these programs, safety items were distributed to families who were in need of them. Sepsis community outreach: in fy24, health education on sepsis prevention and infection prevention was provided at various community health fairs and events in the barrow county community. * tar wars: according to georgia cancer statistics, barrow county has significantly higher rates of lung cancer incidence and mortality when compared to state and national numbers. Since 2018, ngmc barrow has partnered with barrow county schools to implement "tar wars" for over 12,000 fourth and fifth-grade students across nine elementary schools."tar wars" is a tobacco-free education program developed by the american academy of family physicians to teach kids about the dangers of tobacco use, the cost of tobacco products and the advertising techniques used by the tobacco industry to market their products to youth. Post-education, students design anti-tobacco posters, with top entries advancing to district-level competition and the barrow area rotary club and nghs social media followers help to determine winners. This year's winners were hailey f., cannon lord and jecoliah tagnum and they were recognize”

“* indigent patient fund at ngmc lumpkin, financial assistance is provided for indigent patients to obtain needed medications and transportation. Individuals eligible for these funds are patients whose needs cannot be met through primary insurance, their funds, government programs, or other charitable services. This helps ensure medication compliance and maximize conditions for recovery and recuperation. The nghs foundation provided funding for this program at an estimated cost of $47,160 across all campuses in fy24. * what drives community health improvement activities with significant input from the community, the hospital entities of northeast georgia health system completed a regional community health needs assessment (chna) in partnership with district 2 public health, stephens county hospital, habersham medical center and good news clinics in 2022, which continues to drive community health improvement activities today. The assessment focused mainly on the needs of the community's most vulnerable populations, particularly those with low incomes who are uninsured. Input from the community was gathered through focus groups and interviews, plus online surveys that garnered approximately 4,500 responses, well above expected response rates. The study identified the three health priorities that fit hand-in-glove with the organization's strategic direction: mental & behavioral health, access to care, and healthy behaviors. For more information about these priorities, go to www.nghs.com/community-benefit-resources. * health professions education & workforce development ngmc lumpkin continues to serve as a pipeline to attract and prepare qualified individuals and students interested in healthcare positions. Ngmc lumpkin works to train, educate and recruit students for careers in healthcare. Ngmc lumpkin spent over $57,000 in fy24 in these areas: allied health student education: ngmc lumpkin provided eight allied health students with clinical rotations in fy24 to give them hands on experience under the supervision of ngmc lumpkin staff, allowing them to apply knowledge and essential allied health skills. Nursing student education: ngmc lumpkin provided four student nurses with clinical rotations in fy24 to give them hands on experience under the supervision of registered nurses, allowing them to apply knowledge and essential nursing skills. Youth apprenticeship: the youth apprenticeship is designed to provide hands-on exposure to many different healthcare careers to encourage students toward a path in healthcare. A total of 14 students from lumpkin and forsyth county high schools participated at ngmc lumpkin this year. * support of charitable clinics and other non-profits ngmc lumpkin helps support local non-profits that connect people in need to resources such as food, transportation, and other important support services. Often referred to as social determinants of health, lack of access to these resources play a detrimental role in overall health. In fact, research supports the idea that as much as 80% of a person's wellbeing is tied to physical environment, economic factors, and health behaviors. Making improvements in these areas upstream can impact better health downstream, minimizing poor health, unnecessary suffering and higher costs of care. Ngmc lumpkin provided over $31,000 in support of community non-profits in fy24. Below are highlights: community helping place: in fy24, ngmc lumpkin provided support for community helping place, a non-profit in lumpkin county that provides free medical and dental services, a food pantry, summer food programs for children, a baby and personal care pantry, emergency financial assistance and referral support services for the area's most vulnerable populations. Director of emergency and inpatient departments at ngmc lumpkin, kay hall, serves on the board of community helping place and dr. Allison turk and dr. Raymond polk are physician volunteers with the free clinic. Community health improv”

“Georgia heart institute expands staff and clinics along ga 400: in fy24, georgia heart institute welcomed two new clinicians to its growing outpatient care team with the plan to relocate clinics in dawsonville and dahlonega to allow for enhanced service offerings and an improved patient experience. * health education and community outreach clinical simulation: in fy24, clinical simulation education was provided to over 100 students at lumpkin county high school and staff at lumpkin county fire department. Through this training, students and staff learned basic life support, how to deliver a baby, how to administer an epipen and stop the bleed using evidence-based standards and practice. Diabetes education: in fy24, the diabetes education department provided information and resources on diabetes and blood sugar checks to 150 community members at the dahlonega well-being fair hosted at the university of north georgia. Hospice school-based grief support groups: in fy24, hospice of ngmc provided bereavement support and education for those grieving the loss or caring for a loved one. Hospice also provided school-based grief support groups to elementary and middle school students in lumpkin county. * safe kids northeast georgia: northeast georgia medical center serves as lead agency for safe kids northeast georgia. The mission of safe kids is to reduce unintentional injuries and death in children 19 and under. In fy24, safe kids provided programs and events with outreach to an estimated 537 children and their family members, teachers and caregivers in lumpkin county. Through these programs, safety items were distributed to families in need of them. * sepsis community outreach: in fy24, sepsis nurses provided education on sepsis prevention at the dahlonega health fair to 80 community members. * community service in fy24, 17 staff members from ngmc lumpkin reported spending dedicated staff time towards 28 leadership positions with various civic and professional organizations. Ngpg clinical care director tammy soles served as vice chair on the lumpkin county high school college and career academy board, dahlonega-lumpkin county chamber of commerce board and as an advisor for youth leadership lumpkin. Lab sales coordinator monty sirmans served as chair of the dawson county chamber of commerce board of directors. Carrie sisk, md, with ngpg dahlonega family medicine served as a board member of the lumpkin county board of health. Ngmc habersham highlights of ngmc habersham community benefit activities: ngmc habersham values cooperative efforts with community organizations and other healthcare providers to improve the health status of area residents. The organization demonstrates this by providing financial and staff support to local nonprofit agencies, developing partnerships with schools on health education, and fostering a partnership with the local indigent clinic that serves the under-served population. In fy24, ngmc habersham celebrated its first anniversary as a part of northeast georgia health system. Over the past year, ngmc habersham has seen growth in inpatient census, labor and delivery, outpatient diagnostic testing and emergency department volume. In fy24, ngmc habersham was also accredited as a level 3 emergency cardiac care center, joining the other ngmc locations in eccc designation. * charity care ngmc habersham's charity care policy removed barriers for low-income populations within our service area, beginning with free medically necessary care for patients whose gross family income was zero to 150 percent of the federal poverty level (fpl) adjusted for family size. Patients from our service area whose fpl is from 151 to 300 percent qualified for an adjustment equivalent to the hospital's medicare reimbursement rate plus an additional 40 percent discount to the medicare reimbursement rate. In fy24, the estimated cost of indigent and charity care through ngmc habersham was approximately $2.5 million based on 3,319 patient”

“* support of charitable clinics and other non-profits ngmc habersham helps support local non-profits that connect people in need to resources such as food, transportation, and other important support services. Often referred to as social determinants of health, lack of access to these resources play a detrimental role in overall health. In fact, research supports the idea that as much as 80% of a person's wellbeing is tied to physical environment, economic factors, and health behaviors. Making improvements in these areas upstream can impact better health downstream, minimizing poor health, unnecessary suffering and higher costs of care. Ngmc habersham provided over $40,000 in support of community non-profits in fy24. Below are highlights: american cancer society: in fy24, ngmc habersham sponsored the american cancer society's relay for life habersham county event benefitting cancer research and community education. Grace gate clinic: in fy24, ngmc habersham provided a donation towards the operations of grace gate clinic, which provides medical services to underinsured and underserved patients at no cost. Habersham county united way: in fy24, ngmc habersham provided a donation towards habersham county united way, which focuses on connecting those living in habersham county with partner agencies to improve their livelihood, focusing on education, income and health. Habersham 4-h: in fy24, ngmc habersham donated funds towards upgrades to the teaching kitchen for habersham 4-h, which is used to educate students on how to cook healthy meals. Habersham 4-h provides programming to youth from fifth grade to 12th grade to teach how to create healthy habits, develop key life skills and become productive members of society. Habersham ems: ngmc habersham provided support towards habersham county emergency services, which provides emergency services to the citizens of habersham county, including fire, ems and ema. Ngmc also provided office space at no charge to habersham ems. Hub of habersham: in fy24, ngmc supported hub of habersham, which provides youth mentoring programming, linked to mental and behavioral health. Their teach 1 to lead 1 program is a community mentoring program that teaches universal principles to lead students into a life of purpose and potential. North georgia autism foundation: in fy24, ngmc habersham provided a donation towards north georgia autism foundation, which aims to remove barriers and increase access to diagnosis, treatment, career development and general support for autistic individuals and their families in north georgia. North georgia technical college support: in fy24, ngmc habersham provided a sponsorship towards the rick perkins award for excellence in technical instruction, which honors healthcare instructors who have made significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields. Vanessa lone, medical assisting instructor at ngtc, was the recipient of the award. Open arms clinic: in fy24, ngmc habersham provided a donation towards open arms clinic, an indigent clinic that provides care for the needy of stephens county, such as care for chronic illness, medication and social services. Piedmont university school of nursing: in fy24, ngmc habersham provided a donation towards the piedmont university school of nursing 5k fundraiser for the pinning ceremony of graduating nursing students. Swim safety for habersham county parks and recreation: in fy24, ngmc habersham and safe kids northeast georgia donated towards the swim safely day event, which provided water safety trainings to children and parents. Habersham county parks and recreation offers high-quality recreational programs and activities for the community, catering to children, youth and adults. * health education and community outreach clinical simulation: in fy24, ngmc provided clinical simulation learning to 166 students at rabun county high school and stephens county high school and staff with stephens”

“Special notes about community benefit reporting ngmc used the precepts outlined in "a guide for planning and reporting community benefit," provided by the catholic health association of the united states and vizient for its community benefit reporting within the organization's irs 990 schedule h. The guide's purpose is to help not-for-profit mission-driven healthcare organizations develop, enhance and report on their community benefit programs. Community benefit definition: the program or activity must address a demonstrated community need and seek to address at least one of the following: - improving access - enhancing population health - advancing generalizable knowledge - relieving the government burden on improving health the program or activity must: - primarily benefit the community rather than the organization - result in measurable expense to the organization if the program or activity is provided primarily for marketing purposes, standard practice, expected of all hospitals (such as activities required for accreditation, licensure, or to participate in medicare) or is primarily for employees (not including interns, residents, and fellows) and/or affiliated physicians, it is not community benefit. Charity care cost is an estimated cost and does not include bad debt. Additional information has been included in the schedule o to give the broadest view of community impact of nghs hospitals. For more information, contact the community health improvement department at 770-219-8085.”

“Intercompany forgiveness 81,050,944. Partnership income not on books 458,742. Pension adjustment 7,029,668. Other adjustment -49,161.”